LVI REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



The greatest difference will be noted as occurring in the vicinity of 

 the station. This is attributed, first, to the well-known fact that the 

 lobster fishery is steadily declining in this section ; hence, the number 

 of men engaged in the work becomes fewer each year, as the income 

 derived from it is too small to support them. Another important fac- 

 tor is the legislation recently enacted prohibiting the fishing of pound 

 nets in Buzzards Bay, which furnished the greater part of the bait used 

 by the lobster fishermen operating in this territory. This caused a 

 number of men to abandon the business. The same general decline 

 has been felt in the waters south and west. It is reported that only 

 about half the number of pots were set in the vicinity of Marblehead, 

 Stonington, and Block Island, as compared with the previous year. The 

 only direction in which operations could be extended would be on the 

 north side of Cape Cod; but an additional steam launch would be 

 necessary, which would materially increase the expense of the work. 



The following table shows the species handled at the station during 

 the fiscal year, eggs collected, and fry produced. 



Species. 



Cod 



Flatfish 

 Lobster 



Total . 



No. of eggs. 



153,436,000 

 57, 603, 000 

 35, 391, 000 



No. of fry. 



105, 863, 000 

 39, 337, 000 

 30, 980, 000 



246, 430, 000 176, 180, 000 



Edisto River, Steamer Fish Hawk (Lieut. Franklin Swift commanding). 

 As a result of investigations made by the assistant in charge during 

 December, the Fish Hawk was detailed to visit the Edisto Biver in 

 March for the purpose of determining whether the fisheries are of such 

 character and extent as to permit of fish -cultural work on a large scale. 

 The vessel arrived at the mouth of the river on March 12 and pro- 

 ceeded upstream to a point a mile above the mouth of the Dawho, 

 where good anchorage was obtained. That night 8 spawn-takers were 

 sent out to examine the shad captured by the fishermen, and as a result 

 77,000 eggs were collected. These were placed in the jars and seemed 

 to be in good condition until the 17th, when they commenced dying 

 rapidly. As the temperature was favorable, averaging 66°, and the 

 embryo was well formed, it was thought that the water was at fault, and 

 it was tested for acids, but none were found. It is barely possible that 

 the loss was due to the use of salt water in the pipes and machinery 

 at Tampa; but this is not probable, as the pipes had been thoroughly 

 rinsed with fresh water before the eggs were placed in the jars, and 

 only a very slight trace of salt could be found when chemicals were 

 used to test the water. The spawn-takers continued attending the nets, 

 but no more eggs were obtained, though the fishermen reported that 

 ripe fish had been caught for a week or ten days prior to the arrival of 

 the vessel. The majority of those caught were hard and would have 

 required at least a week to ripen, and, as the services of the vessel were 

 needed on the Albemarle, work was discontinued on the 18th. 



