﻿78 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  INCREASED 
  AID 
  TO 
  THE 
  SHELLFISH 
  INDUSTRIES. 
  

  

  The 
  oyster 
  fishery 
  of 
  this 
  country 
  is 
  the 
  most 
  valuable 
  fishery 
  in 
  

   the 
  world, 
  and 
  its 
  yield 
  to 
  the 
  fishermen 
  of 
  ap]>roximately 
  $16,000,000 
  

   annually 
  is 
  greater 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  combined 
  fisheries 
  of 
  Norway, 
  

   which 
  constitute 
  one 
  of 
  that 
  country's 
  greatest 
  assets. 
  Shellfish, 
  

   including 
  oysters, 
  create 
  more 
  than 
  one-third 
  of 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  aquatic 
  

   products 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  and 
  they 
  afford 
  food 
  of 
  vast 
  importance 
  

   to 
  the 
  people, 
  yet 
  the 
  aid 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  industry 
  by 
  the 
  Government 
  is 
  

   far 
  less 
  than 
  that 
  extended 
  in 
  propagating 
  such 
  fishes 
  as 
  black 
  bass, 
  

   whose 
  chief 
  value 
  is 
  to 
  afford 
  sport 
  and 
  recreation 
  rather 
  than 
  food. 
  

  

  The 
  oyster, 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  shellfishes, 
  owing 
  to 
  their 
  peculiar 
  

   habits 
  and 
  methods 
  of 
  breechng, 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  propagated 
  as 
  are 
  the 
  

   true 
  fishes. 
  Oyster 
  culture 
  is 
  of 
  necessity 
  a 
  private 
  enterprise, 
  but 
  it 
  

   presents 
  many 
  difficulties 
  and 
  dangers 
  which 
  the 
  growers 
  are 
  not 
  in 
  

   a 
  position 
  to 
  combat, 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  proper 
  knowledge, 
  and 
  tliis 
  knowledge 
  

   can 
  not 
  be 
  obtained 
  excepting 
  through 
  investigations 
  and 
  experiments 
  

   which 
  the 
  Government 
  alone 
  is 
  in 
  a 
  position 
  to 
  conduct. 
  

  

  The 
  Bureau 
  is 
  without 
  the 
  means, 
  and 
  particularly 
  the 
  personnel, 
  

   to 
  carry 
  on 
  this 
  much-needed 
  work, 
  although 
  the 
  deficiency 
  and 
  the 
  

   necessity 
  wliich 
  it 
  creates 
  have 
  been 
  repeatedly 
  pointed 
  out 
  in 
  these 
  

   reports 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  estimates 
  for 
  appropriations. 
  

  

  Those 
  interested 
  in 
  the 
  oyster 
  fishery 
  in 
  particular 
  have 
  repeatedly 
  

   pointed 
  out, 
  with 
  justice, 
  the 
  difference 
  between 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  consider- 
  

   ation 
  wliich 
  is 
  accorded 
  their 
  industry 
  and 
  the 
  assistance 
  which 
  is 
  

   received 
  by 
  agricultural 
  interests. 
  Farmers 
  encountering 
  difficulty 
  

   find 
  help 
  available, 
  but 
  the 
  oystermen 
  laboring 
  under 
  much 
  greater 
  

   disadvantage 
  find 
  it 
  withheld 
  for 
  the 
  reason 
  that 
  the 
  Bureau 
  has 
  not 
  

   been 
  provided 
  with 
  the 
  means 
  for 
  extending 
  it. 
  In 
  all 
  justice 
  and 
  

   for 
  the 
  very 
  practical 
  consideration 
  that 
  our 
  food 
  suppUes 
  should 
  be 
  

   increased 
  and 
  assured, 
  this 
  condition 
  should 
  be 
  corrected 
  without 
  

   further 
  delay. 
  

  

  Respectfully, 
  H. 
  ]\I. 
  Smith, 
  

  

  Commissioner. 
  

  

  To 
  Hon. 
  William 
  C. 
  Redfteld, 
  

  

  Secretary 
  of 
  Commerce. 
  

  

  