35 



BCF researchers will study the biology, ecology, 

 and population dynamics of menhaden; the most 

 important fish by volume of the U.S. commercial 

 catch. One of the major objectives of this program 

 is to aid the fishing industry by explaining the 

 causes of fluctuation in the supply of menhaden. 



In waters along our northeast coast, the Bureau 

 will investigate the relationship between the 

 Georges Bank herring stock and the Maine 

 sardine. Biostatistical programs will be improved 

 to allow rapid assessment of herring and ground- 

 fish stocks in order to provide the basic data 

 for decision making on international manage- 

 ment proposals by the U.S. Ccimmissioners to the 

 International Commission for the Northwest 

 Atlantic Fisheries (ICNAF). Estimates of sustain- 

 able yield will continue to be calculated for the 

 major groundfish species of concern to ICNAF. 

 In this area, BCF will also continue its studies 

 of the population structure, behavior, and ecology 

 of the New England lobster, and the distribution 

 and reproductive cycles of the surf clam. 



The biology of the Pacific herring will be 

 studied in southeastern Alaska to determine the 

 effect of variations in spawning upon the catch, 

 the origin of stocks, natural mortality, migration 

 patterns, and life history of the species. 



Basic environmental data will be collected in 

 Alaskan waters and related to the commercial 

 production of demersal fishes. Investigations will 

 determine factors controlling the survival of pink 

 and chum salmon. Extensive research will be 

 conducted on the groundfish resources of the shelf 

 off Washington and Oregon, mainly on hake, 

 sable-fish, and ocean perch, to assemble informa- 

 tion on migrations, reproduction, ecology, growth, 

 mortality, distribution, and abundance in re- 

 lation to environmental factors. A sampling 

 program will be continued within the newly 

 established commercial hake fishery. 



The Bureau will investigate the biodynamics of 

 sardines, anchovies, and other important marine 

 fishes of the California coast. Serological tech- 

 niques will be used to identify and delimit sub- 

 populations of sardines and anchovies, and experi- 

 ments will continue to learn more about their 

 behavior. Research is also proceeding on the 

 physiological functions and metabolism of fishes 

 and other marine organisms, and on the transfer 

 of energy through the food chain. 



Bureau of Sport Fisheries and Wildlife 



FY 1965-1401,000 

 FY 1966-$658,000 

 FY 1967-1638,000 



Background 



The growth of marine angling has intensified 

 pressure on coastal fish resources and is changing 

 the nature of conservation problems. Anglers, 

 fishing within 20 miles of shore, catch 11.25 

 billion pounds of fish a year. It is within this 

 coastal zone that the Bureau concentrates its game 

 fish research. The BSF&W research program con- 

 sists of: (1) life history studies of fish species to 

 fill gaps in knowledge about distribution in space 

 and time, age and rates of growth, identity and 

 size of populations, migratory habits, food habits, 

 reproductive seasons, enemies, parisites, and 

 diseases; and (2) analysis of environments to 

 identify and measure factors affecting distribution, 

 movements, abundance and well-being of game 

 fish species. All of the Bureau's research is con- 

 ducted on the continental shelves. 



Proposed FY 1967 Program 



Research into the behavior, life history, and 

 environmental factors related to the distribution 

 of sport fish will be continued. A major effort 

 centers on the bluefish, one of the important an- 

 gling species of the Atlantic coast. The problem of 

 distinguishing populations of bluefish is being 

 attacked by several techniques including analysis 

 of body proportions, growth rates, blood chemistry 

 and parastic content. The Bureau will study the 

 life histories of Pacific game and forage fishes, 

 including the Pacific herring, greenling, rockfish, 

 lingcod, anchovy, bonito, and barracuda. 



Studies of the abundance, distribution, and 

 dynamics of game fish populations, and the effects 

 of man's activities upon them, will be continued. 

 Variations in the survival of juvenile stages of 

 fishes will be investigated, and a methodology 

 will be developed to support a catch and effort 

 sampling program. 



Studies of the en\ironment will be made in 

 conjunction with surveys of the distribution of 

 fish species to predict variations in occurrence 



