26 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



Vol. 28, No. 8 



Despite the excellent flavor of the meat, 

 the fish has not found widespread favor local- 

 ly because of its multitude of fine bones but 

 it is popular on the East Coast. Shad roe, the 

 clusters of tiny eggs, is the most valuable 

 product of the shad fishery. 



In past years, Columbia River shad land- 

 ings have been as high as 1.4 million pounds 

 for the season. "Shad catches have been good 

 thus far this season. With the runs apparent- 

 ly on the increase and with greatly improved 

 marketing prospects, it appears that the shad 

 is going to occupy a position of major import- 

 ance in Oregon's valuable food fish fishery," 

 the Oregon Fisheries Director said. (Oregon 

 Fish Commission, June 24, 1966.) 



Connecticut 



FEDERAL GRANT TO AID 

 OYSTER INDUSTRY: 



A $200,000 grant to the State of Connecti- 

 cut was approved in June 1966 by Secretary 

 of the Interior Stewart L. Udall to help re- 

 store and put back into production oyster 

 grounds in that State which were severely hit 

 when oysters were killed by drought condi- 

 tions . 



Drought -caused damage reached a climax 

 in 1965 with a total failure of oyster seed re- 

 sources. Without a natural "set" of seed 

 oysters in 1965, the Northeast faces the pos- 

 sibility of no marketable oysters for the 1968- 

 69 period unless immediate steps are taken 

 to remedy the situation. 



Since the drought and the failure of oyster 

 set were due to natural causes, the State 

 qualifies for assistance under provisions of 

 a Federal fishery disaster relief law passed 

 in 1964. The law is administered by Inter- 

 ior's Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, and 

 provides that the Secretary may make avail- 

 able up to $400,000 to aid a fishing industry 

 when a resource disaster occurs. 



The drought disrupted large areas of oys- 

 ter habitat by causing increased salinity and 

 altering temperatures, according to Bureau 

 scientists. The reduced fresh-water runoff 

 also affected the food supply, protection from 

 predators, and necessary movement of oys- 

 ter larvae. 



Federal assistance will be supplemented 

 by at least $150,000 of State funds in efforts 

 to restore the industry which once brought 

 oystermen and processors $10 million an- 

 nually. The Federal and State money will be 

 used to plant spawning oysters and finance 

 related operations. 



Note: See Commercial Fisheries Review , December 1964 p. 118, 



Federal Aid for Sport Fish 

 and Wildlife Restoration 



INTERIOR APPORTIONS FUNDS 2 



TO STATES FOR FY 1967: 3 



Federal-aid funds totaling $18,275,000 for 

 fish and wildlife restoration projects were 

 distributed on July 1, 1966, to the 50 states, 

 Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Common- 

 wealth of Puerto Rico, announced Secretary 

 of the Interior Stewart L. Udall. 



The distribution of funds, $3,275,000 great- 

 er than a similar distribution the previous 

 year, was a preliminary apportionment to 

 help states (with small reserve funds) finance 

 Federal-aid operations between July 1 and the 

 final apportionment for the year which comes 

 in the fall, the Interior Secretary said. 



Of the $18,275,000 allocated, $14,675,000 

 is for wildlife restoration and $3,600,000 is 

 for sport fishery projects. 



Fish and wildlife restoration funds come 

 from Federal excise taxes collected from 

 manufacturers, importers, and producers of 

 firearms, fishing rods, and other types of 

 hunting and fishing equipment. Under the Fed- 

 eral aid programs, states spend their own 

 funds on approved projects and are then re- 

 imbursed for up to 75 percent of the cost. 

 The laws establishing those programs also 

 provide $10,000 each for Guam, the Virgin 

 Islands, and the Commonwealth of F^ierto 

 Rico. The total 1967 fiscal year apportion- 

 ments for those areas are included in the 

 funds distributed on July 1. 



Distribution of the funds is based on the 

 number of paid license holders in a State and 

 the State area. The Federal aid in Fish and 

 Wildlife Restoration programs are adminis- 

 tered by Interior's Bureau of Sport Fisheries 

 and Wildlife. 



Note: See Coromercial Fish eries Review j August 1965 p. 34. 



