FOREIGN AND COLONIAL FISHERIES 255 



and defence. Some of these, though in their origin war-time 

 measures, seem likely to develop into features of permanent value. 



The first allotment, for £6,000, was to secure an immediate increase 

 in the production of aquatic foods on all parts of the United States 

 coast, the second, for £4000, was to enable the Bureau to co-operate 

 with the food administration and the State fishery authorities in 

 increasing the production of food fish in the Gulf states. 



An allotment of £5000 was also made for an installation of a plant 

 at the Pribiloff Islands to utilise seal carcasses in producing a com- 

 mercial grade of oil and fertiliser. Finally £25,000 was allotted 

 for the erection and maintenance of a fisheries-product laboratory 

 in Washington> the capital city. The primary purpose of this 

 laboratory is to induce increased production and consumption of 

 aquatic foods through the dissemination of improved methods of 

 preservation. The total output of fish and fish eggs in the United 

 States for the year ending 30th June, 1918, was over 4,098 million. 

 The principal marine species dealt with were the winter flounder 

 or American flat-fish, 2,455 million ; pollock, 233 million ; cod, 

 77 million ; lobster, 66 million ; and haddock, 17 million, all fry. 

 The sea basses {Serranidce) are represented by the white perch with 

 nearly 3 million fry, and the striped bass with over 14 million fry. 

 The fish cultural work for the fiscal year 1918 showed a decrease of 

 approximately 20 per cent compared with 1917. This was chiefly 

 attributable to adverse weather conditions during the spawning 

 time of various commercial species, such as the cod, pollock and 

 pike-perch, whose eggs are handled in large numbers. 



The exploratory or scientific inquiry branch of the Bureau's 

 activities has also gained considerable reputation, not only at home, 

 but in foreign coimtries as well. In making the original plans for the 

 systematic investigation of the waters of the United States and the 

 biological and physical problems they present. Commissioner 

 Baird insisted that to study only the food fishes would be of little 

 importance, and that reliable conclusions must rest on a broad 

 foundation of investigations purely scientific in character. The 

 life history of species of economic value should be understood from 

 beginning to end, but no less requisite is it to know the histories 

 of the animals and plants upon which they feed, or upon which 

 their food is nourished ; the histories of their enemies and friends, 

 as well as the currents, temperatures and other physical phenomena 

 of the waters in relation to migration, reproduction and growth. 

 In pursuance of this policy the Bureau has secured the services of 

 many prominent men of science, and much of the progress in the 

 artificial propagation of fishes, in the investigation of fishery 

 problems, and in the extension of knowledge of the aquatic' resources 



