THE UNITED STATES BUREAU OP FISHEEIES 



377 



The United States Bureau of Fisheries has not 

 entered into the business of procuring legislative 

 enactments for the regulation of fisheries, but 

 has left that work to the various states concerned. 

 Its greatest efforts have been put forth in stock- 

 ing new waters with desirable food fishes, and in 

 restocking waters that have been depleted of 

 their natural supply of fishes. 



The importance of the fish-propagating meas- 

 ures of the national government can hardly be 

 overestimated. The map of the United States 

 is dotted over, from corner to corner, with 

 the fish-hatching stations of the Bureau. In 

 number they are thirtyTuine, and they have 

 been located with a view to the propagation 

 and distribution of practically all the most de- 

 sirable species which by their habits of life are 

 available for such operations. It is of general 

 interest to state the locations of the fish-hatch- 

 ing stations now (1903) actively at work, taking 

 eggs, hatching them, and distributing both eggs 

 and young fish. They are situated as follows: 



( Green Lake. North Carolina: Edenton. 



Mpino s- J Crais Brook. Virginia: Wytheville. 



Maine, ci. 1 Grand Lake Tennessee: Erwin. 



( Stream. Ohio: Put-in-Bay. 

 Vermont : St. Johnsbury. ( Northville. 



New Hampshire: Nashua. M;,.i,i,r=r, i. ' Detroit. 



Mas., 2 ■ i Gloucester. Michigan, 4. -. Alpena. 

 Mass. 2. ^ Tipood's Holl. ( SaultSte. Marie. 



New York: Cape Vincent. Minnesota: Duluth. 



( Battery Sta- Illinois: Quincy. 



Maryland, 2: -< tion. Iowa: Manchester. 



( Bryan Point. Missouri: Neosho. 



District of j Central Sta- Texas: San Marcos. 



Columbia: ■} K*lfLakes. Colorado: LeadviUe. 



Of still greater interest to all catchers and 

 consumers of fish is the answer to the question, 

 "What are the fishes that are being propagated 

 and planted by the United States Bureau of Fish- 

 eries?" A full answer will constitute an ex- 

 cellent showing of the Bureau's estimate of 

 the comparative values of our best food fishes ; 

 but at the, same time due allowance must be 

 made for the things which are and are not pos- 

 sible in fish hatching. 



Distribution of Eggs and Live Fish by the 

 United States Bureau of Fisheries, during 

 the Year vFhich ended July 1, 1903. 



Shad 106,986,000 



Quinnat Salmon 48,683,718 



Atlantic Salmon 638,765 



Landlocked Salmon. . . . 822,220 



Silver Salmon 424,530 



Blueback Salmon 3,371,000 



Steelhead Trout 534,882 



Lock Leven Trout 96,760 



Rainbow Trout 1,675,121 



Black-Spotted Trout . . . 1,868,500 



Brook Trout 6,579,762 



■Lake Trout 27,260,490 



Scotch Sea Trout 24,531 



Golden Trout 69,950 



Grayling 1,803,258 



Whitefish 594,490,000 



Pike-Perch 237,099,575 



Pickerel 805 



Catfish 95,970 



Yellow Perch 1,700 



Buffalo Fish 200,000 



Black Bass 262,1,57 



Crappie 735,120 



Strawberry Bass. 3,551 



Rock Bass 37,170 



Warmouth Bass 100 



Sunfish and Bream 623,739 



Cod 212,001,000 



Flat-Fish 168,133,000 



Total 1,414,-523,374 



Lobster 81,020,000 



1,495,543,374 



Of the above, 99 per cent were in the interest 

 of the commercial fisheries, and 1 per cent, or 

 14,900,000, were game fishes. The number of 

 applications for fish to stock interior waters 

 was 3,814, and the distributing cars of the 

 Bureau of Fisheries travelled 95,259 miles, and 

 sixty-eight railways furnished free transportation 

 for 29,616 fish cars and 68,940 trips of messen- 

 gers. 



In the matter of fish propagation and distri- 

 bution for the stocking of new or depleted waters, 

 the national government stands pre-eminent. 

 The only defect in its policy lies in its failure to 

 protect existing fisheries from over-fishing, and 

 from such reckless waste as is now destroying 

 the salmon fisheries of Alaska. 



