304 SALT-WATER FISHES 



3. There is little doubt that the shad fisheries of the eastern 

 coast of the United States are practically dependent on the 

 artificial measures adopted by the Government. The multi- 

 plication of nets in the estuaries and lower courses of the 

 shad streams is such that practically the entire run is caught 

 before the fish have an opportunity to reach their spawning- 

 grounds. 



4. The value of artificial propagation as addressed to the 

 salmon of the Pacific coast is highly appreciated by the fishing 

 interests of that region. There is no reason to doubt that, but 

 for the millions of young fish liberated each year by the 

 Goverment, supplemented by smaller plants by the various 

 states, the run of quinnat salmon in the Sacramento, Columbia, 

 and other important streams would have been very materially 

 reduced by the extensive fishing there carried on. It is 

 impossible to estimate accurately just what effect our work has 

 had on the supply, but some tagging and marking experiments 

 conducted during the past few years have suggested the great 

 value of our work. It has been found, for instance, that for 

 every thousand marked fry liberated by the Commission, one 

 ton of marketable fish have been caught by the fishermen at an 

 interval of two or three years ; in other words, at an expense 

 not exceeding one dollar (for one thousand fish liberated) the 

 fishermen are catching for market fish with a value of not less 

 that one hundred dollars. 



5. The planting of larval lobsters on the New England 

 coast has not as yet been sufficiently extensive to oflFset the 

 decline in the lobster fishery due to incessant fishing-operations 

 and the disregard for restrictive laws. The Commission is now 

 experimenting with the rearing of the larval lobsters up to the 

 time when they assume the bottom habits of the adult ; and 

 it is expected that the perfection of a method of rearing will 

 prove beneficial. 



6. The following are the quantities of marine and anadro- 

 mous fishes planted by this Commission during the fiscal year 



