L REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



aggregate increase in the shad fisheries of 1885 over 1880 of 1,032,963 

 shad, representing 4,131,852 pounds of increased food supply and an 

 increased money value of $200,592. Like returns were obtained for 

 1886, 1887, and 1888. 



These are summarized in the following table: 



Aggregate catch of shad in Atlantic rivers from Connecticut to North Carolina for 1880, 



1885, 1886, 1887, and 1888. 



Year. 



Number 

 taken in 

 salt aud 

 brackish 

 waters. 



Number 



taken in the 



rivers. 



Total 

 catch. 



Increase 

 over 1880. 



1880... 

 1885... 

 1886... 



1887... 

 1888... 



2, 549, 544 



3, 267, 497 

 3, 098, 768 

 3, 813, 744 

 5,010,101 



1, 591, 424 



1, 906, 434 



2, 485, 000 

 2, 901, 661 

 2, 650, 373 



4, 140, 968 

 5, 172, 931 



5, 584, 368 



6, 715, 405 



7, 660, 474 



Per cent. 



25 

 34 

 62 



85 



By reference to this it will be seen that there has been a steady in- 

 crease in the productiveness and value of our shad fisheries. 



In 1885 the percentage of increase over 1880 was 25 per cent.; in 1886 

 the percentage of increase over 1880 was 34 per cent.; in 1887 the per- 

 centage of increase over 1880 was 62 per cent.; in 1888 the percentage 

 of increase over 1880 was 85 per cent., the money value of the increase 

 of 1888 over 1880 aggregating $704,101. 



The significance of this result as measuring the value of the work of 

 the Commission in the improvement of our fisheries will be better ap- 

 preciated when it is understood how unfavorable to natural reproduc- 

 tion are the existing conditions under which the shad fisheries are pros- 

 ecuted. Dams and other obstructions in the rivers exclude the shad 

 from their natural spawning ground and vastly curtail the area of the 

 feeding grounds for the young fish during their river life. 



With this contraction of the area of spawning grounds the possibili- 

 ties of natural reproduction in the rivers are diminished pro tanto, for 

 in all our streams the larger area of favorable spawning and feeding 

 grounds lies above the insurmountable obstructions. 



In the lower reaches of our rivers, which are still accessible to the 

 shad, the restricted spawning grounds are industriously and assidu- 

 ously swept with drift net and seine, and innumerable fyke nets and 

 pounds effectually bar all approaches, so that natural reproduction is 

 in great measure impracticable even for the shad that find their way 

 into the rivers aud to the vicinity of their spawning grounds. 



More serious than all, however, has been the transfer of the shad 

 fisheries to the estuaries of the rivers and the substitution of the pound 

 net for gill net and seine. In consequence of this change in the loca- 

 tion of the fishing grounds the larger proportion of the shad captured 



