into three major categories: (l) to increase directly the production 

 of market fish; (2) forecast'-the ■availS'.'ble supply and gauge safe limits 

 of exploitation; (3) protect present and future supplies from impairment 

 or destruction Ijy water pollution, mechanical, installations, or the attack 

 of natural enemies or diseases. 



The need for pretein foods of high nutritive value has heen sharply 

 accentuated "by war conditions. With this fact in mind, the Service has 

 sought means of increasing the yield of the fisheries wherever possible 

 "by constructive meajis which v/ill insure large production, not only this 

 year hut in the critical years ahead and during the postwar reconstruction 

 period as v/ell. 



The Service has offered a number of specific recommendations to 

 State conservation officials and to representatives of the fishing 

 industry. Several of these have already "been ^ut into effect. One of 

 the most important concerned the haddock fishery of .Hcv; England which 

 annually yields some 150,000,000 po-'onds, Tollowing the Service's vram- 

 ing last year that the continued capture and sa.le of "ba"by ha,ddock would 

 result in groat financial loss^^e.nd in,„the eventual ruin of this fishery 

 th£ t ranked fifth in \^aluc"'"TfrT5r?0 , tl?n."ndustry volimtarily curtailed 

 landings of "baby haddock to only 13 percent of the quantity le^idcd a 

 year ago. The young fish spared this year will double in weight by next 

 year, providing an immediate increase in yield. 



The Service's rccorrmiendr.tion that the size limit for the sale or 

 capture of striped bass, a very important food fish, be increased to 16 

 inches, has now been adopted by 6 out of 12 Atla^ntic Coast States prima~ 

 rily interested in this fishery. This, larger size limit prevents the 

 wasteful exploitation of stock that results v^hen the fish arc caught 

 during the earlier stages of rapid growth and will permit en. increased 

 poundage to be taken safely. 



At the recommend.ation of the Service, sanctiiary areas were establish- 

 ed in the lower part of the Chcsn,peake Bay to protect blue crabs during 

 the period from May 15 to September 1 for the purpose of building up the 

 spn-vming population. Lack of a sufficient n-umber of spawners is believed 

 to be the principal cause of the 50 percent decline in the yi*.ld of this 

 fishery which occurred during 1940 and 1941, Since imports of Japanese 

 canned crab ceased when v^ar began in the Pacific, Chesapeake Bay crabs 

 are now the greatest source of supply. An increase in the abiondanee of 

 crabs is cs-nccially to be desired because of the highly pala.table and 

 nutritious quality of the meat and also because the catch can be made 

 in protected inshore waters. 



Except in the Hudson River, the Atlantic Coast shad fishery has been 

 overfished for many years, causing an unnecessary reduction in the HationV$ 

 food supply and bringing serious economic hardship to shad fishermen. 

 Studies in Chesapeake Bay and"»i«^'""K'-Drth-T*3Td" South Carolina have indicated 

 that a reduced rate of shad fishing would bring about a recovery of the 



