The San Francisco call., 1899-06-26
WORK Of THE
FISH COMMISSION
Past Year Was a Most
Successful One.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

WASHINGTON. June 25-The work of
the Fish Commission is practically com
pleted for this year. According 10 the
officials of the commission, when the re-
ports are sent in July l, they will SHOW
that it has been the most successtuI year
in the history of the commission. ne
great bulk of the work has been IN the
collection and distribution of the eggs ana
fry of commercial food fish. and this year
more cod. white fish, pike, perch. bass,
fiat fish and lobster have been planted
than ever before.
Fully as many shad have been planted
this year as last, when the hlgh water
mark in shad propagation was feacheu.
The great commercial value OF the Work
done by the Fish Commission can be peSt
illustrated in the case of shad. ne cdleh
of shad in 1885 was five million. Inc Sys-
tematic collection of eggs and distrlouuon
of shad fry since that year have increased
the catch annually until TINS year
reached 100000; an increase of 100 per
cent in fourteen years At the same time
the cost of shad has been decreased TO
the consumer more than 80 per cent.
The value of the catch this year was
upward of $500 600. This result has been
obtained by the commission at total eX-
penditure Of $4,000. For so successful was
the experiment made several years ago
for the introduction of shad and striped
bass on the Pacific Coast, that planting
of those two food fish on that coast has
neen SUSPENDED. he SHdl CdlCll OII TIC
Pacific now ranges between one and two
million annually. The total cost of intro
ducng the shad into Pacific waters was
but $1,000 So plentiful has the striped bass
become in the Pacific Coast streams since
their introduction that they can be pur-
chased in the markets Of the coast cheaper
the year around than in the Eastern mar
kets. When they were first introduced
they brought 81 a pound. ...
The work at the California stations
this year has been confined to the propa-
afa1
sock-eye and steel-head trout. Over 40
000,0 900 eggs have been distributed from
these stations. From the five Oregon
stations on the Columbia River % 900 600
fry have been planted in the Pacific
Coast streams. The new station at Ba-
kers Lake, Wash, established for the
propagation of blueback and silver
salmon will begin operations July l. In
the Rocky Mountain region there are sta
tions in Montana, Colorado and South
Dakota for the propagation of Eastern
black-spotted trout. From these sta
tons 5000 900 fry were distributed in the
streams Of Colorado, Washington, Idaho,
Montana, South Dakota, New Mexico,
Arizona and Indian Territory. From tAe
Middle States stations in Iowa, Illinois,
Missouri and Texas for the propagation
Of brook and rainbow trout, black bass
and croppie, 900 900 fry of all kinds were
distributed in stocking private ponds and
streams and some public waters. From
the stations on the Great Lakes, where
the white fish, lake trout, herring, pike,
perch and wall-eyed pike are collected,
100000 eggs of all kinds were taken
and 500 100000 fry planted. At the shad
stations at Bullockville, Ga, Edenton.
Y. c.. Bryans Point. Va, 'Havre de Grace
and Gloucester 300 900 600 shad eggs were
collected and 240 10000 fry planted in all
the important streams from Florida to
Massachusetts. There are stations in
Virginia and Tennessee for the propaga-
ton of black bass and trout, but these
have done little this year.
In Massachusetts there are two of the
largest marine fish culture stations in the
world. At these the cod, pollock, fiatfish
(flounder) and Holsters are propagated.
over 100000 600 cod eggs were collected
here and between $50 100000 and 200 900 900
fry distributed. Over $4,000 900 flatflsh
were planted. The lobster season has not
yet closed. Over 100 900 900 eggs have al
ready been taken and it is expected that
so 100000 more will be taken before the
close Of the season.