Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-04-26
Big PROGRAMME
FOR MATCHING OF
YELLOW PERCH

The State Conservation Department
has developed comprehensive pro-
gram for the Matching of yellow perch
and shad to be released in Maryland
waters during the current year. While
the shad spawn collecting season is
just in the offing, already five hun
dred million yellow perch eggs have
been collected and incubated in the
two central hatcheries located, respec-
lively, at the head of the Chester Riv-
er, on the Eastern Shore, and on the
Severn River in Southern Maryland.
Of the spawn collected, approximate
ly eighty per cent was successfully
Matched, and thse young fish, the fry,
are now being distributed throughout
the upper reaches of streams tribu-
tary to the Chesapeake Bay and GER
tain bodies of water draining toward
the Atlantic Coast.
The main departure by the Depart
ment in developing its hatchery pro-
gram is the fact that fish are not
merely distributed to open waters but
in all cases samples of the water are
being collected and analysed chemi
cally, physically and biologically to
determine their fitness to afford
perch population and, in turn, develop
an industry. The samples are taken
to the Chesapeake Biological Labora-
tory, at Solomons Island, under which
institution the States hatchery pro-
gram is now operated. Here the spec
ialists make their analysis and deter
mine the availability of streams to re-
ceive fish. In this program fish are
distributed to public streams provid-
ing an examination shows the plant"
ing of the fish to be feasible and
workable.
Young perch require approximate
ly three weeks from the egg stage to
a sufficient degree to be transported
and planted. The fish are placed in
cans at the hatchery and transported
by fast truck service under the care
and attention of members of the
hatchery force and supervised by DR..
r. V. Truitt, and Mr.. David H. Wal
lace, Ichthyologist at the Laboratory.
Care is taken during transportation to
maintain the water in the cans at a
constant and low level as far as pos
sible, and the young fish are releas-
ed after the water temperature in the
can and in the given stream are made
approximately the same. While there
is no definite information at this time
on the epriod required for the yellow
perch fry to reach sexual maturity,
a subject now under study at the Lab
oratory the data that has been accu-
mulated during the year indicates
from three to four years time.
The Biological laboratory has eff
fected plan in coopration with the
u. S. Bureau of Fisheries to centra
lie and intensity the shad hatchery
wor kin the Fort Belvoir station of
the u. S. Government locatd on the
Potomac River. During recent years
shad have become so greatly depleted
that only a few sites remain in Mary
land waters where a sufficient guam
tity Of breeding fish is capturd from
which the spawn to run hatchery is
available. The personnel of the Lab
oratory is to devote much time to the
problem of efficiency in shad hatcher
les, since in spite of very considerable
effort in the past to collect spawn
and hatch shad there has been de-
cline in the fishery. Recently the
Conservation Department has held
series of meetings with the shad fish
ermen in an effort to work out plan
at home and in cooperation with Vir-
ginia to effect reduction in fishing
effort. The fishermen recognize that
the main problem facing the industry
is over fishing and they are showing
considerable interest and cooperation
in the program.