FISH ARE NOW INTERBRED

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 153, 26 December 1936, Page 19

FISH ARE NOW INTERBRED

Better game-fishing is the aim of hundreds of Canadian Government fishery experts who are now engaged in experiments throughout the Dominion, says the "New York' Times." Fish are being interbred -for sportier species. Ocean salmon have already been successfully crossed with fresh-water salmon. Brown . trout and Atlantic salmon have, produced a new trout which, it is held, combines the best game qualities of both, species. Atlantic salmon are now mingling with Pacific salmon on Vancouver Island. The experiments are continuing, with fish being transplanted "from one section of the country to another. ~

Another line of experimentation is designed . "to" answer the : question whether "hatchery-bred fish are as healthy as naturally-born fish. . The Dominion liberates each year over 100,000,000 hatchery-bred fish in lakes, streams, "and rivers.

Speckled trout were used in one of the health tests." There were three sets of pools, each containing speckled trout raised under different conditions. One pool contained naturally-born trout. A second pool had hatcherybred fish which had been fed regular rations, and the third pool had hatcheryrbred fish which had been starved.

For two days'the young fish were allowed to play about in the pools and forage.for themselves.. . Then they were taken out of the -test pools and their stomach contents examined. The result showed ' that '• both classes of hatchery-bred fishvhad gone after the same food,as th'e.riaturally-born trout.

; Because; the Salmon'_: is one of the gainest of fish, tKe: Canadian Government, wishes,.to kebp the':supply as high as', possible,;'■:•■' A; unique method of studying the salmon and its habits haslbeeri devised^,, 'the young salmon are caught in'nets and placed in test pools. A small metal numbered tag is placed under <one fin of each fish and a few scales are taken from its back. Arecbi'd is kept' The fish is liberated, allowed to go out into the oqean or into the many fresh-water streams.

When it is caught the angler finds the metal tag. He sends that in to the fish hatchery along1 with- scales of the fish. If the scales check with the scales at the hatchery for the fish of that num ber, the angler receives a reward from the Government, while the scientists have a record of .where the fish went and how long it took to get there. The checking of the scales serves for fish as fingerprints do for humans.