Fish Hatchery Management - fisheries & aquaculture

PrefaceThe most recent Fish Cultural Manual published by the United States Fishand Wildlife Service was authored by Lynn H. Hutchens and Robert C.Nord in 1953. It was a mimeographed publication and was so popular thatcopies were jealously sought by fish culturists across the country; it soonwas unavailable.In 1967, the Service's Division of Fish Hatcheries began to develop aManual of Fish Culture, with J. T. Bowen as Editor. Several sections werepublished in ensuing years. Efforts to complete the manual waned until1977 when, due to the efforts of the American Fisheries Society and of theAssociate Director for Fishery Resources, Galen L. Buterbaugh, a taskforce was established to develop and complete this publication.As task-force members, our first business was to identify the audience forthis publication.We decided that we could be most helpful if we produceda practical guide to efficient hatchery management for practicingfish culturists. Research and hatchery biologists, bioengineers, and microbiologistswill not find the in-depth treatment of their fields that theymight expect from a technical publication. For example, we offer a guidethat will help a hatchery manager to avoid serious disease problems or torecognize them if they occur, but not a detailed description of all fishdiseases, their causative agents, treatment, and control. Similarly, we outlinethe feed requirements and proper feeding methods for the productionof healthy and efficiently grown fish, but do not delve deeply into thebiochemistry or physiology of fish nutrition.