VIII REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES 



determining the effects of such pollution on the food fisheries in 

 particular and aquatic life in general. The bureau also was repre- 

 sented on the advisory committee to the American delegates, which 

 functioned during the preliminary conference. 



The Governments participating in the preliminary conference were 

 the United States, Belgium, British Empire, Canada, Denmark, 

 France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and 

 Sweden. The conference agreed that there has been a marked dimi- 

 nution of oil pollution since attention was first called to it, but that 

 the evil is still serious in some waters, and that it can be dealt with 

 satisfactorily only by international action; that the only vessels 

 that need be taken into account, for the purposes of the conference, 

 are seagoing vessels carrying crude, fuel, or disel oil in bulk as 

 cargo or as fuel for boilers or engines; and that a mixture containing 

 more than 0.05 of 1 per cent of crude, fuel, or Diesel oil should be 

 regarded as constituting a nuisance. Through lack of agreement 

 as to the extent and effects of pollution caused by the deposit of 

 oily mixtures on the high seas at distances greater than 50 miles 

 from shore, it was recommended that the Governments concerned 

 provide for a system of prescribed areas in waters off their coasts 

 beyond territorial limits within which classes of vessels prescribed 

 shall not discharge crude, fuel, or Diesel oil or mixtures having an 

 oil content in excess of 0.05 of 1 per cent. The complete report of 

 the conference has been published by the Department of State. 



NORTH AMERICAN COMMITTEE ON FISHERY INVESTIGATIONS 



This committee is composed of representatives from the United 

 States, Canada, Newfoundland, and France interested in stimulating 

 and coordinating the programs of scientific research of the several 

 Governments with respect to the fisheries of the western North 

 Atlantic, the present productiveness of the fishing banks, and the 

 trend of these important fisheries. The committee met at Montreal, 

 Canada, on November 6, 1925, and at St. Johns, Newfoundland, on 

 July 9, 1926. A plan has been developed for the collection of fishery 

 statistics that will reveal the total annual production of cod and 

 other fish in each district and by banks, as well as the fishing effort 

 on these banks by which the annual changes in the fish stock may be 

 judged. Excellent progress is being made in studies of the abun- 

 dance and horizontal distribution of the cod, and the distribution, 

 migration, and life history of the mackerel. 



INTERNATIONAL PACIFIC SALMON INVESTIGATION FEDERATION 



This federation, established in March, 1925, and including repre- 

 sentatives from Federal and State fishery departments of the United 

 States, including California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, and 

 the Province of British Columbia. Canada, has undertaken the ex- 

 tensive tagging of salmon throughout this area. 



Dr. Willis H. Rich is in direct charge of coordinating the work of 

 the several agencies. Major investigations are being conducted to 

 determine the proper escapement of fish to the spawning beds, to 

 maintain the runs, and the return of fry from known escapements 



