XIV REPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



recommendations for submission to the full meeting were determined on. 

 The final conference was held at Hamilton, Ontario, in December, and 

 was presided over by Hon. Donald Mcl^ aughton. The recommendations 

 of the Eochester session were affirmed, and the meeting adjourned with 

 the understanding that similar conferences would be called each year 

 if the condition of the lake fisheries warranted attention. At all these 

 meetings this Commission was represented by Dr. Smith, to whose 

 detailed account of the conferences reference is made. 



A number of reports and special papers emanating from this division 

 and germane to its work were issued during the j^ear. Some of these 

 were general in their scope, and some related to special subjects. 

 There is a very active demand among the commercial fishing interests 

 for papers of this class, aud the Commission endeavors to make as 

 judicious an allotment of such publications as the limited supply will 

 permit; in the case of several of the more important reports, extra 

 editions were required to satisfy the calls on the office. 



The accompanying report of the assistant contains notes on the con- 

 dition of some of the more prominent commercial fisheries and on some 

 conspicuous events that transpired in connection with the fishing 

 industry during the year. The special branches or subjects referred to 

 comprise the great ocean fisheries for cod, haddock, halibut, and other 

 ground fish; the mackerel fishery; the Pacific salmon industry; the 

 whale fishery; the fur-seal fishery; the lobster fishery; the oyster 

 fishery; improvements in fishing vessels; the attempt to establish a 

 beam-trawl fishery on the New England coast; the Newfoundland 

 bait question; inauguration of red-snapper fishing on oflshore banks 

 in the Gulf of Mexico. 



DIVISION OF FISH-CULTURE. 



The control and direction of the work of this division was retained 

 by the Commissioner. During the year the following stations were 

 operated : 



