REPORT OP COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 16 



The work of tlie division has consisted cliiefly of lield investigations 

 of the com-mercial tisheries, and the preparation of general and special 

 reports based on the data collected by the division. A large amonnt 

 of correspondence embodying technical information has been sent out 

 by the division ; a number of special discussions on fishery topics have 

 been prepared for the use of the Commissioner and others 5 and consid- 

 erable statistical and other data have been supplied to State officials. 



The field investigations carried on by this division were addressed to 

 regions having very important fisheries. The previous practice of 

 taking up for investigation each year definite sections or fisheries, 

 depending largely on work already done covering the same subject, 

 has been continued. In this way it is possible, with the i^resent force, 

 to canvass the fisheries of the coast and Great Lakes States about once 

 in three or four years. The inquiries of the division in 1893 were 

 mainly directed to the methods and statistics of the fisheries of the 

 Middle Atlantic States, the i^ew England States, the Pacific States, 

 and of the mackerel fishery. Several minor subjects were also consid- 

 ered, and the regular agencies at Gloucester and Boston, Mass., were 

 continued. 



The inquiries in the Middle Atlantic States were in continuation of 

 those of the previous year, referred to in the last report; the Chesa- 

 peake basin and the adjoining ocean shores of Maryland and Virginia 

 were then canvassed, leaving for consideration during the fiscal year 

 1893 the fisheries of New York and Kew Jersey and those parts of 

 Pennsylvania and Delaware not tributary to the Chesapeake. The 

 field investigations in this region covered the calendar years 1889, 1890, 

 1891, and 1892, except in New York, in which the time of the inquiries 

 prevented the agents from obtaining complete statistics for the last- 

 named year. In the api)ended report of the assistant full references to 

 the scope and results of the canvass of the Middle States are given, 

 including statistics and comi)arative data. 



The recent serious decline in the mackerel fishery, and the great 

 attention which the scarcity of mackerel had received, made it desirable 

 to have full statistical and other information upon these subjects. 

 Accordingly, in connection with the other field inquiries, elsewhere 

 alluded to, a canvass of the mackerel fishery was undertaken in the 

 spring of 1893, and arrangements were made for securing more detailed 

 data than had previously been obtained. This work was in progress at 

 the close of the fiscal year. Reference to the accomj)anying report 

 of the assistant in charge will show the scope and character of the 

 investigation. 



A study of the important fisheries of the New England States was 

 made in conjunction with the investigation of the mackerel fishery of 

 that region. No general fleldwork had been carried on in this section 

 since 1889, and in the meantime some noticeable changes had occurred 

 in the condition of the industry which made another canvass in 1893 



