REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 21 



which continued several days, the scope of the inquiry contemplated by 

 the agreement and the plans for carrying on the necessary investigations 

 were discussed in full, and arrangements were also made for beginning 

 upon the field work as soon as the season was sufficiently advanced. 



The waters covered by this agreement are not only very extensive 

 and diversified, but they afford some of the most important fisheries of 

 the world, in the xn^eservation of which both Canada and the United 

 States have a mutual interest. With respect to the open waters of the 

 Atlantic coast it was decided that the mackerel fishery, wliicli is carried 

 on continuously from oft' Cape Hatteras, jSTorth Carolina, to the mouth 

 of the Kiver St. Lawrence, was the only one demanding immediate 

 attention in this connection. At the mouth of the Bay of Fundy, about 

 Eastport, Me., and the neighboring islands, are several marine fisheries 

 which overlap the boundary line. Next come the rivers St. John and 

 St. Croix, flowing in part between the Province of 'New Brunswick and 

 the State of Maine. Following in succession are Lake Memphremagog, 

 Lake Champlain, the upper part of the St. Lawrence Eiver, and the 

 entire chain of the Great Lakes, excej)t Lake Michigan, which is entirely 

 included within the territory of the United States. A short distance 

 to the westward of Lake Superior are Eainy Lake and the Lake of the 

 Woods, both situated on the northern border of Minnesota and finding 

 an outlet nortliward into Lake Winnipeg and thence into Hudson Bay. 

 Farther to the west there are no imi)ortant waters until we reach 

 the Columbia Eiver, where it crosses the boundary into Washington. 

 Finally, on the Pacific side, are the extensive sounds and straits 

 between British Columbia and the State of Washington, still only 

 slightly developed except as regards the catch of salmon. 



As it was evident that the members of the joint commission would not 

 have the opportunity of inspecting personally in detail all the fisheries 

 on which they were expected to report, it was arranged on the part of 

 the United States Fish Commission to send out several field parties to 

 make special studies respecting some of the more difficult problems 

 presented. The schooner Grampus was detailed to investigate the 

 offshore or purse-seine mackerel fishery from the time of its commence- 

 ment at the extreme south, as had been done in former years, but in 

 accordance with a more comprehensive plan of operations; an assis- 

 tant was stationed at Fulton Market, New York, to inspect all mackerel 

 brought there both by the purse-seiners and from the nets along the 

 coast, the owners of many of the latter being also supplied with blanks 

 on which to record their catch of this species; and the assistants 

 at the Woods Hole station of the Commission were charged with the 

 study of the breeding and other habits of the mackerel in the neigh- 

 boring region, Avhich is especially well adapted for observations of that 

 kind. A party was also established at Eastport, Me., and another on 

 Lake Erie, while the steamer Albatross was directed to investigate the 

 boundary waters on the western coast at such times as her regular 

 duties would permit. 



