14* EEPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



demonstrated at the Halifox Convention, and the impossibility of judi- 

 cions leg'ishition withont them, has called ray attention especially to the 

 importance of organized action to that end on the part of the govern- 

 ment. The Treasury Department is especially concerned in this elibrt, 

 and indeed it has for many years published an annual statement of the 

 fisheries, Avhich is, however, so imperfect a^s to be really worse than 

 none. This, however, is not its fault, as there is no provision of law by 

 which these facts can be procured. The attention of the department 

 has, however, been called to this question, and the assurance is received 

 that the proper legislation from Congress will be invoked to make it 

 imperative for the owners and masters of vessels to furnish the desired 

 returns. 



I have considered it my duty, as United States Commissioner of Fish- 

 eries, to gather as much of the information in question as possible, it 

 being strictly and legitimately connected with the woj'k intrusted to the 

 commission at its original organization by Congress. During the present 

 year my attention has been more urgently than ever turned to this di- 

 rection as shown in the article on the Ilalifiix Commission. It is now 

 my desire, in co-operation with the Treasury Department, to procure and 

 furnish, first, as complete an account as possible of the natural history, 

 including the migrations, movements, rate of growth, character of de- 

 velopment, etc., of our priucii)al food-fishes ; second, the general statis- 

 tics of the American fisheries, giving the character and amount of catch, 

 number of vessels and men employed, the amount invested, the proceeds 

 of the fisheries, «&c. For the better accomplishment of these results the 

 series of circulars, indicated in the foot-note,* and reproduced in full 

 in the Appendix, has been printed by the Treasury Department and 

 circulated in very large numbers. As explained in the article on the 

 Halifax Commission, the first step was to communicate with all the 

 postmasters along the coast, within three miles of salt-water, asking the 

 names of persons known to them as interested in the fisheries. This re- 

 quest met with prompt and general response and fiu-nished a series of 



*1. Circular regarding tagged fish in Lake Michigan 1871 



2. Memoranda of Inquiry 1872 



3. Questious— Food Fishes 1872 



4. Cii cular to accompany " Questions— Food Fishes " 1872 



5. Statistics Menhaden Fislieriee — Circular 1873 



6. Statistics of the Whale Fishery 1875 



7. Statistics of Fishery Marine — Circular 1875 



8. Blank tablea to accomi)any Circular 1875 



9. Statistics Menhaden Fisheries. 2d ed 1875 



10. QuestioHs — Food Fishes. 2d ed 1877 



11. Statistics Mackerel Fishery, etc. (To accompany "Food Fishes, 2d ed.") 1877 



12. Statistics Cod Fishery, etc 1877 



13. Statistics Mullet Fishery, etc 1877 



14. Statistics of Coast and River Fisheries.. 1877 



15. New York Market Blanks 1877 



16. Ocean Temperature Blanks 1877 



