148 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
The sentiment favorable to this research has moreover surpassed the bounds 
of national jurisdiction and become international in its scope. Prominent 
among such ifivestigations are those conducted by the Joint Commission— 
commonly known as the Rathbun-Wakeham Commission—appointed Decem- 
ber 6, 1892, on behalf of the United States and Great Britain relative to the 
prevention of destructive methods of fishing and to the preservation of the 
fisheries in the waters contiguous to the United States and Canada. ‘The inter- 
esting and valuable report of this commission, presented in 1896,% furnishes 
much practical data relative to the legislative needs of our border fisheries. 
On April 11, 1909, a treaty was concluded between Great Britain and the 
United States for the purpose of arranging uniform regulations in these waters; 
and a thorough examination of the present condition and needs of these fisheries 
is now being made by Dr. David S. Jordan, assisted by Dr. Barton W. Evermann, 
on the part of the American Government, and by Prof. E. E. Prince, who suc- 
ceeded Mr. S. T. Bastedo, on the part of the British Government. The report 
of these commissioners, to be made in June, 1909, is awaited with much interest, 
and it is hoped that favorable action thereon will result in great benefit to the 
fishery interests of both Canada and the United States. 
Even more extensive are the joint investigations now in progress in the seas 
north of Europe. In 1899 the Government of Sweden extended to the nations 
prominently interested in those fisheries an invitation to attend a conference 
for the purpose of uniting on some plan of international research. This resulted 
in a gathering at Stockholm in June, 1899, of representatives from Great Britain, 
Germany, Russia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. A second 
conference of representatives of the same powers was held in May, rgo1, at 
Christiana on invitation of the Norwegian Government. The result of these 
conferences was the recommendation of a scheme of investigation to the atten- 
tion of the states interested. ‘This scheme was accepted by each of these nations, 
and the several legislatures appropriated a sum of money for inaugurating the 
work. Ata conference in Copenhagen in July, 1902, representatives of the con- 
tributing states established the ‘‘ International Council for the Exploration of 
the Sea.” This international research is yet in progress, and the results already 
obtained fully justify its establishment. 
However we may view the protective needs of the migratory and the 
demersal fishes, the situation is quite different with respect to the sea mammals— 
the seals, walrus, manatees, sea otters, and many species of whales. These 
animals are approaching practical exhaustion with great rapidity, and prompt 
action seems necessary if they are to be reserved from extinction. This is not 
the language of exaggeration. Under the influence of the bounty which indus- 
trial use offers of $40 for the life of a fur seal, $300 for a sea otter, and $5,000 for 
an arctic whale, these animals are passing away far more rapidly than is generally 
@H. Doe. 315, 54th Cong., 2d sess. 
