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20 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
INVESTIGATION OF FISHERIES IN WATERS CONTIGUOUS TO 
CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES. 
By an exchange of notes between the Government of Great Britain 
and that of the United States, an agreement was reached on December 
6, 1892, which provided for the appointment of a joint commission of 
two experts, one on behalf of each government, to consider and report 
to their respective governments, jointly or severally, concerning the 
regulations, practices, and restrictions proper to be adopted in concert, 
on the following subjects: 
1. The limitation or prevention of exhaustive or destructive methods of taking 
fish and shellfish in the territorial and contiguous waters of the United States and 
Her Majesty’s possessions in North America, respectively, and also inthe waters of the 
open seas outside of the territorial limits of either country to which the inhabitants 
of the respective countries may habitually resort for the purpose of such fishing. 
2. The prevention of the polluting or obstructing of such contiguous waters to 
the detriment of the fisheries or of navigation. 
3. The close seasons to be enforced and observed in such contiguous waters by the ~ 
inhabitants of both countries, as respects the taking of the several kinds of fish and 
shellfish. 
4. The adoption of practical methods of restocking and replenishing such con- 
tiguous and territorial waters with fish and shellfish, and the means by which such 
fish life may be therein preserved and increased. 
It was furthermore provided that— 
The commissioners to be so appointed shall meet at the city of Washington 
within three mouths from the date of this present agreement, and shall complete 
their investigation and submit their final reports thereof to the two governments, 
as herein provided, within two years from the date of their first meeting. 
The contracting governments agree to place at the service of the said commission- 
ers all information and material pertinent to the subject of their investigation which 
may be of record respectively in the offices of the United States Commission of Fish 
and Fisheries and in the Department of Marine and Fisheries of the Dominion of 
Canada; and, further, to place at the disposal of said commissioners, acting jointly, 
any vessel or vessels of either of the said fish commissions of the United States and 
Canada as may be convenient and proper to aid in the prosecution of their investi- 
gation in the contiguous and adjacent waters aforesaid. * * * 
The two governments agree that so soon as the reports of the commissioners shall 
be laid before them as aforesaid, they shall consider the same and exchange views 
thereon, to the end of reaching, if expedient and practicable, such conventional or 
other understanding as may suffice to carry out the recommendations of the commis- 
sioners, by treaty, or concurrent legislation on the part of the respective govern- 
ments, or the legislation of the several States and Provinces, or both, as may be found 
most advisable; but nothing herein contained shall be deemed to commit either 
government to the results of the investigation hereby instituted. 
The two representatives appointed in accordance with the foregoing 
agreement were, on the part of Great Britain, Dr. William Wakeham, 
of the Department of Marine and Fisheries of Canada, and, on the part 
of the United States, Mr. Richard Rathbun, of the United States Fish 
Commission. Their first meeting was held at Washington, on March 
2, 1893, at which Dr. Wakeham was accompanied by Mr. R. Venning, 
of the same department as himself, Dr. Hugh M. Smith, of the United 
States Fish Commission, acting with Mr, Rathbun. At this conference, 
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