﻿OTTER-TRAWL 
  FISHERY. 
  9 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  not 
  my 
  purpose 
  in 
  any 
  way 
  to 
  influence 
  the 
  form 
  and 
  scope 
  of 
  your 
  

   report, 
  but 
  I 
  venture 
  to 
  suggest 
  tliat 
  your 
  conclusions 
  cover 
  tlie 
  following 
  topics, 
  

   which, 
  with 
  others, 
  will 
  doubtless 
  occur 
  to 
  you 
  : 
  

  

  (a) 
  The 
  general 
  effects 
  of 
  the 
  fishery 
  on 
  the 
  permanency 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  supply, 
  

   and 
  a 
  comparison 
  of 
  the 
  relative 
  effects 
  of 
  the 
  trawlnet 
  and 
  other 
  forms 
  of 
  

   apparatus 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  waters. 
  

  

  (&) 
  The 
  nature 
  and 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  young 
  food 
  fishes. 
  

  

  (c) 
  The 
  destruction 
  or 
  waste 
  of 
  edible 
  fishes 
  that 
  have 
  no 
  present 
  market 
  

   value. 
  

  

  {(I) 
  The 
  extent 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  trawlnet 
  fishery 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  has 
  con- 
  

   tributed 
  to 
  the 
  food 
  supply 
  in 
  fishes, 
  not 
  generally 
  takeu 
  with 
  other 
  apparatus. 
  

  

  (e) 
  Definite 
  instances, 
  supported 
  by 
  evidence, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  scarcity 
  of 
  any 
  

   kinds 
  of 
  fish 
  on 
  given 
  grounds 
  may 
  be 
  attributable 
  to 
  the 
  trawlnet 
  fishery. 
  

  

  (/) 
  Interference 
  of 
  the 
  trawlnet 
  fishery 
  with 
  other 
  fisheries. 
  

  

  (g) 
  The 
  necessity 
  for 
  international 
  agreement 
  with 
  Canada, 
  Newfoundland, 
  

   France, 
  and 
  other 
  countries 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  make 
  effective 
  any 
  restrictive 
  or 
  pro- 
  

   hibitory 
  measures 
  that 
  may 
  be 
  determined 
  to 
  be 
  desirable. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  in 
  drawing 
  your 
  conclusions 
  and 
  making 
  your 
  recom- 
  

   mendations 
  you 
  will 
  be 
  guided 
  solely 
  by 
  the 
  evidence 
  afforded 
  by 
  the 
  Bureau's 
  

   investigations 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  other 
  countries 
  having 
  prolonged 
  experience 
  

   with 
  this 
  method 
  of 
  fishery. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  desired 
  that 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  your 
  report 
  be 
  expedited 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  

   possible, 
  and 
  that 
  it 
  be 
  handed 
  to 
  me 
  for 
  administrative 
  approval 
  and 
  sub- 
  

   mitted 
  to 
  Congress 
  not 
  later 
  than 
  April 
  15, 
  1914. 
  

  

  The 
  report 
  speaks 
  for 
  itself 
  and 
  no 
  review 
  thereof 
  by 
  me 
  is 
  neces- 
  

   sary. 
  I 
  will 
  simply 
  refer 
  to 
  the 
  chapters 
  containing 
  the 
  conclusions 
  

   and 
  recommendations, 
  and 
  submit 
  them 
  as 
  the 
  official 
  opinion 
  of 
  

   the 
  bureau. 
  While 
  I 
  was 
  entirely 
  unaware 
  of 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  the 
  in- 
  

   quiries 
  until 
  the 
  completion 
  and 
  signing 
  of 
  the 
  report, 
  I 
  have 
  care- 
  

   fully 
  reviewed 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  committee, 
  commend 
  their 
  labors, 
  

   and 
  indorse 
  their 
  findings 
  as 
  justified 
  by 
  the 
  evidence. 
  

   Respectfully, 
  

  

  H. 
  M. 
  Smith, 
  Commissioner, 
  

  

  