﻿102 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  

  

  JOINT 
  INVESTIGATION 
  OF 
  FISHERIES 
  IN 
  WATERS 
  CONTIGUOUS 
  

   TO 
  CANADA 
  AND 
  THE 
  UNITED 
  STATES. 
  

  

  The 
  investigations 
  undertaken 
  in 
  conformity 
  witli 
  the 
  provisions 
  of 
  

   the 
  joint 
  agreement 
  of 
  December 
  6, 
  1892, 
  between 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  

   and 
  Great 
  Britain, 
  were 
  practically 
  completed 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  year, 
  and 
  

   considerable 
  progress 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  ])reparation 
  of 
  the 
  report 
  relating 
  

   thereto. 
  Field 
  work 
  was 
  carried 
  on 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  adjacent 
  to 
  the 
  

   boundary 
  line 
  between 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  Washington 
  and 
  British 
  Columbia, 
  

   in 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  Lake 
  of 
  the 
  Woods 
  and 
  Eainy 
  I^ake, 
  in 
  Passamaipioddy 
  

   Bay, 
  at 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Fundy, 
  and 
  throughout 
  the 
  mackerel 
  

   region 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  coast. 
  

  

  The 
  two 
  representatives, 
  Dr. 
  William 
  Wakeham, 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  

   Great 
  Britain, 
  and 
  Mr. 
  Eichard 
  Rathbnn, 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  

   States, 
  left 
  Ottawa 
  for 
  the 
  Pacific 
  Coast 
  on 
  July 
  8, 
  1895. 
  Making 
  a 
  

   short 
  stop 
  at 
  Port 
  Arthur, 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  vshore 
  of 
  Lake 
  Superior, 
  for 
  the 
  

   purpose 
  of 
  completing 
  arrangements 
  for 
  the 
  inquiries 
  in 
  the 
  waters 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  Minnesota 
  and 
  Canada, 
  they 
  reached 
  Vancouver, 
  British 
  Colum- 
  

   bia, 
  on 
  July 
  35, 
  One 
  month 
  was 
  spent 
  by 
  this 
  party 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  coast, 
  

   chiefly 
  in 
  studying 
  the 
  conditions 
  and 
  requirements 
  of 
  the 
  important 
  

   salmon 
  fisheries 
  of 
  the 
  Fraser 
  Kiver 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  adjacent 
  salt 
  waters 
  of 
  

   the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Georgia, 
  Puget 
  Sound, 
  and 
  the 
  Strait 
  of 
  Fuca, 
  but 
  some 
  

   attention 
  was 
  also 
  paid 
  to 
  other 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  which 
  are 
  of 
  

   international 
  interest. 
  Visits 
  were 
  paid 
  to 
  all 
  points 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  

   the 
  boundary 
  where 
  salmon 
  are 
  taken 
  extensively 
  or 
  where 
  salt-water 
  

   fishing 
  is 
  carried 
  on, 
  the 
  fishermen 
  and 
  others 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  indus- 
  

   try 
  were 
  interviewed, 
  and 
  as 
  much 
  information 
  was 
  obtained 
  by 
  direct 
  

   observations 
  as 
  was 
  possible 
  in 
  the 
  short 
  time 
  available. 
  

  

  The 
  salmon 
  fisheries 
  greatly 
  exceed 
  all 
  others 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  in 
  the 
  

   extent 
  and 
  value 
  of 
  their 
  production, 
  and 
  they 
  are 
  still 
  rapidly 
  grow- 
  

   ing. 
  Ui) 
  to 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  no 
  decrease 
  in 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  

   has 
  been 
  observed, 
  but 
  over 
  a 
  considerable 
  part 
  of 
  these 
  waters 
  no 
  

   regulations 
  are 
  in 
  finx-e, 
  and 
  unless 
  some 
  protective 
  measures 
  are 
  intro- 
  

   duced 
  there 
  is 
  every 
  reason 
  to 
  expect 
  that 
  the 
  resources 
  will 
  sooner 
  or 
  

   later 
  be 
  overtaxed. 
  The 
  salmon 
  are 
  taken 
  not 
  only 
  in 
  the 
  Fraser 
  Eiver, 
  

   but 
  over 
  a 
  wide 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  salt 
  waters 
  as 
  well, 
  an 
  excellent 
  quality 
  of 
  

   fish 
  being 
  obtained 
  and 
  the 
  canneries 
  finding 
  a 
  ready 
  sale 
  for 
  all 
  they 
  

   can 
  put 
  up. 
  Quite 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  fresh 
  salmon 
  is 
  also 
  shipped 
  to 
  

   the 
  interior 
  and 
  eastern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country, 
  and 
  an 
  important 
  trade 
  in 
  

   fresh 
  halibut 
  is 
  being 
  established. 
  

  

  The 
  investigations 
  along 
  the 
  boundary 
  between 
  Minnesota 
  and 
  Onta- 
  

   rio 
  were 
  conducted 
  during 
  the 
  latter 
  half 
  of 
  July 
  and 
  during 
  August 
  

   by 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  J. 
  Woolman, 
  of 
  Duluth, 
  Minn., 
  with 
  two 
  assistants. 
  Their 
  

   work 
  was 
  begun 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  of 
  this 
  very 
  diversified 
  water 
  system 
  

   and 
  was 
  carried 
  thence 
  down 
  through 
  Eainy 
  Lake 
  and 
  Eiver 
  and 
  Lake 
  

   of 
  the 
  Woods. 
  The 
  latter 
  body 
  of 
  water 
  had 
  been 
  examined 
  in 
  1894, 
  

   as 
  explained 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  annual 
  report, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  deemed 
  advisable, 
  in 
  

   view 
  of 
  the 
  rapid 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  sturgeon 
  fishery, 
  to 
  repeat 
  the 
  obser- 
  

  

  