﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES 
  LXXI 
  

  

  July 
  1, 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  having 
  given 
  tbe 
  requisite 
  notice 
  to 
  bring 
  

   about 
  such 
  result. 
  Although 
  an 
  understanding 
  was 
  reached 
  between 
  

   the 
  Governments 
  of 
  Great 
  Britain 
  and 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  that 
  fishing 
  

   privileges 
  would 
  continue 
  until 
  January 
  1, 
  1886, 
  substantially 
  as 
  they 
  

   had 
  heretofore 
  existed, 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  obtaining 
  data 
  on 
  which 
  to 
  base 
  

   subsequent 
  negotiations 
  was 
  clearly 
  seen. 
  In 
  order 
  that 
  this 
  Commis- 
  

   sion 
  might 
  co-operate 
  in 
  the 
  fullest 
  way 
  with 
  the 
  other 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  

   Government, 
  it 
  was 
  determined 
  to 
  enter 
  upon 
  the 
  most 
  practicable 
  ar- 
  

   rangements 
  for 
  collecting 
  information. 
  I 
  accordingly, 
  on 
  the 
  10th 
  of 
  

   December, 
  addressed 
  the 
  following 
  letter 
  to 
  the 
  honorable 
  Secretary 
  of 
  

   the 
  Treasury, 
  which 
  resulted 
  in 
  the 
  desired 
  instructions 
  being 
  given 
  to 
  

   the 
  customs 
  officers 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  cordial 
  cooperation 
  of 
  the 
  Chief 
  of 
  the 
  

   Bureau 
  of 
  Statistics 
  of 
  the 
  Treasury 
  Department 
  in 
  the 
  work. 
  It 
  is 
  yet 
  

   too 
  early 
  to 
  speak 
  concerning 
  the 
  results 
  of 
  this 
  undertaking. 
  

  

  U. 
  S. 
  Commission 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries, 
  

  

  Washington, 
  B. 
  C, 
  December 
  10, 
  1885. 
  

   Sir 
  : 
  The 
  necessity 
  of 
  shaping 
  and 
  negotiating 
  a 
  new 
  fishery 
  treaty 
  

   with 
  Great 
  Britain 
  affecting 
  colonial 
  waters 
  in 
  North 
  America, 
  and 
  the 
  

   frequent 
  petitions 
  to 
  Congress 
  for 
  general 
  and 
  special 
  legislation 
  affect- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  localities, 
  seasons, 
  and 
  apparatus 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  

   different 
  species, 
  render 
  it 
  especially 
  desirable 
  to 
  have 
  at 
  hand, 
  availa- 
  

   ble 
  for 
  reference, 
  full 
  and 
  accurate 
  information 
  regarding 
  our 
  fishery 
  

  

  interests. 
  

  

  > 
  

  

  A 
  very 
  large 
  percentage 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  are 
  taken 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  vessels 
  

   licensed 
  to 
  engage 
  in 
  the 
  fisheries 
  by 
  the 
  Treasury 
  Department. 
  The 
  

   regulations 
  of 
  said 
  Department 
  require 
  that 
  the 
  papers 
  permitting 
  the 
  

   vessel 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  in 
  fishing 
  be 
  renewed 
  at 
  least 
  once 
  a 
  year, 
  and 
  that 
  

   the 
  owner 
  or 
  master 
  of 
  said 
  vessel, 
  or 
  both, 
  appear 
  before 
  the 
  proper 
  

   officials 
  of 
  the 
  Department 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  necessary 
  signatures. 
  

  

  The 
  owner 
  and 
  master 
  of 
  each 
  fishing 
  vessel 
  are 
  thoroughly 
  informed 
  

   regarding 
  the 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  vessel 
  and 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  fish 
  taken 
  

   during 
  the 
  last 
  period 
  of 
  enrollment 
  or 
  license. 
  I 
  have, 
  therefore, 
  caused 
  

   the 
  inclosed 
  list 
  of 
  questions 
  calling 
  for 
  general 
  and 
  statistical 
  informa- 
  

   tion 
  to 
  be 
  prepared 
  for 
  your 
  consideration, 
  and 
  if 
  it 
  meets 
  with 
  your 
  ap- 
  

   probation 
  would 
  respectfully 
  request 
  that 
  you 
  will 
  cause 
  the 
  same 
  to 
  be 
  

   printed 
  and 
  distributed 
  among 
  the 
  various 
  customs 
  officers 
  along 
  the 
  

   coast 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  bordering 
  on 
  the 
  Great 
  Lakes, 
  and 
  that 
  you 
  will 
  

   instruct 
  the 
  officials 
  of 
  your 
  Department 
  to 
  fill 
  out 
  the 
  blank 
  from 
  infor- 
  

   mation 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  owner 
  or 
  master 
  whenever 
  they 
  shall 
  present 
  

   themselves 
  at 
  the 
  custom-house 
  to 
  obtain 
  or 
  renew 
  the 
  necessary 
  papers 
  

   for 
  their 
  vessel: 
  I 
  have 
  further 
  to 
  request 
  that 
  such 
  blanks 
  as 
  may 
  

   have 
  been 
  filled 
  out, 
  or 
  copies 
  of 
  the 
  same, 
  be 
  forwarded 
  to 
  me 
  for 
  com- 
  

   pilation 
  on 
  the 
  first 
  day 
  of 
  the 
  month 
  following 
  the 
  renewal 
  of 
  the 
  vessel's 
  

   papers. 
  

  

  