Smith. — Need for Fisheries Instruction 43 



state, resulting in the speedy restoration in abundance ; 

 whereas, at the present time, the fishermen, in their 

 ignorance of even the elementary facts in the life of the 

 lobster, are backing measures and practicing methods 

 that are most destructive and foolhardy. 



A tentative plan for an institution for the imparting 

 of practical technical instruction to American fisherfolk 

 may be outlined as follows : 



I. OBJECTS: 



a. Gratuitous instruction in fishery matters, adapted to local 

 needs and conditions, and intended to render the fishing 

 operations more effective and remunerative. 



b. Practical conservation of the fishery resources of every region, 

 resulting from an appreciation by the fishermen of the vital 

 needs of the creatures sought. 



c. The creation throughout the country of a corps of well- 

 qualified persons who are able, 



(1) To direct large industrial fishery operations and shore 

 branches connected with the fisheries (as salting, can- 

 ning, and smoking plants). 



(2) To become technical experts in the administration of 

 the fishery services of nation or state. 



(3) To engage in or take charge of national or state fish- 

 cultural work. 



d. The gradual improvement of the morale of the fishing popu- 

 lation, the placing of fishery work on a higher industrial 

 plane, and the removal of purely economic fishery questions 

 from local politics. 



II. SCOPE AND METHODS: 



a. Instruction of the fishing population (including women and 

 girls) to cover the following subjects: Fishery methods and 

 apparatus; preservation of water products for food, fer- 

 tilizer, in arts, etc.; fishery legislation, protection and regu- 

 lation; fishery administration; fish culture, adapted to gov- 

 ernment, state, and private operations, and applied to fish, 

 shell-fish, frogs, etc.; aquatic biology and physics; utilization 

 of waste products; conservation; navigation, etc. 



b. Instruction to be by means of lectures, practical demonstra- 

 tions, printed matter, and correspondence. 



c. The affairs of the institution to be conducted from a central 



bureau and through the medium of special courses of instruc- 

 tion in numerous communities in charge of corps of experts, 

 who may visit place after place in regular order. 



d. The leading specialists in every branch of national, state, and 

 private fishery work to constitute the nucleus of the faculty; 

 and all existing facilities for study and practical work to 

 be availed of. 



DISCUSSION 



President: This is a very important paper and I am in a posi- 

 tion to state that when Dr. Smith made his visit to Japan he visited 

 the very extensive fisheries institute of the Imperial Government of 

 Japan, and it made a profound impression upon him. There is no- 



