NOTES ON FUNCTIONS AND ACTIVITIES OF 



THE DIVISION OF FISHERY INDUSTRIES 



OF THE U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



By Lewis Radcliffe 



Assistant in Charge of Fishery Industries, U. S. Bureau 

 of Fisheries, Washington, D. C. 



The taking of stock to determine the condition and trend 

 of a business is a recognized practice. It is likewise important 

 that those of us engaged in governmental activities should 

 from time to time review our functions and take stock to de- 

 termine in what degree we are fulfilling our duties for the 

 benefit of our creditors, the taxpayers, and our own peace of 

 mind. I hope that such a review of some of the functions 

 and work of the Division of Fishery Industries (Statistics and 

 Methods of the Fisheries) of the United States Bureau of 

 Fisheries during the past eighteen months may be of interest 

 and may perhaps give to some a wider acquaintance with the 

 importance of its work to the industry and its relation to fish 

 culture and biology. 



DEVELOPMENT OF FISHERIES 



Attributable in large measure to the Bureau's effort to 

 secure a wider use of fishery by-products such as fish leather, 

 oil, meal, scrap, etc., fisheries for sharks, porpoises and other 

 unutilized aquatic animals have been established, not alone by 

 fishermen in the United States, but by Canadian fishermen as 

 well, and have attracted world-wide attention and considera- 

 tion as evidenced by the volume of foreign inquiries for spe- 

 cific information. At the time of my visit to one such fishery 

 last year, 44 porpoises were taken at one set and the daily 

 catch of sharks ranged from 30 to 75. This afforded a hith- 

 erto unequalled opportunity for the biologist desirous of learn- 

 ing more about the habits, life history and diagnostic characters 



