American Fisheries Suciety. 11 



The President tlien read his address, wliieli is as follows: 



Washington. T). ('., July 17, 1!M);^. 

 Members of the American l*'isheries Society: 

 Gentlemen : — 



As President of this Society J greet you and wish yon well, 

 and as the head of the Bureau of Fisheries I welcome you to 

 Woods Hole and this building where you are met. To address 

 you thus in dual capacity and in this place, made memorable by 

 former successful meetings and by its association with the name 

 which we all honor and to which we shall this year pay visible 

 and enduring tribute, is a compliment which I appreciate and 

 value. 



It is an honor significant of the relations which have always 

 existed between this Society and the Fish Commission. The two 

 are twin brothers of the fisheries conditions of thirty-two years 

 ago and the enthusiasm and hopefulness with which they were 

 met. At that time it had become increasingly obvious that some 

 of our fisheries were l)eing depleted to a degree which would soon 

 make futile their further })ursuit for sport or profit. It was clear 

 that man had destructively disturbed nature's pre-existing bal- 

 ance and that man alone would re-estal)lish it. Both among those 

 directly interested in the fisheries by reason of the sport or pro- 

 fit derivable from them and in legislative bodies, the adoption 

 of systematic and vigorous measures for the restoration of the 

 fisheries was gaining advocates. 



There was existent in the country at that time a little body of 

 progressive men, similar in character to that which now consti- 

 tutes the membership of this Society, who saw clearly and acted 

 wisely. Some of them, appreciating fully the value of an or- 

 ganization holding stated meetings for the exchange of experi- 

 ence and information, formed themselves into this Socii'ty which 

 has since its founding held a high place in the annals of Ameri- 

 can fish culture and all that makes for the good of the fisheries. 

 At the same time the general agitation of the subject and the 

 representations of Professor Baird secured from Congress the 

 appointment of a commissioner and a small ai)proin-iation for 

 the purpose of carrying on certain investigations ujion the causes 

 of the decrease of fishes and remedies therefor. One of tlie earii- 



