FOURTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. 75 



digest and interpret the data thus obtained, and be prepared to 

 suggest and recommend necessary legislation in the interest of 

 the fisheries. 



To secure the enactment of such legislation, all these associ- 

 ations, societies and clubs should be brought into sympathy 

 with our aims, and into co-operation with our efforts. As or- 

 ganized bodies or as individual members, they should become 

 integral factors in the organization and work of this society. 



STATISTICS OF THE FISHERIES. 



A third important objective point to be aimed at by this society 

 is to secure the institution by the National Government of meas- 

 ures to collect each season complete statistical returns of the fish- 

 eries. Such data are of the greatest importance in giving us a 

 measure of the improvement or depreciation of our fisheries 

 year by year, and in appreciating and interpreting local fluctu- 

 ations in the fisheries. I may add that the want of authentic 

 statistical data of the sea fisheries has already cost the general 

 Government not less than I5, 000,000 under the provisions of the 

 reciprocity treaty now in force between the United States and 

 Canada. 



Like questions of reciprocity and compensation may arise at 

 any time between our Government and the Canadian, or other 

 foreign governments. An accurate statistical presentation of the 

 extent and value of our own sea fisheries, which we should 

 always be prepared to furnish, will be our best protection 

 against the extravagant demands and unwarranted concessions 

 which have been asked and yielded in the name of reciprocity. 



A consideration of the objective points in fish-culture, a few 

 of which are here briefly brought to your attention, will give 

 some idea of the extent of the field which is to be exploited be- 

 fore this society, and the agencies which it may enlist in organ- 

 ized and concerted action, shall have accomplished the mission 

 committed to it. 



Of the importance of this mission I need hardly speak. The 

 necessity of utilizing every food resource of land and water 

 grows more urgent as populations increase. It is an economi- 

 cal necessity that sea and lake, pond and river, should be 



