80 



the clearest cases of depletion. This is now accepted by all who 

 concern themselves vjith the preservation of the deep-sea fisheries, 

 as illustrated by the prograr:^ of the International Fisheries Commis- 

 sion, now charged by treaty between the United States and Canada 

 with the proper regulation of the halibut fishery off the northwest 

 coast of North America, Rapid depletion makes regulation necessary 

 in this case, as already remarked (page 7C),In fact, as the U. S. 

 OommisBioner of Fisheries has pointed out, the fishery is in a very 

 serious condition from overfishing. But to arrive at a basis for 

 action the Commission has fo^and it necessary to search for the eggs 

 and larvae, to map the drift of the same, to examine the dynamic 

 oceanography of the region as governing this drift, to trace the 

 wanderings of the adult halibut, to chart the spawning grounds, and 

 to trace the interrelationships between the stocks of halibut on 

 different grounds. 



When seeking a basis from which to predict the productivity of a 

 fishery in advance, the method of procedure is essentially similar. 

 The U. S. Bureau of Fisheries has for exampls, undertaken an inten- 

 sive study of much these same phases in the life history of the 

 American mackerel, hoping to enable the industry to guard itself a- 

 gainst the disastrous effects of the violent but uncontrollable 

 fluctuations in the supply that come from natural causes. And though 

 this study has been in progress for only two years, prediction of the 

 mackerel fishery for 1928, based on the state of the stock in 1927, 

 was close to correct. Predictions of the abundance or reverse of 

 herring and of sardines in European waters, based on similar studies, 

 have also been successful enough to justify the hope that they will 

 be of great value, when a better knowledge of the governing causes 

 has been gained. 



It is idle to suppose that oceanwide expeditions, undertaken at 

 long intervals, will be of much value in advancing investigations of 

 this sort. What is needed is intensive study either of regions, of 

 individual species, or of particular fisheries, as the case may be. 

 These must be so long continued (because covering so wide a field and 

 concerned with the natural economy of generation after generation), 

 and so intensive (because of the nature of the problems involved), 

 that individual investigators can make but slow progress. In no 

 field, in fact, are joint efforts, and the services of cooperative 

 agencies more needed in American Oceanography, than in fisheries 

 Biology. The work of the Federal Fisheries Services of North America 

 would benefit greatly by the assistance of any institution that 

 could initiate and encourage research in the basic fields of oceanic 

 biology, to which the governmental agencies cannot give due attentici 

 because of legislative allocation of their funds to objects that maj 

 seem more directly profitable from the economic standpoint. 



II. UTILIZATION OF OTHER MARINE PRODUCTS. 



At the present time the problems involved under this heading 

 are more Technological and economic, than oceanographic. At present. 

 too, it is impossible to foresee how rapidly the exploitation of the 

 sea will develop in this direction. We think it sufficient therefcie 

 to point out that the status is covered by D. K. Tressler, in his 

 book "Marine products of Commerce". 



