COUNCIL - SEPT. 1910 - APPEND. D — 58 — 



The Chairman then asked Dr. Hugh Smith, U. S. A., if he would give 

 the meeting some information with regard to the condition of the mackerel 

 question in America. 



Dr. Smith then recounted briefly the history of the mackerel fishery in 

 the united States. This was the great high-sea fishery from early times. 

 As many as 400 sail, large schooners of the finest type, had been engaged 

 in the fishery in earlier years, now there were not more than 100. It was 

 the most highly developed of all the fisheries and the fishermen were the 

 most intelligent. In 1875 the famous purse-seine was introduced specially 

 for this fishery. 



The mackerel appeared at a very definite period of the year, in the 

 latter part of March and always on the inner edge of the Gulf Stream, 

 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, never further south. They then spread 

 north until June, but do not go further north than the south of Newfound- 

 land. They never appear in Gulf-Stream water but always nearer land. 



The important question at present was the cause of the great decline 

 in this fishery during the last 25 years, from a catch of 500,000 barrels in 

 1885—86 to 3000 barrels in 1910. The assistance of the Government had 

 been called in to investigate the matter and many investigations had been 

 made, but it had become quite clear, that some new methods would have 

 to be adopted. Three possibilities to explain the diminution had been put 

 forward, for example, that the mackerel had moved on to other grounds; 

 the investigations made to determine this had however given no result. 

 Secondly, they might have migrated over to Western Europe, but he him- 

 self could not believe that they came at all into the Gulf Stream. Lastly, 

 it was suggested that the purse-seines had been the cause of the decline; 

 but it was impossible to prove such an influence. 



Dr. Smith himself was inclined to the belief, that physical conditions 

 acting on the eggs and young were responsible for the diminution and he 

 cited the case of the tile-fish. To obtain information on this great puzzle, 

 he would welcome and support investigations on the mackerel from the side 

 of the International Council. 



After expressing the thanks of the meeting to Dr. Smith, the Chairman 

 asked M. Fabre-Domergue to make some remarks on the mackerel fishing 

 in France. 



