- 3 - 



Sea, Skager Rak and Kattegat. In order that the investigations of the fisheries 

 conditions in the Baltic should keep pace with those of the other seas, a third 

 committee, Committee C, was instituted for the Baltic. . 



It was evident from the beginning, that the statistical portion of the investiga- 

 tions would play a prominent role, especially for the problem of overfishing. 

 Accordingly, special weight was laid on statistics in the program of Committee B. 

 The experience of the first year showed that it was necessary, however, both for 

 the working out of certain problems as for a general treatment of fisheries statistics, 

 that the Bureau itself should undertake the elaboration of the material sent in by 

 the various countries^. 



Statistics 



As regards the hydrographical work during the seasonal cruises, no occasion ^"«''^"^^ °|'.^^'j'= 

 arose for introducing any further limitations into the program accepted at the investigations 

 Stockholm and Christiania Conferences, than those which would arise of themselves, 

 during the progress of the investigations, from the force of external circumstances 

 and natural conditions. It was foreseen, iudeed, that great hindrances to the work 

 would arise from storms and unfavourable weather conditions, especially in the 

 colder periods of the year. These hindrances would chiefly appear in the first few 

 years, so long as all the participating countries did not have steamers at their disposal 

 specially constructed and equipped for such investigations. This was declared an 

 indispensable condition for the successful accomplishment of such a program, by 

 the Conference at Christiania^- Unpreventable shortcomings in the scheme of 

 observations also arose, because some of the countries taking part in the work 

 were not yet ready with their preparations in igo2, and Belgium did not join the 

 investigations until the spring of 1903 ^. It seemed advisable, however, to postpone 

 any changes in the original hydrographical program, until the first few years' 

 experiences had been gained. 



In the elaboration of the hydrographical program at the very beginning, at 

 the Stockholm Conference, the greatest care had been taken to ensure the agree- 

 ment and uniformity of the methods of observation, and to determine exactly the 

 accuracy and the amount of error in the instruments, as well as the physical and 

 chemical constants of sea-water of different origin. 



The aims first-mentioned were attained by the institution of the Central Labora- 

 tory at Christiania 1 



The determination of the constants of sea-water, which was considered an ^' 

 extremely important preliminary investigation for the international study of the 

 sea, was made by M. Knudsen in the interval between the Stockholm of 1899 and 



I Procés-Verbal de la Réunion du Conseil international à Hambourg de 1904, p. 12, 13 et p.20, 2i_ 

 = 2. Conférence internationale pour l'exploration de lamer, réunie à Christiania 1901, p. 2, sub. D. 



3 Procès- Verbal de la réunion du Conseil international Copenhague Février 1903. Annexe G 

 Rapports & Procès- Verbaux. Vol. I. p. 86. 



4 Procès- Verbal de la réunion du Conseil international Copenhague, Juillet 1902, p. 22 & 23. 

 Rapport sur le laboratoire central à Christiania. 1902— 1903. Rapports & Procès-Verbaux. Vol. I. 

 p. XL. Id. 1903 — 1904. Rapports ,& Procès-Verbaux. Vol. II, p. XX. 



st.Tnts of 

 sca-water 



k 



