66 BRITISH SEA-FISHERIES 



of the most critical problems, there can be no two 

 opinions as to the desirability of continuing these 

 investigations on some kind of international basis, 

 a basis which has already been productive of very 

 promising results. 



Before turning our attention to the various bodies 

 which administer and investigate the fisheries of 

 England, a short consideration of what is done in 

 the two great countries which have scientifically 

 developed their fisheries may be profitable. In 

 Germany we have the Kiel Commission, and in the 

 United States the Commission of Fish and Fisheries. 

 The Kiel Commission exists for the scientific investi- 

 gation of the German seas. It was established in 

 1870 at the suggestion of a German sea-fishery society 

 — an interesting example of the belief which the 

 German layman has in science. It consists of four 

 Kiel professors — Hensen representing physiology, 

 Karl Brandt zoology, Reinke botany, and Krummel 

 geography — and of Dr. Heincke, director of the 

 biological station on Heligoland. An annual grant 

 of £7,Soo is made by the German Government for the 

 maintenance of the laboratories at Kiel, the cost of 

 steamers for investigations, the cost of the handsome 

 reports published under the name of ' Wissenschaftliche 

 Meeresuntersuchungen,' and for salaries ; of these the 

 five members of the Commission divide but ;£'27o 

 between them. The German Government has also 

 spent considerable sums on the biological station in 

 Heligoland, and make it an annual allowance of about 

 ;^i,ooo. 



The American Commission, like that of Kiel, is not 

 an administrative body, but concerns itself with the 

 acquisition and application of knowledge concerning 

 fisheries ; like it, too, it is independent of official 

 control. It reports directly to Congress. It was 

 established in 1871. Its work is, however, of a more 



