FOREIGN AND COLONIAL FISHERIES 257 



naturalist and fishery expert. After spending several years in the 

 investigation of the fishing grounds of the Atlantic coast of North 

 America the Albatross was sent to the Pacific Ocean in 1888, and 

 has since confined her operations to those waters. She has made 

 three extended cruises to the southern and eastern parts of the 

 Pacific, several cruises to the Hawaiian Islands and Japan, and 

 many visits to Alaska, in addition to numerous surveys on the 

 coast of the Pacific states, all having for their object the investi- 

 gation of the physics and biology of the regions visited, the deter- 

 mination of their aquatic resources, and the study of their fisheries. 

 In 1907 the vessel commenced a biological survey of the waters of 

 the Philippine Archipelago, and was engaged on that work until 1910. 

 Work sinlilar to that done by the Albatross is carried on by the 

 steamer Fish Hawk on the Atlantic coast. This vessel, built for 

 the Bureau in 1879-80, is of 441 tons gross burden, and has a naval 

 crew of forty-five. She is equipped for sounding and dredging, and 

 has recently been employed, while attached to the laboratory at 

 Woods Hole, in the exploration of the coastal waters and inshore 

 fishing grounds of New England. The Fish Hawk is convertible 

 into a hatchery, and has been engaged in the hatching of shad and 

 other fish along the entire coast from Maine to Texas. 



The first task of the Bureau of Fisheries, namely the investigation 

 of the reported decrease of food fish in New England, necessarily 

 involved the collection of statistics of production, personnel and 

 capital. This branch of the work has been conducted from the 

 commencement without interruption ; in it have been included 

 various other subjects affecting the economic and commercial 

 aspects of the fisheries. Among its functions are (i) a general 

 survey of the commercial fisheries of the country ; (2) a study of 

 the fishing grounds with reference to their extent, resources, yield 

 and condition ; (3) a study of the vessels and boats employed in 

 the fisheries, with special reference to their improvement ; (4) a 

 determination of the utility and effect of the apparatus of capture 

 employed in each fishery ; (5) a study of the methods of fishing, 

 for the special purpose of suggesting improvements or of discovering 

 the use of unprofitable or unnecessarily destructive methods ; (6) 

 an inquiry into the methods of utilising fishery products, the means 

 and methods of transportation, and the extent and condition of 

 the wholesale trade ; (7) a census of the fishing population, their 

 economic and hygienic condition, nativity and citizenship ; (8) a 

 study of international questions affecting the fisheries ; (9) the 

 prosecution of inquiries regarding the fishing apparatus and methods 

 of foreign countries. 



The collection of statistics of the commercial fisheries and the 



