170 First Report on Economic Zoology. 
2. Owing to the special interest attached to the subject, the paper has 
been issued as an extra number of the “West Indian Bulletin.” It will 
also appear amongst the Conference papers to be published in the second 
volume of the Bulletin now in the press. 
3. Although the British West Indian Islands are surrounded by wide 
seas, inhabited by large numbers of edible fish of excellent quality, the 
methods employed in capture are somewhat primitive, and in no instance is 
advantage taken of modern improvements. At present a considerable trade 
in salt fish is carried on between these islands and British North America, 
the annual value of which is estimated at £234,000. 
4. Dr. Duerden, so far as I am aware, is the first to draw attention 
from the scientific point of view to the potentialities of the marine 
resources of these islands. It would, in my opinion, be most valuable if 
the subject could be taken up as a part of the research work entrusted to 
this Department. This would be in harmony with what has been done 
with considerable advantage at Cape Colony and in connection with the 
recently created Board of Agriculture in Ireland. I estimate that the cost 
of adding a Fishery Branch to this Department would be about £800 to 
£1000 per annum. 
5. I commend for special consideration the resume given at the close 
of Dr. Duerden’s paper (pp. 18 and 19). He rightly points out that the 
West Indian Fisheries and the men associated with them have been wholly 
neglected by the agencies devoted to the improvement and extension of 
the industrial resources of these Islands,” and he concludes as follows : 
“ The directions along which development and investigation in fishery 
matters are most needed at present within the West Indies may finally be 
summarised : — (1) The best methods of capturing and curing tropical fish ; 
(2) Knowledge of the life-history and habits of the edible and migratory 
fish ; (3) Encouragement of enterprise in fisheries generally ; (4) The 
best means of shipping live turtle. Artificial hatching and rearing of the 
green turtle and the hawksbill ; (5) Restocking of the exhausted grounds 
around Barbados with artificially reared sea-eggs ; (6) Oyster, sponge, and 
lobster culture. One of the great endeavours of to-day in the West Indies 
is to supplement in as many directions as possible the old industries of 
sugar and rum by the introduction and encouragement of other products ; 
and in the undeveloped resources of the sea the Colonies have a possession 
which, if rightly used, will constitute a valuable adjunct to the many 
agricultural efforts.” 
(*>. In order that the subject may be placed before the Secretary of State 
in a complete form I suggest that a copy of this letter and of Mr. Duerden’s 
paper be referred for their opinion as Zoological Experts to Professor Ray 
Lankester, F.R.S., Director of the British Museum (Nat. Hist.), and to Pro- 
fessor Howes, F.R.S., of the Royal College of Science, South Kensington. 
7. In the meantime copies of Dr. Duerden’s paper have been communi- 
cated to the Governors and to all the leading officials and residents in 
these Colonies. 
8. I forward, under separate cover, five extra copies of the Report for 
the use of the Colonial office. 
I have, etc. 
(Signed) D. Morris, 
Commissi oner of Agriculture for the West Indies. 
