Testing the Ocean's Crop.
Experimental haul on the Bureau's vessel, the Fish Hawk, to determine the character of the population of shore waters.
Courtesy of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries.
"There are so many different things being accomplished that it's hard to name them all, but you can see for yourself that some one has got to collect the figures on fisheries in order to determine how the industry is progressing. If a town reports a bad season, when all the other ports have been fortunate, the Bureau finds out why. If the catch of a certain fish is decreasing all over the country, then this species must be turned over to the fish culturists for artificial hatching and increase of supply, and so on in a thousand directions. The statistical end has to get the figures. We base all our work on those."
"I wonder what I shall have to do?" said Colin, with a note of query.
"That I don't know anything about," the director answered. "As director of the Biological Laboratory, I'm on the scientific division, and really can't tell you much about the cultural and statistical ends. I understand, however, that the Deputy Commissioner plans to send you to the mackerel fishery."
"From Gloucester, Mr. Prelatt?"