Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-11-24
STUDYING THE SEA
The Leading Fishing Nations of e..
rope to Co operate.

FOR about three years plans have beec
forming for international co-operat,e,
curing number OF years in studying the
sea ana the fisheries Of Northwest ~,
rope. The undertaking has been IN
itiated by the various governments intnr.
ested: they will supply the vessels ANA
pay the cost. "'
The sun has already reported the re-
suits OF the first two conferences held n,
the purpose Of discussing the proiec,
and plans. The third meeting has nos
been held in Copenhagen, where delegates
from the governments of the United
Kingdom, Germany, Holland, Denmark
NORWAY and Sweden, Russia and FIN
land organized the international Counci,
for the Study of the Sea. Belgium is eY
pected to cooperate. France will be the
only North sea country not represented.
The delegates in behalf of the govern
ments they represented, adopted a plan of
work. Simultaneous observations are IN
be made four times year as the basis Of
a system of regular studies of the tenn
peratures of the ocean, the density OF Sea
water and sea life.
The two ships which the British gov
ernment has decided to devote to the
work will make periodical trips in the
Faeroe-Shetland channel and across the
northern end of the North sea working
from central harbor in Shetland 1hey
will also make simultaneous trips in the
western part of the British channel
The field of work of the Dutch ships
will be the southern half of the North
sea. while the northern half will be In
vestigated by German vessels. Denmark
will undertake the investigations be-
tween Faeroe and Iceland and Norway
will have charge of the work in the North
Atlantic. along the extensive western sea-
board of Scandinavia.
Russia has undertaken similar work
along the Murman coast and across
Barents sea to Novaya Zemlya. while
the Baltic will be studied in detail by
x,a,l. ~. xt.,tx ID
German ships.
The investigations will be specially
interesting, not only for their scientific
value. but also for the practical informa-
ton that it is expected to gain: In fact
the special purpose which induced these
governments to assume the financial re-
sponsibiity for the work was the investi-
CATION of special problems of urgent.
practical Importance to the fisheries. 1t
is expected that valuable results will be
obtained from these studies within few
years.
The central bureau of the council in
Copenhagen will publish the results of the
observations as soon as possible after the
termination OF each quarterly cruise.
The Copenhagen council. for example.
appointed one committee which Is
charged with the duty OF investigating
the mCrations of such fish as the cod
and herring; to another committee was
assigned the investigation of the whole
question of overfishing in the parts of
the North sea most frequented by trawl-
erS
1t has been asserted for several years
that the fisheries of the North sea were
declining. The investigation about to be-
gin will deal with the possibility OF the
resources of the sea becoming exhausted
by continuous fishing. 1t is possible that
the report on this subject may form
basis for international action In protect
ing threatened areas.
Every country having important sea in
terestS will undoubtedly study the re-
suits of the researches that are nov TO
begin. The council recommended that
the periodical cruises be begun as soon
as possible ard at the latest by the spring
of 1893
This is the first time that number OF
the leading nations have united Tor the
purpose of concerted study of the scien-
tific and practical problems which the
ocean presents. 1t is hoped that the re-
suits win be beneficial to the whole world.
New York Sun.