in out s, undertook their duties with
out delay. At the outset they decid
ed to employ a competent man as di
rector of investigations, in which ca
pacity the services of W. F. Thomp
son were secured.
He not only brought to the work
the needed training and ability, but
that experience and knowledge that
resulted from three seasons’ investi
gations in the Pacific halibut fishery,
which he had undertaken some years
previously on behalf of the Provinicai
Government of British Columbia. A
competent staff of young energetic
scientists to assist him was also em
ployed.
Director of Iwvcstigations
Appointed by Commission
The commission further arranged
for t lie appointment of an honorary
scientific council, with which inn
only the commission but the director
of investigations could consult, and
to which has been submitted the
plans of investigations to he under
taken from time to time. 1
This council consists of two repre
sentatives from each country: Pro
fessor John N. Cobh, dean of the Col
lege of Fisheries of the University
of Washington, Seattle; N. B. Sco
field, head of the Department of
Commercial Fisheries of the Fish
and Game Commission of California;
Dr. C. McLean Fraser professor of
/oology in the University of British
Columbia, and formerly director of
t'ie Marine Biological Station at Na
naimo. B. C.; Dr. W. A. Clemens,
nresent director of the aforesaid
st at ion.
The director and staff have from
time to time presented reports on
the progress of the investigation and
on their findings to the commission,
and to the scientific council. These
findings are used in the formulation
of the present recommendations. The
scientific results are, however, not
inserted in this report, but will be
published later in more detailed form
than is practicable here.
The task with which the commis
sion found itself to he charged is one
of great magnitude and difficulty
The fishery covers a coast line of
about 1,800 miles in length. Ths
halibut can only be studied at sea
• i d under difficult conditions.
Hence it has not been possible in
the three years during which the co
mission has been at work to cover
the whole field exhaustifely. Wh
has been accomplished has, however,
been done with care and the informa
tion obtained is sufficient to sate
fy the commission as to the neces
sity of certain main lines of action,
if the fishery is to be preserved.
Policy of Commission
In Carrying Out Duties
Though the investigation has been
highly scientific in character, the
commission determined at the out
set thatt it would he carried ca
along practical lines with close ad
herence to facts and avoidance of un
supported theory.
Its aim has been to establish 1>_
vond doubt the actual condition of
the fishery at present and the historx
of its trend to that condition. It has
sought to define the remedial mea
sures which should be adopted to
save the fishery and to build it up.
rts well as the conditions that would
have to be met in applying such nma
sures.
Statistics have formed an indis
pensable part of the facts gathered.
They have included not only com
plete records of landings, but of
operations at sea.
Through the splendid cooperation
of the fishing vessel captains, the
con.mission has secured evidence r- -
cords of the individual catches, from
which the yield per unit of fishing
effort—the “skate”—has been as
certained for each section of the
consr . j nese cover every season a no
are for years as far back as 190P>.
Even more important have been
the biological studies. These have
included the rates of growth accord -
ing to locality the migrations, the
"races” existent, and the spawning
habits.
Material has been collected by the
staff, not merely from voyages on
fishing vessels, but through opera
tions of vessels chartered for the
purpose. Thousands of halibut have
been caught and released with num
bered tags attached, and have hem
recovered from fishermen through
rewa ids offered.
From Hie records thus furnish'd
it has been possible to determine the
migrations of the halibut. Exten
sive studies of the physical charae*
(eristics and (lie growth of the dif
ferent “races” have confirmed sue :
findings.
The drift of the eggs and larvae
in the open ocean have been studied
by means of fine-meshed silk nei
and by observation of the currents
Tiie results of these biological stud
ies, in conjunction with those from
the statistics, form the basis for the
conclusions reached in this report.
Fisheries for halibut are prosecut
ed in the North Pacific and the North
Atlantic oceans, and yield about fJ:,
000,000 pounds, which is covered
by the terms of this convention, is
the greatest in the world.
The annual catch exceeds 50,00c,
000 pounds, which represents alio r.
GO per cent of the world’s catch. ();
ti.e remainder about 110,000,000 ac
credited to European countries and
6,000,000 to the Atlantic coast of
this continent.
The value of the Pacific halibut
catch to fishermen is about $7,000,
000 annually, and it is consequently
one of the most important fisherhc
in North American waters. The Pa
cific halibut is, therefore', one of the
most important species of food fishes
indigeneous to the waters of the
North American Continent.
Pacific Halibut Fislierery
as (.roatost in World
The Pacific halibut fishery orison
ated soon after the first railway com
munication was established between
the two coasts of the United States.
It is, therefore comparatively youmr.
It had its inception in 1SSS nej»*
Cane Flattery, at the entrance to
Juan De Fuca Strait. The fishery
expanded rapidly and by 1910 it had
extended to grounds off Cape Omni i
ney, Baranof Island, six hundred
miles to the north.
Subsequent expansion has extend
ed the fisheries until it now covers