the season was legally restricted by a 3-month winter closure, imposed by the first 

 Halibut Convention. With the implementation of catch limits in 1932, under the 

 1930 Convention, the season became shorter. 



The continued improvement in the stocks under regulation attracted many 

 vessels to halibut fishing; these vessels were primarily from the salmon fleet, and 

 joined the halibut fishery between the summer salmon seasons. With rising prices and 

 growing entrv of such salmon vessels, the halibut fishing season became very short; 

 by 1954 the season was only 21 days long off the coasts of British Columbia and 

 Southeastern Alaska and in 1953, 52 davs long in the Gulf of Alaska. 



This resulted in the overfishing of some segments of the stocks and probable 

 underfishing of others that were more available in other seasons of the year. 



The 1953 Convention permitted more than one fishing season during any one 

 vear and enabled the Commission to spread fishing over a longer period of the year. 

 This, along with a voluntary program of the fleet requiring an eight-day lay-in between 

 trips, ultimately resulted in fishing seasons of satisfactory length. The season lasts 

 about four to five months in the main producing areas, which usually are opened in 

 early May. Short fishing seasons prior to May have been provided in Southeastern 

 Bering Sea. 



Fishing Grounds 



Fishing grounds or areas of halibut concentrations are dispersed throughout the 

 entire range of the fishery from northern California to central Bering Sea. Some of 

 the main grounds are indicated in Figure 25. 



For successful fishing, an intimate knowledge of the depth or bathymetric dis- 

 tribution of the species and of the technique of setting gear is essential. This is 

 evident in the fact that catches of vessels operated by more skillful and experienced 

 captains will far exceed those of others. 



Fishing Gear 



For convenience in handling, the gear 

 is made up or "rigged" into units which are 

 called "skates" (Figure 26). On the Atlantic 

 Coast such units were called "tubs of trawl". 

 Tubs or containers in which to coil gear 

 are rarely used in the Pacific Coast set- 

 line halibut fishery except on a few small 

 one- or two-man boats mostly in northern 

 California. 



The skate usually consists of 5 or 6 

 lines of groundline of 50 fathoms each, 

 onto which loops of light twine known as 

 beckets are attached at regular intervals. 

 Short lines, about 5 feet in length, called 

 panaions or gangings, are attached to the 

 beckets and at the other end of the gangion 

 is a hook. Up to recent years hooks were 

 bound or "ganged" to the end of the gang- 

 ion with pine-tar-treated linen thread. Now 

 eyed hooks are used and these are attached 

 c . , r ., . . , - t . , to a loop in the gangion (Figure 27). 



Figure 26. Coiling a skate (unit of gear). "■ r o o o 



17 



