means of maximizing the yield through regulation of the kind 

 or intensity of fishing. The second step is to formulate fisheries 

 regulations which take into acount such scientific findings as 

 well as economic factors in fisheries development and mainte- 

 nance. The final step is to enforce such regulations. In a 

 few cases, such as salmon, it is also feasible to increase abun- 

 dance and yield by fish culture techniques and such efforts 

 should be pressed. Even in these cases, however, the sound 

 exploitation of the resulting increased resource depends on the 

 same three steps of research, formulation of regulations and 

 enforcement. 



These three steps have all been taken in a few cases but even 

 in the best cases there is room for improvement and, especially 

 in the international field, we are still at a very early stage of 

 development of management. We must increase our efforts. 



I hope I may be permitted to dwell with some pride, but I 

 assure you with no complacency, on Canada's activity in this 

 field. My Ministry has, in the Fisheries Research Board of 

 Canada, an agency with a record of high quality research for 

 over half a century; its work continues to exhibit vitality and 

 progress. My Ministry also has a large and effective orga- 

 nization for development and enforcement of regulations in 

 cooperation with the industry through organizations such as 

 the Canadian partner in this Conference — the Fisheries Council 

 of Canada. I would like in passing to say that without a body 

 such as the Fisheries Council to coordinate the sometimes 

 divergent views of the industry in various parts of our country, 

 our task of meeting their needs would be much more difficult. 



When Canada, through Confederation, came into being 

 almost a century ago, there was little realization of the need for 

 fisheries management. Lucrative fisheries for such valued 

 species as salmon and lobster were at first over-exploited. 

 Gradually, however, there has come general realization that 

 fish stocks are not unlimited and must be exploited carefully 

 if the fisheries are to last. This realization came first with re- 

 gard to species which were in high demand and quickly re- 

 duced — salmon, lobsters, oysters, halibut — but the need for 

 scientific study of all important species is now generally ac- 

 cepted and the actual or imminent need for regulation becomes 

 recognized in one after another case as they become intensively 

 exploited. Perhaps we present in miniature the picture in the 

 world as a whole. 



At the national level intensive research and regulation have 

 arrested the decline and achieved some restoration of our val- 

 uable lobster fisheries on a sound long-term basis. The same 

 is true of certain of our salmon fisheries. In all these cases 

 high and increasing prices have attracted a level of fishing ef- 

 fort which causes serious problems both for maintenance and 

 improvement of the resource and for profitable operations by 

 the industry. Intensive research and regulation are making 

 progress with the conservation problems, although much re- 

 mains to be learned; we have barely made a start with the 

 economic problems. Excessive fishing effort not only causes 

 great difficulties in management to maintain the resource but 

 also tends to reduce the profits from fishing, the net return to 

 the fishermen, to a low level. These fisheries thus exemplify 

 the basic difficulties in the exploitation of common property 



resources — difficulties which become apparent in international 

 as well as national fisheries as they approach critical levels of 

 intensity. 



The United States and Canada are partners in three bi- 

 lateral conventions for fisheries management. Under the first 

 of these, the International Pacific Halibut Commission set an 

 example to the world bv studying overexploited halibut stocks 

 off our Pacific coasts, imposing strict joint regulation of the 

 halibut fisheries of our two countries, and thus restoring these 

 fisheries to levels of productivity well above that to which the 

 unregulated early fishing had reduced them. Would that such 

 success could attend international conservation efforts on ocean 

 fisheries generally ! Under a second convention, the Interna- 

 tional Pacific Salmon Commission has achieved for our two 

 countries a similar measure of success in restoring the sockeye 

 stocks of the Fraser River, which are subject to fishing in na- 

 tional waters on both sides of the border. In this case the ill 

 effects of overfishing and of the famous Hell's Gate landslide 

 were overcome by effective fish passes and by strict regula- 

 tion, both based on scientific research. The Commission is 

 extending its activities to other obstructions and management 

 problems, including positive fish culture measures, and much 

 is expected from its efforts. The third bilateral convention 

 coordinates our research efforts on the Great Lakes and has 

 fostered an enterprising experiment in the control of the sea 

 lamprey which caused much destruction of lake trout. Our 

 two countries are proud of this record of cooperation in fisheries 

 conservation and look forward to greater things to come. 



Turning to a somewhat broader international field, the United 

 States and Canada together with eleven European nations are 

 members of the International Commission for the Northwest 

 Atlantic Fisheries (ICNAF), which has coordinated research 

 on the groundfish stocks of that area and initiated regulation 

 through the institution of minimum mesh sizes for trawl nets. 

 As the fishery becomes more intensive, we appear to be on the 

 verge of the need for more intensive, restrictive measures, and 

 we look to this Commission for leadership in solving most 

 complex and difficult conservation problems. Similarly the 

 Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission has conducted 

 research on which to base regulation of the tuna fishery in the 

 eastern tropical Pacific and has advanced to the stage of 

 formulating proposed conservation measures. Here again we 

 wish this Commission well and, indeed, Canada may be inter- 

 ested in membership if our participation in the fishery 

 develops. 



We are all aware of other regional international bodies 

 which have promoted research on fisheries resources and are 

 tackling the problem of formulating regulations which would 

 be effective in maintaining the resource and, at the same 

 time, acceptable to member nations often having diverse in- 

 terests. I mention ICNAF, IATTC and other regional bodies 

 to draw attention to attempts which are being made to effect 

 international fisheries conservation. In spite of the great dif- 

 ficulties which these bodies must face, their efforts must receive 

 our support and must succeed if our fisheries are to remain 

 productive. Cooperative research presents technical difficul- 

 ties but meets little opposition; joint regulation and especially 



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