2 SALMON GEAR LIMITATION 



The International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission has long 

 been concerned with the problem of excess fishing effort, and on 

 December 18, 1957, its chairman sent the following letter: 



^■^Graham. Michael, 1949. The Fish Gate, Taber and Faber, Limited. London. 199 

 pp. Chapter 13. 



December 18, 1957 

 Mr. W. C. Herrington 

 Special Assistant to the Under Secretary 

 Department of State 

 Washington 25, D. C. 



Dear Mr. Herrington: 



The International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission has reported 

 to the United States Government on several occasions that the recent 

 rapid increase in the gear efficiency and units of fishing gear in United 

 States Convention waters has created a situation which makes the fulfill- 

 ment of our terms of reference extremely difficult. 



Since 1951 the development of nylon gill nets has increased the effi- 

 ciency of this gear by an estimated 50 per cent resulting in a rapid growth 

 of the gill net fleet. In 1957, 637 gill nets fished sockeye as compared with 

 322 gill nets the preceding brood year cycle and only 46 in 1945 the third 

 preceding cycle. The 1956 gill net fleet comprised 491 boats compared 

 with 192 the previous brood year cycle and 55 boats in the third preceding 

 brood year cycle in 1944. The other two year cycles of sockeye runs in 

 1955 and 1954 show similar growth in gill net fishing activity. 



The number of purse seine boats have not shown such a phenomenal 

 increase but there has been a gradual increase of roughly 50 per cent in 

 fleet size over the last twelve years. In addition to the increase in fleet 

 size the drum seiner and the power block have been developed and per- 

 fected since 1950. The drum seiner is able to make twice the number of 

 sets per day as made by the original conventional seiner. The power block 

 has increased the number of sets made by making fishing easier and in 

 general has increased the efficiency of this type of operation by an estimated 

 1 8 per cent or more. 



Under the Sockeye Fisheries Convention the only action the Commis- 

 sion can take to offset the effects of the rapid increase in fishing efliciency 

 and fleet size is to reduce fishing time. Our action in this regard has now 

 become so stringent and the weekly closed period so long that we are 

 unable to analyze the runs of sockeye in such a manner that proper racial 

 escapement and equal division of the catch as required between the fisher- 

 men of the United States and Canada can be guaranteed. The fishing in- 

 dustry is likewise faced with uneconomic operations arising out of the 

 allowable short fishing weeks. 



