122 DESCRIPTION OF IMPORTANT FISHERIES AND THEIR PRODUCTS 



task — that of recovering the gear smoothly and removing the fish while 

 the boat runs alongside the gear. The handling and care of the halibut 

 during these operations are most important to its subsequent quality. 



Preservation of Halibut at Sea 



Of all the world's fisheries, the halibut is second to none in the many 

 problems of insuring high quality fish for delivery at the dock. The dis- 

 tance from port and the value of halibut make careful handling and 

 preserving methods essential. Even in the catching process the halibut 

 may be damaged physically, in some cases by factors outside the fisher- 

 men's control. 



If there are undue delays in recovering the gear, because of stormy 

 weather, for example, the fish may be damaged by attacks from sand 

 fleas. On some grounds, attacks from predator sharks or sea lions may 

 be a problem and can result in serious physical damage or complete loss 

 of many fish. In bringing the fish over the rail and in shaking it from the 

 hook, it is important not to bruise the fish or mar the skin since these 

 may result in a lower price grade. 



Handling on Deck. As the ground line comes over the roller on the 

 starboard rail, the fisherman clears the gangion line so it drops below 

 the power gurdy, gaffs the halibut, and clears the fish so it drops from 

 the hook to the deck. All this is done swiftly and almost with one motion 

 by an experienced fisherman. Large fish must be anticipated so they may 

 be pulled over the rail by hand or with the gaff. In case of very large 

 fish or snags in the line which can't be cleared readily, the fisherman can 

 stop the gurdy; however, no time is wasted and the fish soon begin to 

 pile up on deck during good fishing. 



The halibut is a very active fish and, in the case of 40-pound fish and 

 larger, exceedingly vigorous and must be dispatched promptly with a 

 sharp blow between the eyes. Fish are then thrown in the checkers on 

 the deck. Another fisherman quickly removes the gills and viscera, scrapes 

 the abdominal cavity clean of excess blood and kidney, and passes the 

 fish down the hold for icing. The halibut livers are separated during this 

 operation and stored in 5-gallon cans for sale to plants recovering the 

 high potency vitamin A oil. The halibut are not washed at this time; 

 however, it is important that the gut cavity is cleaned properly and that 

 no bits of viscera are left ; otherwise early spoilage or ''souring" may occur. 



Icing. Ice is packed in both the belly and gill cavities, then the fish 

 is laid on a bed of ice in the bin so the water from the melting ice will 

 flow around and away from the fish. It is important that the fish be laid 

 so any water in the belly cavity drains away and does not form a pool of 

 blood and slime along the dorsal part (near the backbone) of the cavity. 



