Their principal scientific argximent has been that we do not 

 know the relation between stock size and production of new 

 halibut of commercial size. It will be necessary for us to 

 study the logic of this argument that such information is 

 necessary to the management of a marine species such as 

 halibut. 



The third species of fish of United States origin on the 

 abstention list in 1953 was Alaska herring. Within the past 

 year, some important new scientific evidence was assembled 

 for Alaska herring, and this was reviewed at the last annual 

 meeting of the Commission, 



The new scientific evidence consisted of information on 

 levels of fishing intensity during the past five or six years, 

 natural mortality, and growth rates. These data showed that 

 after herring are three or four years old, natural losses in 

 numbers of fish far exceed the weight increases of the sur- 

 vivors. The data also showed that present-day fishing 

 intensity is low, much lower than during the years preceding 

 negotiation of the Treaty, and considerably below the levels 

 which would provide higher sustained yields. 



The conclusion drawn from the scientific evidence was that 

 more intensive fishing of Alaska herring would, with reason- 

 able certainty, provide a substantial increase in yield which 

 could be sustained. This conclusion was agreed upon by 

 scientists of Japan, Canada, and the United States, 



17 



