DISTRIBUTION AND RACIAL COMPOSITION OF 

 SALMON ON THE HIGH SEAS 



By Clinton E. Atkinson 

 Director, Biological Laboratory 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 

 Seattle, Washington 



The Protocol to the International Convention for the High 

 Seas Fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean directs the Com- 

 mission **to investigate the waters of the Convention area to 

 determine if there are areas in which salmon originating in 

 the rivers of Canada and of the United States of America 

 interm.ingle with salmon originating in the rivers of Asia*', 

 and to "conduct suitable studies to determine a line or lines 

 which best divide salmon of Asiatic origin, and sadmon of 

 Canadian and United States of American origin*'. Since its 

 organization the United States Section of the Commission has 

 conducted extensive investigations on the problems of the 

 Protocol to determine whether or not the present provisional 

 line at 175° W. (fig, 1) adequately protects North American 

 runs of salmon from exploitation by the Japanese fisheries. 

 The resvilts of research to date show that the provisional line 

 protects most North American runs of salmon with the 

 exception of Bristol Bay red satlmon which range far to the 

 westward and into the area of high seas fishing. 



Figure l.--North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea, showing position of 

 Provisional Abstention Line. 



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