III. Woods Hole Laboratory, Center for International Fisheries Research 



In 1951, Herbert W. Graham replaced Royce as Chief of 

 North Atlantic Fishery Investigations and Director of the Laboratory. 

 This year marks the beginning of new work for the Fisheries 

 Laboratory at Woods Hole. In addition to its function as a fishery 

 research center for the North Atlantic area, it became the center 

 of American research activities in relation to the International 

 Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (ICNAF). The 

 International Commission originated with the convention of 11 

 countries in Washington, D. C. , in January 1949. They entered 

 into an agreement which was ratified on July 3, 1950, by four 

 signatory governments, namely, Canada, Iceland, the United 

 Kingdom, and the United States of America. At present (1962) 

 12 participating governments comprise the Commission. 



The activities of ICNAF extend over a huge area, nearly 

 two million square miles, of the ocean west of longitude 42' W. 

 and north of latitude 39° N. Along the west coast of Greenland 

 the area covers about one-half of the width of Davis Strait and 

 extends in a northwesterly direction into Baffin Bay where it 

 terminates at the point of latitude 78° 10" N. and longitude 73° 30" W. 

 The entire area is subdivided into five subareas. In order to 

 carry out the Commission's objectives for the investigation, 

 protection and conservation of fisheries, a panel has been estab- 

 lished for each subarea. The representation of governments on 

 each panel is reviewed annually by the Commission on the basis 

 of "current substantial exploitation in the sub-area concerned 

 with fishes of the cod group (Gadiformes), of flat fishes (Pleuro- 

 nectiformes), and of rosefish (genus Sebastes) except that each 

 contracting government with coast line adjacent to a sub-area 

 shall have the right of representation of the panel of sub-area" 

 (Article IV, International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic 

 Fisheries, Report No. 1, 1951). The United States is primarily 

 concerned with sub-areas four and five, and has membership in 

 panels three, four, and five. Subarea five, in which the U.S. 

 Government conducts extensive studies on haddock and sea scallop, 

 covers the entire area of Georges Bank. Since the organization 

 of ICNAF, the Fisheries Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole 

 entered into a new phase of activities as research agency for the 

 international organization concerned with the management of 

 oceanic food resources. 



The Commission is a voluntary international organization, 

 and no government is compelled to join or to abide by its regulations. 

 The participating governments are honor-bound to respect the 

 conservation measures that may be designed by the Commission, 

 to provide the statistical data requested, and to participate in the 

 program of research activities agreed upon at the annual meetings 



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