Since I960, receipts in Alaska and British Columbia ports have been well sustained, 

 but in Washington State, landings both by United States and Canadian vessels have declined 

 sharply, largely owing to relative port prices. 



The catches from grounds off each section of the coast are shown in table 4. 

 They reflect the early geographical expansion and intensification of the fishery, the 

 subsequent declines from each section under uncontrolled fishing, and the increases 

 under regulation after the early 1930's. 



On grounds south of Cape Spencer (table 4, cols. B to D), the catch quotas have been 

 temporarily reduced to offset the larger catches taken in the first half of the present 

 decade while testing the upper range of what appeared to be the maximum sustainable 

 yield. The ultimate optimum annual removal will probably be about 29 to 30 million pounds 

 for this area. 



On grounds west of Cape Spencer including Bering Sea (table 4, cols. E to G) re- 

 movals were steadily increased to about 45 million pounds and, in view of stock reactions, 

 are now being reduced to what may be an optimum sustainable level of about 40 million 

 pounds. For the coast as a whole the maximum sustainable yield will probably be in the 

 vicinity of 70 million pounds annually under present environmental conditions. 



Recent annual Pacific and Atlantic catches of halibut ( Hippoglossus ) by countries 



are as follows: 



Table 1 



North Atlantic 



1 USSR figures may include some flatfish other than Hippoglossus . 



Table 2 



North Pacific and Bering Sea 



1 USSR figures may include some flatfish other than 

 Hippoglossus . 



