68 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



erations being conducted on a large scale for nearly two months, but 

 toward the end of April the association was unable to buy the heavy 

 stocks of haUbut concentrated at Seattle and elsewhere, and the open 

 auction method of selUng was resumed. Prices declined rapidly at 

 this time, and later in the season they reached the lowest levels re- 

 corded for recent years. 



The U. S. Coast Guard again maintained a patrol of the fishing 

 grounds to render any needed assistance to vessels of the halibut fleet. 

 No major disaster occurred during the season. Two men were lost at 

 sea and one died from exposure as the result of a wreck. Of the 

 Alaska fleet, the schooner Northern was destroyed by fire following an 

 explosion in Sumner Strait; the Monroe was wrecked on a reef in the 

 vicinity of Wingham Island and became a total loss; the Little Venus 

 was blown ashore near Union Bay and badly damaged; and the 

 Akutan was considerably damaged in going aground at Ketchikan. 

 The Puget Sound schooners Democrat and Marmot were lost in the 

 vicinitj^ of Kodiak Island, the former sinking in deep water after 

 stril-dng a reef, and the latter being destroyed by fire. The Kalart 

 was wrecked and lost off an island in the Gulf of Alaska. 



Life-history studies of the Pacific hahbut were continued under the 

 direction of Dr. Wilham F. Thompson of the International Fisheries 

 Commission. The schooner Dorothy was again chartered for this 

 work and covered more than 10,000 miles along the coasts of British 

 Columbia and Alaska during the season. In addition to the biological 

 investigations, statistical data on the commercial fishery were col- 

 lected and analyzed as a basis for determining effective conservation 

 measures. Additional regulatory powers were vested in the com- 

 mission by the new treaty of May 9, 1930, between the Dominion of 

 Canada and the United States for the preservation of the Northern 

 Pacific halibut fishery, which treaty became effective May 9, 1931, 

 with the formal exchange of ratifications at Ottawa. In the exercise 

 of this authority the commission seeks to maintain a close contact 

 with the industry through conferences wdth representatives of the 

 vessel owners and fishermen. PubHc hearings were held at Seattle 

 and Prince Rupert in November, at which time proposed new regu- 

 lations were discussed. 



STATISTICAL SUMMARY 



Nine hundred and forty-six persons were engaged in the halibut 

 industry in 1931, a decrease of 230 from the number reported for the 

 preceding yeai, and the products totaled 20,425,633 pounds, valued 

 at $1,352,687. This output represents the total fares of the Alaska 

 halibut fleet, wliich comprises aU American vessels landing more than 

 one-half of their catch in Alaska or British Columbia ports rather 

 than in the States. Landings of halibut in Alaska totaled 9,626,118 

 pounds, valued at $608,480. In 1930 the landings of the Alaska fleet 

 were 31,557,084 pounds, valued at $2,991,400, while landings in 

 Alaska totaled 11,408,984 pounds, valued at $863,089. Thus the 

 decrease in fares of the Alaska fleet was 11,131,451 pounds, or approxi- 

 mately 35 per cent in quantity and 55 per cent in value, while landings 

 at Alaska ports decreased 1,782,866 pounds, or about 16 per cent in 

 quantity and 29 per cent in value from the preceding year. 



