REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES V 



Sec. 6. Penalty. — Any person violating any of the provisions of this act shall 

 be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 or imprisoned not more tlian 

 one year, or both. 



Sec. 7. Patrols; searches. — The President shall cause a patrol of naval or 

 other public vessels designated by him to be maintained in such places and 

 waters as to him shall seem expedient for enforcing this act, and any officer 

 of any vessel engaged in such service, and any other officers designated by the 

 President, may search any vessel, boat, or other craft in the Territorial waters 

 of the United States and any vessel, boat, or other craft of the United States 

 on the high seas when suspected of having violated or being about to violate 

 the provisions of this act. 



Sec. S. Canadian vessels and nationals. — Every national or inhabitant and 

 every vessel of Canada found violating this act shall be delivered as soon as 

 practicable to an authorized official of Canada at the nearest point to the 

 place of seizure, or elsewhere as the officials of the United States seizing the 

 same and the authorized officials of Canada may agree upon, and the witnesses 

 and proof necessary to the prosecution of said persons and vessels of Canada 

 shall be furnished with reasonable promptitude to the authorities of Canada 

 having jurisdiction thereof. 



Sec. 9. Seizure and forfeiture. — Every vessel, boat, or craft employed in any 

 manner in violating this act shall be seized by any collector, surveyor, inspec- 

 tor, officer of a revenue cutter, or person specified in section 7 hereof, and 

 except as provided in section S hereof, every such vessel, boat, or craft, includ- 

 ing its tackle, apparel, furniture, cargo, and stores, shall be forfeited to the 

 United States by proper proceedings in any court of the United States in 

 Alaska, California, Oregon, or Washington. 



Sec. 10. Fisheries Commission exemption. — None of the inhibitions contained 

 in this act shall apply to the International Fisheries Commission when en- 

 gaged in any scientific investigation. 



Sec. 11. Appropriation.- — There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, 

 out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of 

 $15,000 for the fiscal year 1925 for the salaries and expenses of the Interna- 

 tional Fisheries Commission. 



Sec. 12. Dtiration of act. — This act shall take effect immediately and con- 

 tinue in force until the termination of the convention concluded by the United 

 States and Great Britain on March 2, 1923, for the protection of the halibut 

 fishery of the northern Pacific Ocean. 



The American representatives on this commission are Henry 

 O'Malley. Commissioner of Fisheries, and Miller Freeman, pub- 

 lisher; and the Canadian commissioners are William A. Found, 

 director of fisheries, Department of Marine and Fisheries, and John 

 P. Babcock, assistant to the commissioner of fisheries, Province of 

 British Columbia, chairman. The treaty provides for a "thorough 

 investigation into the life history of the Pacific halibut " by the com- 

 mission and requires that it make " recommendations as to the regula- 

 tion " of this fishery. Under the direction of Will F. Thompson 

 excellent progress has been made in the conduct of investigations. 

 This includes the completion of the collection of all data on vessel 

 landings of halibut since 1916. The tentative results indicate a heavy 

 decline in the average catch per unit of gear and progressive deple- 

 tion of the near-by banks. During 1925 more than 3,300 halibut were 

 tagged, and 7.5 per cent of these were recaptured within 10 months. 

 No directive migrations have been noted, the fish apparently mov- 

 ing as readily in one direction as in another. More than 6,800 hali- 

 but have been examined for age, the scales and otoliths have been 

 saved, measurements made, and racial studies have been begun. 

 During the current season special consideration is being given to the 

 types of gear used and the effects of the use of hooks of various 

 sizes. Spawning habits and larval life-history studies will be made 



