4 U. S. BUEEAIT OF FISHERIES 



the 600-mile stretch as are now procured from the entire area of 1,800 

 miles. The banks on the eastern side of the Gulf of Alaska, which 

 yield spawnin^f tisli. were first exploited in 11)13. In 192G the larger 

 boats made by far the greater part of their catches in the vicinity 

 of Kodiak Ishmd, on the western side of the Gulf of Alaska, about 

 1.200 miles beyond the original tishery. The catch on the older 

 grounds south of Cape Ommaney has decreased from a total in excess 

 of 50,000,000 pounds in 1910 to about 21,000,000 in 1926, and much 

 greater effort Avas exerted in making the catch in the latter year. 

 It is evident that the present level of production has been maintained 

 by extending fishing operations to new areas, as the catch on the 

 older grounds decreased and by increasing the intensity of the 

 fishing effort. 



The amount of gear now used on the older banks is about two and 

 one-half times the quantity formerly used, yet the present catch is 

 only about 40 per cent of the former yield from these grounds. 

 Under the .stress of this great intensification of fishing effort the 

 abundance of fish on the older banks has fallen enormously, to 16 

 pel- cent of tlie abundance in 1906. Where in 1906 the catch }>er set 

 of a unit of fishing gear was nearly 300 pounds, in 1926 it was below 50 

 pounds. Expressed in another way, it required six units of gear to 

 catch as many fish as one unit caught in 1906. The decline has gone 

 on at an even rate and shows no tendency to slacken. Accomi)anying 

 this fall in abundance there has been a decrease in the average size 

 of the fish landed, and a great increase in the percentage of under- 

 sized fish. For example, between 1919 and 1926 the percentage of 

 undersized fish from the older banks increased from 20 to 30 

 per cent. 



The more recently exploited banks to the westward show the same 

 trend, the catch having fallen fi'om 160 pounds per unit of gear in 

 1923 to 100 pounds in 1926 and was still lower in 1927, while at the 

 same time there was an increase in the number of fish under 11% 

 jwunds. , , ; 



The rapidity of decline is regarded as especially serious because 

 of the A'ery slow rate of growth of the halibut, an adult being from 

 12 to 25 years, or over, in age. Hence the present decline has taken 

 place within the life span of one halibut of ordinarily large size. 

 As nearly all the fish that are being caught now were si)awned 8 

 or 10 years ago, the abundance of the younger fish, which will 

 annually be available for capture in the next 10 years, has already 

 been established. If these are greatly reduced in numbers, and the 

 intensity of the fishery is maintained, the outlook for a future stock 

 of spawning fish sufficient to maintain the supply presents a hopeless 

 picture. In fact, the connnission's investigations indicate that rela- 

 tively few mature halibut are now found on the older banks. 



These illnstrations demonstrate beyond a doubt that the fishery 

 is in a very serious condition and that the banks can not stand the 

 intensity of fishing to which they are subjected. The commission 

 is fully convinced that the conditions are so serious that no delay 

 should be permitted in the adoption of additional conservation 

 measures. In the light of the investigations made such action is 

 essential to the maintenance of the fishery. 



