ALASKA FISHERY AND FUK-SEAL INDUSTRIES, 1935 43 



HALIBUT 



A program for controlling production was again adopted by the 

 halibut fleet, whereby limitations were placed on the catch per man 

 per trip, the amounts varying according to the fishing area and the 

 port of landing. In addition, each vessel was required to remain in 

 port for a certain number of days between trips. Although the results 

 were not all that had been expected, the eft'ect of this control program 

 on market conditions was of material benefit to the industry. 



Under the regulations of the International Fisheries Commission 

 the legal fishing season for halibut opened on March 1, but most of the 

 fishermen did not begin operations until April 10, partly because they 

 were endeavoring to secure a minimum price guarantee on their 

 catch and partly because of the large carryover of frozen halibut from 

 the 1934 season. As a result of the delay in starting, operations in the 

 fall extended later than usual: the quota fixed by regulation for area 

 no. 2 was reached and that area was closed on September 6; in area 

 no. 3 the catch was somewhat short of the quota when fishing was 

 closed on December 26. No quotas were established for areas 1 and 

 4, where the closing dates were the same as for areas 2 and 3, 

 respectively. 



Halibut livers were again in demand for pharmaceutical use, and the 

 price was almost double that of the previous year. 



Scientific studies of the Pacific halibut were continued by the 

 International Fisheries Commission under the direction of Dr. William 

 F. Thompson. The vessel Paragon was chartered in the winter of 

 1934-35 to carry on investigations off the coast of British Columbia. 

 From the data thus collected it is possible to determine the trend of 

 the fishery and the effectiveness of the regulations in improving the 

 banks. 



STATISTICAL SUMMARY 



Four hundred and twenty-five persons were employed in the 

 Alaska halibut fishery in 1935 — a decrease of 177 from the number 

 reported for the preceding year, and products amounted to 9,805,680 

 pounds, valued at $607,845. This production represents the total 

 fares of the Alaska halibut fleet, which comprises all American vessels 

 landing more than one-half of their catch in Alaska or British Co- 

 lumbia ports rather than in the States. Landings of halibut in Alaska 

 totaled 6,382,681 pounds valued at $377,123, which include 6,000 

 pounds valued at $500 landed by Canadian vessels. In 1934 the 

 landings of the Alaska fleet were 13,221,338 pounds valued at $804,785, 

 and landings in Alaska amounted to 7,151,669 pounds valued at 

 $398,337. Fares of the Alaska fleet in 1935, therefore, decreased 26 

 percent in quantity and 24 percent in value from 1934. The landings 

 in Alaska ports in 1935 decreased about 11 percent in quantity and 

 5 percent in value from the preceding year. 



These statistics were comjiiled from data collected by the Inter- 

 national Fisheries Commission and by agents of the Bureau. The 

 amount of halibut livers landed by the Alaska fleet was not reported, 

 but it was stated that there were altogether about 924,000 pounds of 

 halibut, sablefish, "lingcod", and rockfish livers, valued at about 

 $375,000, landed at Alaska and Pacific coast ports during 1935 by 

 American vessels. 



