238 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



tinct in the large vessel fishery. These same boats can now be seen in the otter- 

 trawl fleet, having been converted by the owners. This shift was necessary so 

 that the vessels would be able to obtain catches large enough to maintain them- 

 selves economically. 



The magnitude of the ground fish fishery has created special problems in apply- 

 ing conservation measures, whereas the line-trawl hooks were to a degree selective 

 in the size of the fish caught, otter-trawl nets gather everything in its area of 

 tow. Changes in the construction of the otter-trawl nets became necessary. A 

 larger mesh in the cod end, or "fish bag," was introduced as a means of allowing 

 a major portion of the small unmarketable fish to escape without seriously affect- 

 ing the quantity of marketable fish caught. 



Fishing-gear regulations, which have become necessary in recent years, are 

 evident in the salmon and halibut fisheries of the Northwest. In the salmon fishery 

 restrictions applying to the length of the season are essential to maintain a proper 

 level of abundance, and they are rigidly enforced by the United States Govern- 

 ment. In the halibut fishery the fishing season, the number and types of gear em- 

 ployed, and the area in which the fish may be taken, are regulated by Interna- 

 tional Treaty. Regulations and limitations on pound nets, gill nets, and traps are 

 imposed when necessary by the various states in which they are operated, either 

 through licensing, adoption of mesh size specification, or complete restriction. 



In general these regulations have contributed to the over-all improvement of 

 the fisheries. Despite the adoption of essential fishery regulations, both United 

 States Government agencies and individual state agencies encourage develop- 

 ments in the fisheries everywhere. Their purpose is not to create hardship for the 

 fishermen, but to prevent any possibility of it in the future. 



Relative Importance of Fishing Gear 



The numbers and forms of fishing gear employed in various sections of the 

 country, based on the latest records available, are shown in Table 59 (p. 236). 

 In this table one can see the wide variety and form of fishing gear used to catch 

 over 4^2 billion pounds of fish and shellfish annually. This catch is valued at 270 

 million dollars'* by the fishermen engaged in the commercial fisheries. 



Approximately 85 per cent of the total annual catch is taken with netting ap- 

 paratus. Purse seines account for 52 per cent of this, otter trawls 25 per cent, 

 pound nets and traps 11 per cent, gill nets 6 per cent, and haul seines and stop 

 seines 3 per cent. The remainder of the catch is made as follows: lines 8.6 

 per cent, dredges 1.5 per cent, pots and traps 1.3 per cent, and tongs, rakes, 

 shovels, crawfoot bars, and scrapes 3 per cent. 



The total catch classified by the gear with which it was taken is given in Table 

 60, shown in the percentage yielded by each type. Thus it is clearly evident that 

 the purse seines play an important role in the total annual production and that 

 the otter-trawl nets are growing so in popularity and effectiveness as to rank 

 second in importance. 



In 1918 1,287 otter trawls were reported to be operating in the fisheries, and 

 they accounted for less than 5 per cent of the total catch. They could hardly be 

 listed as one of the leading gear. 



* 1945 catch records, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (1949). 



