38 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



of Chief-Inspector Cumingham, showing an amazing diminution, 

 amounting to 71,275 cwt. as compared with 1911, the total catch being 

 only about 57% of that of 1910. 



There may be numy factors, whose relative importance I am at 

 present unable to determine, contributing to this remarkable diminution, 

 Init the statistics as they stand point very strongly to the beginning 

 of a rapid exhaustion of the banks, especially when it is considered that 

 the figures of the above table represent only the fish taken under Can- 

 adian licenses and make no account of the unlicensed catch, which 

 is undoubtedly very great. 



At present the Halibut are taken entirely by line-fishing, and it is 

 probably due to this fact that for the most part only large fish are 

 brought to the market. The young fish escape and, as a fact, our 

 knowledge of the habits of the young fish is almost nil. But long before 

 the immature period of seven years has elapsed the fish have reached 

 a size sufficient for capture and a very considerable portion of the catch 

 is made up of immature fish; every such fish, taken before it has con- 

 tributed its share to the maintenance of the supply, means an absolute 

 loss from the standpoint of conservation. Furthermore, within the 

 last year there have been repeated rumours to the effect that new 

 methods are to be introduced into the industry by the importation of 

 deep sea trawlers, and should such methods be adopted the outlook 

 will become even gloomier. For while the larger and more powerful 

 fish might be able to escape from the trawl, it is unlikely that the smaller 

 ones would do so, and the trawl, sweeping over large areas of the bottom, 

 would gather in just those immature fish which it is to our interests to 

 preserve. 



There is, however, another side to this part of the question which 

 should be mentioned, namelj^, that in the waters of British Columbia 

 there are several other species of flat fishes, which will probably become 

 of commercial importance when fished by trawls and, furthermore, 

 there is the possibility that the Halibut in the early stages of growth 

 are not found in association with the older fish. For we know nothing 

 about the habits of the fish in these early stages and since the problem 

 in connection with trawling on our West Coast will be to protect the 

 young Halilnit, while permitting the capture of other flat fishes, it 

 becomes of very great importance that the complete life-history of 

 the Halibut should be worked out. I have already quoted a statement 

 by the late Professor Goode that serves to indicate our ignorance of 

 the life-history of the Halibut, but it may be well to state again some 

 of the crucial points of the life-history upon which information is 

 greatly desirable and sadly lacking. The observations of Holt"' and 

 *E. W. L. Holt.— Journ. Marine Biol. Assoc. N.8. II. 1S92, p. 399. 



