APPENDIX III APPENDIX IIT 
HALIBUT 
Halibuts are the largest of all flatfish and one of the 
largest species of fish in the world. The average size caught 
by commercial fishermen is between 30 to 35 pounds, but record 
size halibut have approached 700 pounds in weight. They are 
also the flatfish of most value to fishermen. Pacific hali- 
but has been the object of a commercial fishery for about 88 
years, but even before that was one of the most important 
subsistence fish for a number of Pacific coast Indian tribes. 
The Pacific halibut is found along the western coast of 
North America from central California to the Aleutian Islands 
and the Bering Sea. Halibut season lasts about 4 to 5 months 
in the main producing areas, which are usually opened in 
early May. The most productive halibut fishing ground during 
the period 1968-74 was the section of the Gulf of Alaska from 
Cape Spencer west down the Aleutian Island chain, producing 
about 60 percent of the total landings during that period. 
\ 
The North American catch of Pacific halibut is a regu- 
lated fishery managed by the International Pacific Halibut 
Commission. The Commission was established by a Convention 
between the United States and Canada in 1923 and was the first 
international agreement for joint management of a marine 
fishery.. 
STATUS OF FISHERY 
Current harvest 
Since about 1954, the trend in U.S. landings of Pacific 
halibut has been steadily downward. U.S. landings have de- 
clined from a high of about 60.7 million pounds live weight 
in 1954 to approximately 18.5 million pounds in 1974. Total 
U.S. and Canadian catch for 1974 was the lowest reported for 
any year Since the turn of the century and was only 39 per- 
cent of the 1970 catch. 
Consequently, in November 1975 NMFS listed Pacific hali- 
but stock as being depleted in the Northeast Pacific and the 
Gulf of Alaska. NMFS also determined that halibut stock in 
the Bering Sea has either been depleted or is in imminent 
danger of being depleted. Their definition of depleted 
refers to stocks which have been so reduced through overfish- 
ing or man-induced or natural causes that fishing must be 
greatly reduced so that the depleted stocks can replenish 
themselves to produce optimum yield. However, the Interna- 
tional Pacific Halibut Commission officials have stated that 
halibut stock in the Bering Sea is also depleted and actually 
in poorer condition than the stock in the Gulf of Alaska. 
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