CONSERVATION OF THE HALIBUT — THOMPSON 381 



he is getting as great a total as before but the amount of fishing 

 gear he can run has had to be reduced in order that the proportion 

 of each age class would be less. As a result, the greater proportion 

 of these age classes which has been allowed to survive each year has 

 tremendously increased the number of spawning adults. 



The fisherman should welcome effective conservation whereby he 

 is able to take his catch with greater ease and in a shorter time. 

 It would seem a small price to pay for an ultimately greater number 

 of incoming young, but so complicated is our economic machinery 

 that difficulties have been met with. Even though the total catch 

 has not been reduced the existing fleet has been able to land the 

 total allowed by the Commission in a short period of time. Where 

 before, 9 months were required, now but 5 are necessary. The 

 halibut, however, are largely desired fresh for the market. If 

 landed within such a short period a larger proportion of the catch 

 must be frozen. To remedy this, the fleet has sought to spread the 

 catch over the usual period of time to prevent it becoming a seasonal 

 fishery. It is apparent that our economy must be modified to ac- 

 commodate restraint in production. 



It may seem to the fisherman somewhat like magic ; that by fishing 

 less he can obtain as much or more from the sea than before. But 

 to the Commission, interested in increasing the number of young, as 

 well as making better use of what we have, the results are pro- 

 foundly interesting. They see the commercial catches becoming to 

 a greater extent composed of mature spawning fish. They see the 

 number of floating eggs and larvae increasing, and they await with 

 eagerness the time when these increased young commence to show 

 in the commercial catch as a real increase of the available stock, an 

 increase that may be used, not simply an accumulated reserve. Justi- 

 fying each step by its practical success, a great biological experiment 

 is in progress, testing the ability of men to perpetuate and exploit 

 rationally the vitally important resources of marine fish. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



The facts given have been taken largely from the following publications of 

 the International Fisheries Commission : 



Babcock, John Pease, chaikman, and Found, Willlmi A., Freeman, MiLUEai, 

 and O'Malley, Henry, commissionees. 



1928. Report of the International Fisheries Commission appointed under 

 the Northern Pacific Halibut Treaty. Dominion of Canada, Ottawa. 

 Thompson, Whxiam F., and Herrington, Whxiam C. 



1930. Life history of the Pacific halibut. (1) Marking experiments. Vic- 

 toria, B. C. 

 Thompson, Thomas G., and Van Clevb, Richard. 



1930. Determination of the chlorinity of ocean waters. Vancouver, B. O. 



