PACIFIC MARINE FISHERIES COMMISSION 



Continued strides in promoting better use of fish- 

 eries which are of mutual concern to California, Ore- 

 gon, and Washington, and in development of a joint 

 conservation program were made by the Pacific Ma- 

 rine Fisheries Commission during the past biennium. 

 Formed in 1947 as a result of an interstate compact 

 between the three states, the commission concentrates 

 on coordinating the research activities of fisheries in- 

 vestigating agencies connected with the commission's 

 staff. 



All general and staff meetings are attended by re- 

 search staff members from Canada, Alaska, and the 

 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Whenever possible 

 these men have attempted to coordinate their own 

 programs with those of the member states. 



A research coordinator employed by the commis- 

 sion devotes much of his time to help research agencies 

 avoid duplication, eliminate gaps in the work, and de- 

 velop joint programs to find answers which can be 

 applied along the entire Pacific Coast from California 

 north. 



Cooperative Tagging 



One such program was the troll salmon investigation, 

 a cooperative tagging program involving thousands of 

 ocean salmon entered by all three states, Canada, and 

 Alaska. Later the three states marked millions of young 

 king and silver salmon in the streams, and the ocean 

 salmon catch was sampled from California to Alaska. 

 Although the tagging program has been concluded 

 there will be marked fish at sea until 1956. 



Results so far obtained have conclusively shown that 

 king and silver salmon move such distances at sea that 

 a disaster in the salmon streams of one state can affect 

 the ocean fishery far beyond its borders. For example, 

 the mark returns have indicated that in some years 

 there may be more Sacramento River salmon taken in 

 Oregon and Washington combined than in the Califor- 

 nia ocean fishery. 



Prior to 1952 the commission's investigations, meet- 

 ings, discussions, and recommendations had resulted in 

 troll salmon laws which were essentially the same in 

 the three states. A further change in the silver salmon 

 laws was then recommended and was passed by the 

 California Legislature, to become effective as soon as 

 Oregon and Washington make a similar change in 

 their laws. A portion of the law recommended by the 

 commission would delay opening of the silver salmon 

 season in California from May 1st to July 1st. 



The commission did not regard any size limit as nec- 

 essary, but instead of eliminating the size limit entirely, 

 the Legislature reduced it to 22 inches. Almost 100 

 percent of silver salmon taken are in their third year. 

 , In May most of that year's crop measures under 25 



Catching yellowtait for tagging purposes off Guadalupe Island. 



inches, but by July almost 90 percent are over that 

 length. Thus the 22-inch limit serves to protect second- 

 year fish \\hich are actuallx- much smaller than 22 

 inches. 



A sablefish investigation started by the commission 

 has included racial studies, tagging, and boat catch 

 analysis. This work has demonstrated that sablefish 

 wander relatively little and that California's stocks are 

 in reasonably good condition. 



The commission was instrumental in obtaining SIO,- 

 000 for pollution studies by the U. S. Public Health 

 Service. An additional $20,000 from the State of Wash- 

 ington went into this work which was conducted at 

 Washington's Bowman's Bay Laboratory, and which 

 has been aimed at finding the effect of paper mill waste 

 on young salmon. One interesting discovery has been 

 that many of the food organisms utilized by young 

 salmon are killed at lower concentrations of sulfite 

 waste than are the salmon themselves. 



Research on albacore is being conducted by the 

 three states and by some additional organizations on 

 the Pacific Coast. In October, 1953, the Fourth Pacific 

 Tuna Conference requested that the Pacific Marine 

 Fisheries Commission assume coordination of this work 

 and this responsibility was accepted at the December, 

 1953, meeting. 



