Museum Notes BS

The Harvest of the Sea

By G H. Watres

i

ROM times immemorial dwellers by the sea have gained from it bounteous harvests
of food in quantities so great that the epithets “boundless” and “inexhaustible” were

those most commonly applied to it.

Taken as a whole, the toll of animal life from the oceans is no doubt practically
inexhaustible, but, with the increase of mechanical appliances and the much greater
numbers of people engaged in the fisheries of the world, it has become evident that, at
any rate, certain areas of water may be depleted, and that there is danger that some of the
most sought-after species of fish may be in danger of extermination. :

These facts are becoming evident to the people of British Columbia, and have been
realized for a long time by those interested in the fisheries, hence the Government has for
years past placed restrictions on fishing operations for various kinds of fish and in-
stalled hatcheries for salmon propagation.

The B. C. fishery returns for 1925 give a total catch in that year of over 204,000
tons of fish of all kinds (not including shell fish), of which Halibut, Herring, Pilchard
and Salmon account for 197,000 tons, Salmon alone being 93,000 tons; the total value
was twenty-two million dollars, fourteen million being the value of the salmon products.

The four kinds of fish above mentioned differ from each other greatly in their
habits and life histories, but each is representative of a larger or smaller group of
fishes; a very brief account of each will serve to give an idea of the problems en-
countered by those engaged in devising methods for the conservation of our fisheries—
but only by continuous scientific investigation carried on continuously throughout a
sufficient number of years can adequate data be secured; this policy is being demanded
more and more urgently by the more enlightened of those engaged in the Pacific fisheries
of both Canada and the United States.

HALIBUT. In the North Pacific these fish are caught by hook and line on what
are called “banks,” that is, areas of fairly uniform and moderate depths (25-50 fathoms),
situated off the coasts; many are outside the three-mile territorial limit.

For bait, whole herrings or pieces of salmon or octopus of similar size are used;
the latter are the halibut’s greatest delicacy.

From November 16th to February 16th a close season is enforced (under a treaty
signed in March, 1923, with the United States) to allow the fish to spawn; the eggs
are pelagic, that is, they float freely in the sea; the young fish, when first hatched, feed
on the small organisms in the “plankton,” as the floating vegetable and animal life in the
sea is called.

The International Halibut Commission is now engaged investigating the fishery
problems, including the finding out when and where the fish spawn.

HERRING. These fish are exclusively plankton feeders; small pelagic crustaceans,
especially Copepods and lance (young sand eels) are the chief foods.

The fish arrive off our coast in the early autumn and enter the various Straits,