Fisheries SEA FIsHERTES The fisheries of the North Pacific Coast of North America, which are shared by the United States and Canada, represent one of the great food resources of the world. The potential of this great fishing area, under wise administration, is immense, and it is a happy circumstance that in its exploita- tion and development these two neighbouring nations, recognizing their mutual responsibilities, have co-ordinated their administrative and conservation effort to set a pattern of international co-operation. Not all the problems, domestic and international, are solved or are capable of ready solution, but the success of the steps already taken augurs well for the future of the North Pacific. The fishing areas are far flung. They stretch from the coast of Oregon to the tip of the Aleutian Islands and beyond to the Bering Sea, and into the unexploited waters of the Arctic Ocean. In the Pacific, they reach west and north to embrace offshore fishing grounds, the potential of which has yet to be established. The section with which this discussion is directly concerned; i.e., the portion within the direct economic influence of the North Pacific Region of Canada, as defined in this report, comprises: (a) The coastal waters of British Columbia from the entrance to Bella Coola (Cape Calvert) to the coastal waters of Alaska, corresponding to B.C. Fishing District Number 2 as defined for administration, excluding Rivers Inlet and Smith Inlet but including the Queen Charlotte Islands. (b) The offshore fishing ground contiguous, or tributary, to this coast or to which its harbours give most direct access; these comprise the outer fishing ‘ grounds from Queen Charlotte Sound through the Gulf of Alaska, and the deep-sea grounds off the Aleutians, in the Bering Sea and the Arctic waters beyond. In detail, the coastal waters comprise: Masset Inlet and Northern Graham Island. Southern Queen Charlotte Islands. Nass River. Skeena River. Grenville—Principe Area. Butedale and Gardiner Canal. Bella Bella and Fitzhugh Sound. Bella Coola, Dean, and Burke Channels. The fisheries of the Pacific waters were so affected through the war years by measures taken for defence and offence and the limitations placed on the movement of vessels with the absorption of fishing craft and crews in the war effort, that production figures throughout these years may not be a clear index to their capacity. Nevertheless, regardless of war-time handicaps, the Canadian (British Columbia) division of the industry maintained an amazingly even production through the war years, averaging about 5,400,000 cwt. from 1940 through 1944, a considerable increase over the average for the preceding five years. Preliminary figures for 1945 indicate a very considerable increase in the marketed value of fish and fish products at $44,450,000, an increase of $9,550,000, or more than 27 per cent, over the 1944 figure of $34,900,000. The following tabulation (Table I) gives the volume and value of British Columbia’s fishery production as compared with that of all Canada over the decade prior to 1945: Tase [ Quantity and Value of Commercial Fish as Caught and Landed and as Marketed, 1935 to 1945 British Columbia All Canada — Value Value *Quantity | *Value Landed as *Quantity | *Value Landed as Marketed Marketed cwt. $e $ cwt. $ $ LQTS) 5th eee Pas ae ar Ne 4,041,788 8,082,355 15,169,529 9,532,016 20,755,789 34,027,854 HOS OMe irene ie teen en i omer Tenatiliccs 4,896,753 7,503,697 | 17,231,534 11,088,279 22,083,550 39,165,055 OE & aie Co SUR Pee ORRen Eee eee 4,954,195 7,837,930 16,155,439 10,918,048 23,193,087 38,976,294 NOD Speen verwger Mwee tate T ek ak a Rides eS, Ta 2 Bala. ie 4,562,864 8,668,566 18,672,750 10,741,150 22,829,549 40,492,976 UORNO) ., FS ooas Sarees eye Teo eS 4,172,224 7,890,854 17,698,989 10,681,318 21,928,320 40,075,922 Od ORM ey ee i yh tes ee Sg ee 5,906,896 9,067,501 21,710,167 12,195,656 23,630,399 45,118,887 1 i SPA cl ont Bticess 7 cies a a ne cae ae 5,418,891 | 15,836,402 31,732,037 11,988,562 34,379,451 62,258,997 VD eles ce Go SPE en LEMP Re RR Tee Tit eek eet SAI Ps) 18,415,044 38,059,559 12,062,763 41,706,846 75,116,933 LSS 55 cS Ra ghee asia ele ee cee 5,230,536 | 15,475,494 32,478,632 | 12.352.808 49,031,781 85,504.544 WOH cash SE eee eb CE ee es ee 4,583,226 17,333,347 34,900,990 11,771,456 52,079,144 89,418,571 wotalstoral Ozyeatsberiodna sae.) aaa e. 49,480,098 116,111,190 243,809,626 113,332,146 311,617,916 550,246,033 xvreravess|Onyeatbenodi is 2 ee 4,948,000 11,611,000 | 24,380,000 11,333,000 31,162,000 55,025,000 encentaperonmalli@anada a ss nese 3/8 37-3 44-35 — — — ment, Nore.—*Figures quoted have been drawn, where necessary, from the preliminary reports for some of the years and may be subject to very minor adjust- 159]