The figures in the preceding tabulation indicate that the
fisheries of British Columbia have, over the past decade,
represented about 37 per cent of the physical volume of
Canada’s fisheries, including inland fisheries, and that the
value of British Columbia’s fishery produce, as marketed,
is over 44 per cent of that of all Canada.

The greater proportional value, marketed, is due sub-
stantially to the large amount of salmon in the British
Columbia catch and the comparative high value of that
fish when processed andcannéd. This is the most important
fishery in the Dominion, and its development and the

conservation of its resources is a prime national responsi-
bility. -

Next in importance is the herring catch, followed by
grayfish and halibut. While the volume of the latter is
small, in comparison its unit value is the highest of all the
deep-sea fishes. The rapid growth of the pilchard fishery
now places it fourth in importance in the industry on the
West coast, with its dollar value very close to that of
halibut. The tabulation below (Table II) gives the picture
of British Columbia’s production and the value, as marketed,
of the principal commercial species for the years 1941 to
1944 inclusive.

Taste II

British Columbia Fisheries

Quantity Caught and Value Marketed of Chief Commercial Fishes, 1941 to 1944

Increase or
Decrease
1944
Kind of Fish 1941 1942 1943 1944 Compared
with 1943
Increase (++)
Decrease (—)

Sal mony tec riya West see ames uma aee SEEN cwt 1,900,349 1,621,980 1,214,214 1,075,719 — 138,495
$ 20,879,104 22,419,881 14,740,298 15,623,223 + 882,925
ELeRDin Op gee espe Fase ices ae ees Ris eo cwt. 1,688,515 2,324,827 1,827,943 1,871,038 |. -+ 43,095
$ 4,665,260 - 8,223,754 7,809,630 6,758,626 — 1,051,004
Gray fishing ge ser cre ete cee Pe er aire at Say rhe cwt. 142,999 100,540 78,924 24,339 54,009)
$ 672.431 1,293,499 2,106,470 3,751,460 +1,644,990
Edalinu piece el ecee news Hawai nena eer d cia ce eee Te cwt. 129,289 110,282 126,869 131,671 ai 4,802
$ 2,121,689 2,228,818 2,761,100 2,934,885 + 173,785
Pilchard int tee eecnire calle ene eer = Lent pea key cwt 1,200,913 ‘ 1,317,673 1,774,774 1,182,325 — 592,449
$ 1,781,876 2,016,607 2,756,416 2,222,181 = SRY
Tin gwCOd Reet epee eames Pies CAG uN atta lee cwt. 40,865 42,500 58,691 84,250 ae Zeya)
$ 359,299 633,567 874,633 1,282,617 + 407,984
Black COG ae Pe aaa tigrecee Cece Weenie ne ee ai ts eee ARE Saat cwt. 17,472 12,279 20,959 22,325 —- 1,366
$ 189,527 193.840 399,923 414,753 + 14,830
REC COd erent tars lean Meteor over prem aed eerawean ee cwt 2,566 4,828 21,800 31,637 Se So
: $ 15,832 51,375 150,551 284,828 + 134,277
Soles Peso ir cay either car ae oa ete RTS Re Snes eee cwt. 4,954 6,375 7,610 31,826 + 24,216
$ 30,470 42,670 49,320 271,231 + 221,911
TaN nol VON yc itety texas See a aa I Un ane EE Ream ea cwt. 136,727 79,900 1,407 12,200 + 10,793
$ 162,159 80,295 11.483 261,160 + 249,677
Glamba Shes see Seer esi telnet Creag dak cwt.| 33,524 35,516 26,666 28,366| + 1,700
$ 98,970 155,965 148,226 174,673 + 26,447
Oystergut . 5, Meee ee eee oe ee Ny (alta fh bbl. 36,489 14,306 15,095 19,883 + 4,788
$ 116,111 57,862 82,318 149,754 + 67,436
2 SUR eo pe Dera we Act Se cwt. 3,700 5,924 11,821 20,889| + 9,068
es ee $ 14.555 24.829 72.619 132,136 | + 50,517

From the statistical releases of the Dominion Bureau of
Statistics, it has been possible with fair accuracy to allocate
to the North Pacific Region of Canada the proportion of
the fisheries of British Columbia that fall within its coastal

1 60 }

areas, as defined on the chart following and the deep-sea
grounds to which its harbours and facilities are tributary.
For this purpose, figures for the pre-war years of 1938

and 1939 have been chosen (Table III) as possibly repre-