Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1916 — Halibut Threatened. [ARTICLE]

Halibut Threatened.

Halibut fisheries in British Columbia are reported in danger of depletion. The yield is now second only to that of the salmon in the coast fisheries. During 1914 the quantity landed at Canadian ports was over 64,000,000 pounds, and it is expected that the record for last year will be slightly greater. These years show a marked increase over the total of 65,000,000 pounds in 1913. The advance is said to be due mainly to the adoption of more effective methods of fishing, and to the better profits obtained through facilities for preserving, shipping and marketing. Cold storage and refrigerator cars make it possible to place the catch of the northern Pacific fresh on the markets of California, and the cities of the east in Canada and the Cnited States. More information is necessary regarding the special circumstances of the Pacific coast before effective means of protection can be devised. The hair seal Is suspected of being among the destroyers. A government bounty for destruction, established chiefly as a means of protecting the salmon, has led to the destruction of many seals. It Is claimed that only about one in five shots in the water is recovered to make a Claim for the bounty. Sea lions are also destructive. As they herd on known islands during their breeding season systematic means can keep them in check. Methods of fishing may some day need regulation if found necessary. Although a bottom fish, and keeping in comparatively deep water, the halibut come to the shallows to spawn. The government is alive to the importance of the industry, and signs of serious depletion should prompt immediate efforts toward protective measures.-—Toronto Globe.