Seward daily gateway., 1925-07-16
BRITISH COLUMBIA FISH OFFICIAL GIVES DETAILED ACCOUNT HALIBIT
 INVESTIGATIONS BY COMMISSION
John P Babcock Head of Fisheries for More Than 20 Years Completes First Trip To These Waters
 Familiarizing Himself with Conditions.
Commission Is Operating Own Habut Boats In S. E. Al aska-Expect to Come to This District Near Future
 Stringent Regulation May Be Outcome.


 formation, to talk to the fishermen and dealers that I could meet, so as 10 familiarize myself wi,h fishing conditions in this district, region I have never before visited" stated John P. Babcock who for over twen. ty years has been in charge of the British Columbia fisheries depart nent and who has been associated with and in the study Of fisheries for more than forty years Mr. Babcock arrived in Sewar1 Tuesday from the Prbilofs, on the Bureau of Fisheries vessel Elder, departing yes terday morning for Fairbanks.
 Member Halibut Commission
 MT. Babcock is a member of the treaty commission, created a few months ago, by Great Britain, Cana da and the United States, in which it was agreed that a commission be appointed, to consist of two Ameri- cans and two Canadians. The men selected to fill this post were Henry O'Malley, head of the United States Bureau of Fisheries; Miller Freeman, a publisher of Seattle; w. A. Found, Director of the Fisheries in Canada and MT. Babcock. The commission organized in Seattle in November, and w F. Thompson, the noted fish cry authority, was appointed as di- rector of the Investigation, into the condition of the fisheries and the life history of halibut.
 Dr. Thompson, MT. Babcock stat ed, is the leading authority on hal ibut in the world For a period of four years he was detailed to ser vice in the fisheries department of British Columbia, and made de- tailed study of the halibut. He de- veloped such facts in the life his tory of the halibut, which are now known. The investigation was large ly continued along statistical and scientific lines. The commission, like the governments concerned, are Interested in halibut from an eco- homie food fish point of view.
 To Conserve Supply.
 We seek to ascertain the condi- lion of halibut and it's fishing with the view of conserving the supply" MT. Babcock continued" and it may be, CT may not be necessary to make more stringent regulations, but what ever regulations are made, will be based on scientifically ascertained facts. At the present time the de- partment is working out of Prince Rupert and Southeastern Alaskan waters.
 Operating Haibut Boats.
 t'We have chartered and are oper- ating regular halibut fishing vessels, manned by experienced halibut fish, ermen. The fishing is being conduct ed in the prescribed way, and all fish caught, which are not fatally Injured in the catch, are tagged, with metal tags, and returned to the sea. In this method we seek to ascertain whether migration goes on from one bank to another-the rate of growth, etc. It is planned to come further North, into the waters of this dis trict, in the near future. It is not anticipated to reach conclusion un- til after the commissions second or third seasons operations.
 Statistics from Logs.
 "The success of the commissions work depends very largely upon the support given us by the halibut fish, ermen and dealers. We have been promised their hearty support The statistical feature of the work, which is the main part, will be taken from the logs of the halibut fishing ves- sels. Dr. Thompson's most notable publication is founded upon the di- gest of logs from 900 fishing voy- ages. These logs were voluntarily placed at the disposal of the British Columbia government"
 Complies Halbut Data.
 During the four years Dr. Thomp- son was detailed to the study of halibut he prepared three papers, which, it is stated, are the only pa-