The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-04-01
REGULATIONS FOR
 HALiBUT FISHING
 ARE NOW ISSUED

The International Fisheries Com- mission has just announced that the regulations for the Pacific hali- but fishery in 1s47 have been ap- proved by the Governor General Of Canada and the President of the United States and are now effec- tive. These regulations apply to the catching and landing of halibut in and from the waters off the coasts ol the United States, Canada, and Alaska
 The Commission was established by treaty between the United States and Canada to rebuild the stocks of halibut on the banks of the North Pacific. These stocks had been so seriously depleted by un- restricted fishing that it had be- come unprofitable. Under regula- tions by the Commission, the stocks on these northwest banks have been improved until they now af- ford the finest halibut fishing in the world and provide greatly in- creased annual catches. The work of the Commission is an outstand- ing demonstration of what can be accomplished by practical inter- national cooperation.
 The Commission conS.sts Of four members, two from each country Present members are Edward w. Allen, of Seattle; A. J. Whitmore, of the Canadian Department Of Fisheries, Ottawa, Ontario; Milton c. James, of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Wash ington, D. C.. and G. w. Kicker son, of Prince Rupert, B. c. Alien and Nickerson are Chairman and Secretary, respectively, during the current year.
 The halibut regulations are bas- ed upon the results of biological and statistical investigations car ried out by the Commissions staff of fishery biologists. They are guided from year to year by cur rent investigations of the effect of past regulations with representa- tives of the halibut fishermen and vessel owners in the major halibut ports.
 1947 ReguIa tiOns
 The 1947 regulations are similar in most respects to those of last year AS indicated, only two inn portant changes have been made namely the relocation of the boun- diary line between Areas 3 and 4 and the setting of a catch limit for Area 4.
 The coast is divided into five areas for regulatory purposes. Area IA includes waters south of Cape Blanco, Oregon. Area 1B lies be- tween Cape Blanco and Willapa Harbor, Wash. Prior to l946 these two areas together formed single area, Area l. Area 2 includes the waters between Willapp Harbor and Cape Spencer, Alaska. Area 3 covers the waters from Cape Spen- cer to a line running true west from Cape Sarichef on Unimak Is- land. Area 4 includes those waters of the Boring Sea lying north of the line running from Cape Sari- chef.
 New Boundary
 The boundary between Areas 3 and was relocated to place the grounds immediately north of the Aleutian Islands in Area 3. This change was based on investigations which indicated that the halibut on these grounds form a part of the Area stock.
 The Area ? catch limit of 24,500,- 900 pounds and the Area limit of 28,000,000 pounds remain the same as in l946. A catch limit of 500,- GOO pounds has been set for Area 4 which heretofore has not been fished commercially and did not require a limit. There are no catch limits for Areas IA and 1B.
 Season Opens May
 The fishing season is again open ed in all areas on May l. It ends in Areas 1B and when the Area catch limit is taken, and in Areas IA and 3 when the Area 3 catch limit is reached. Area 4 closes at the same time as Area 3, unless it has been closed earlier by reason of the attainment of it's own catch limit
 Setline vessels are again allowed