DOMINION OF CANADA EIGHTEENTH LIERM ANNuAL 241 °cEANg 11=1-,17":5 -ST.i 8-th FLOOR WEST. OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA OF eat 0E6 DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES EIGHTY-FIRST ANNUAL FISHERIES REPORT OF THE DOMINION FOR THE YEAR 1947-48 OTTAWA EDMOND CLOUTIER, C.M.G., B.A., L.Ph., PRINTER TO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY CONTROLLER OF STATIONERY 1949 To His Excellency Field Marshal the Right HonourableViscount Alexander of Tunis, K.G., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., C.S.I., D.S.O., M.C., LL.D., A.D.C., Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Dominion of Canada. MAY IT PLEASE YOUR ExCELLENCY: I have the honour herewith, for the information of Your Excellency and the Parliament of Canada, to pre,sent the Eighteenth Annual Report of the Department of Fisheries, being the Eighty-first Annual Fisheries Report for the Dominion. I have the honour to be, Your Excellency's most obedient servant, JAMES A. MACKINNON, Minister of Fisheries. DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES, Ottawa, June 30, 1948. CONTENTS PAGE DEPUTY MINISTER'S REPORT COVERING Fisheries Results in 1947 7 Departmental Development 9 Report of the Chief Supervisor of Fisheries, Western Division 11 Report of the Chief Supervisor of Fisheries, Eastern Division 24 Report of the Chief Supervisor of Fisheries, Central Division 48 Report of the Canned Fish Inspection Laboratory, Pacific 50 Report of the Fish Inspection Laboratory, Atlantic 52 Report on Oyster Culture and Oyster Farming 57 Report of the Director of Fish Culture 60 Returns from Pribilof Sealing 89 Report of the Engineering Division 90 Fishing I3ounty Report 91 Financial Report 93 Report of the Fisheries Research Board 106 International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission 114 International Fisheries Commission 116 REPORT OF THE DEPUTY MINISTER To The Honourable JAMES A. MA CKINNON, M.P., Minister of Fisheries. have the honour to submit herewith the eighteenth Annual Report of the Department of Fisheries, which covers the fiscal year 1947-48 and is the eighty- first Annual Report on the fisheries of Canada. The table includes the following: Reports of the Chief Supervisors of Fisheries for the Western, Eastern and Central Divisions respectively; Report of the Director of Fish Culture; Report on Oyster Culture and the Development of Oyster Farming; Reports on the Work of the Atlantic and Pacific Fish Inspection Labora- tories, respectively; Report on Fur Seal Returns; Report of the Fisheries Engineer; Report of the Chief Treasury Officer of the Department; R,eview relating to the Fisheries Research Board of Canada by the Chair- man, G. B. Reed, 0.B.E., M.A., B.Sc., Ph.D., F.C.I.C., F.R.S.C.; Summaries touching, respectively, the Work of the International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission and the Work of the International Fisheries Commission. FISHERIES RESULTS IN 1947 The year 1947 brought to the fisheries the first repercussions of the return to peace-time conditions. While the world food situation generally remained one of short supply, the restoration of fishing operations by the principal European produc- ing countries sharply reduced the pressure of demand on Canadian production. While generally strong, the United States market, which is of particular importance with respect to fresh and frozen forms of fish, showed certain weaknesses during the months of main production. The United States dollar shortage, which has forced many countries to restrict imports from the United States and Canada began, in 1947, to limit outlets for Canadian fishery prOducts. Of particular importance in this regard was the decision of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of Australia and New Zealand to curtail drastically the imports of Canadian canned fish, particularly sahnon. Purchases by UNRRA continued to the end of June 1947 and were followed by the $8 million purchase of fishery products as part of Canada's contribution to post-UNRRA distribution of foods to European countries. These purchases had a strengthening effect on the market generally and took care of most of the surpluses of fishery products over domestic and commercial export requirements. 7 8 DEPARTMENT OF FISHERIES Preliminary figures of Canadian landings in 1947 indicated a fairly substa.ntial drop in .production from 1946. The estimated total landings of the sea' fisheries at 1,093 million pounds compares with 1,216 million pounds in 1946. The principal reductions occurred in the Atlantic cod and herring fisheries. In the former, landings were down by 100 million pounds as a result of a labour. dispute which halted deep sea operations during the first three months of the year and curtailed operations later in the season when market conditions and prices were unstable. The Atlantic herring fishery, at 125 million pounds, was 26 million pbunds belov.; the catch Of 1946. The Pacific Coast fisheries, on the other hand, enjoyed a generally good season, with substantial increases in landing from the important -salmon, 'halibut • and hening fisheries. • - Prices of fishery products generally remained relatively -strong throughout 1947. The wholesale index of fishery products which Stood at 220.6 in January (19354939 equals 100) declined -to 200.4 in May, but rOse to . 237.8 in December. Prices to fishermen were generally lower on the Atlantic Coast than in 1946 but were somewhat higher for most species of Pacific Coast fish. Preliminary estimates of the landed value of the 1947 catch gives .a total of $48.7 million, as compared with the repOrted $56.6 million in 1946. These figures represent-gross income to fishermen from the sale of fish. Cornplete figures are not available. on the landed value of the inland fisheries, although indications are that the 1947 total would be somewhat below that of 1946. On a regional basis, the landed .values for the Atlantic Coast show a reduction from $34.3 million in 1946 to $23.1 million in 1947; while on the Pacific Coast the 1947 figure of $25.6 million was above the $22.2 million reported for 1946. The lower landings of cod and lobster, together with generally reduced prices, were mainly responsible for the reduced income to Atlantic Coast fishermen. As to the disposition of the catch, perhaps the most sigmificant development on the Atlantic Coast was the drop in the production of cod fillets. A large part of the decrease in cod landings is accounted for in the reduced requirements of the filleting plants, the quantities of cod salted and canned showing slight increases. There was a substantial increase in the production of canned sardines, all of the output coming from the Atlantic Coast. On the Pacific Coast, the only significant change in disposition was an increase in the quantity of herring canned. The dis- position of the salmon catch between the fresh markets and the canneries appears to have been fairly normal. The total value of fisheries exports in 1947 at $82,359,203 was 5 per cent lower than in 1946 when the figure was $86,572,684. Decreases were noted in fresh and frozen groundfish, both round and filleted, and also in smoked and pickled ground- fish. Exports of dried salt ground fish increased to the United States, Trinidad, British Caribbean Islands (except Jamaica), Cuba and other Caribbean and Latin American countries. There was a large increase in exports of fresh and frozen halibut to the United States and the same is true of fresh and frozen salmon. The United States took fewer fresh lobsters. Exports of inland fish to the same country also showed a decline. REPORT OF THE DEPUTY MINISTER 9 Exports of pickled herring were only half those of 1946. Increases were noted in shipments to Barbados, Jamaica and the Leeward and Windward Islands. Relief shipments to Poland continued on a smaller scale and those to Czechoslovakia disappeared. Puerto Rico took only one-third as much pickled herring as in 1946 and the United States about one-half. Pickled mackerel followed the general trends of pickled herring. Total exports of canned fish were valued at $31,510,497. There was an in- crease of 1.9 per cent in quantity and of 3.5 per cent in value over 1946. Increases were recorded in clams, herring, sardines and other sea fish, while haddock, pilchards, salraon and lobsters declined. The total value of fisheries products imported into Canada in 1947, approxi- mately.$5 millions, was $473,000 above the 1946 total. Value of cod imported from Newfoundland decreased, but imports from European sources began to figure more prominently in Canada's imports. Norwegian canned herring and sardines returned to the market after several years, reaching a value of $685,000 for the year. Peru entered the Canadian market with canned tuna to the value of $182,000. Imports from the United States, mainly canned shellfish—clams, crabs and shrimps- increased sharply, but imports of shelled oysters declined. DEPARTMENTAL DEVELOPMENT In the course of the fiscal year further progress has been made in carr3ing forward the programme which was begun in 194647 for strengthening the Depart- ment's service as regards personnel, especially in positions of responsibility; improv- ing physical equipment, such as patrol or protective vessels; and setting in motion additional activities in the interest of fisheries development or, in some instances, changing the emphasis or direction or method of existing undertakings. In net result, though some of the steps contemplated as part of the programme remain to be taken, the Department is now in substantially better position than heretofore to perform the duties placed upon it by Parliament. In the report for 1946-47 some reference was made to the need for nidening the Department's inspection services and to steps which were being taken to obtain trained additional officers.