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The

PACIFIC REGION

of the
BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES

Marine Biological Laboratory

N0V28 1961
WOODS HOLE, MASS.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE

BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES

WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

ORGANIZATION CHART OF PACIFIC REGION

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, Stewart L. Udall, Secrefary

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, Clarence F. PauUke, Co/nm/ss/oner

BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES, Donald L. McKeman, Director

THE PACIFIC REGION OF THE BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL

FISHERIES

By
Thomas O. Duncan

Fishery Research Biologist

Bureau of Commercial Fisheries

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Seattle, Washington

FISH AND WILDLIFE CIRCULAR 108

Washington, D.C.
May 1961

Right. Seattle's metropolitan area fronts on a deep,
protected harbor which provides superb anchorage
for ships. The bulk of Seattle's fishing industry is
located along the waterfront. (Courtesy Seattle
Chamber of Commerce.)

The Pacific Region of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries

By Thomas O. Duncan

Puget Sound was a fishing center in the Pacific Northwest long before white men stepped ashore at
AIki Point in West Seattle. Fish were the important food for the Indians living on the shores of this vast
natural waterway. As the white settlement grew, fisheries became one of the prosperous industries. The
methods of fishing were varied and included a combination of methods adopted from East Coast fishermen
and the local Indians. Soltmg was the principal technique used to preserve the fish for consumer distribution.
As time progressed, newer and larger boats with more efficient gear led to a greater harvest from the sea, and
the preservation techniques were improved many fold. The fishermen soon learned, however, that fishery
stocks were not inexhaustible and felt the need for fishery research.

During the late 1920's, many foresighted men visualized the future importance of Seattle as a fishery
center. One of these was the U.S. Commissioner of Fisheries hienry O'Malley. FHe selected Seattle as
the site for a Federal fishery research laboratory. Thus, Seattle became a center for fishery research and
was the logical site for the office of the Pacific Region when the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries was
established under the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956.

The activities of the Bureau range from basic research on the populations of fish and the many factors
influencing their abundance, to the product on the consumer's table. Between these extremes, the Bureau's
work involves various types of problems in many fields of science and technology. The Bureau's program
is financed from two major sources: (1) on annual appropriation by Congress and (2) Soltonstall-Kennedy
funds, which represent a percentage of the duties paid on imported fishery products.

Many pressing fishery problems in the Pacific Northwest are of concern to the Western States. Through
persistent research by the fishery agencies of these States and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, these
problems are being solved. Important to this effort is the supply of fishery scientists, educated in the colleges
and universities throughout the United States. With the Federal-State cooperative attitude and with the
the dedicated people in the employ of the various agencies, we are confident that these great fishing resources
will always be productive and contribute to the economy and well-being of the people.

Left. The College of Fisheries of the
University of Washington is con-
veniently located near the Bureau's
research laboratory. Some of the
students work on a part-time basis at
the laboratory during the school year.

Below. Fishery students studying
invertebrate animals at the College
of Fisheries.

Left. Fishery products are now pre-
served in many ways; canning is one
of the older yet still popular methods.
The industry relies on technological
research to provide the latest informa-
tion on processing to insure better
quality to the consumer.

Area of the Pacific region and principal offices. Dams built or under construction on tfie Columbia
River system ore named.

The "Montlake Laboratory" is the home of three activities of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries:
(1) the Biological Laboratory, (2) the Technological Laboratory, and (3) the Exploratory Fishing Base.
It is located on Montlake Boulevard in Seattle, south of the Lake Washington Ship Canal and the
University of Washington.

Biological Laboratory

The principal function of the Biological Laboratory, Seattle, Wash., is to conduct research on the coastal
and high seas salmon and king crab in the Pacific Region. Research on salmon behavior patterns and
survival under the influences of environment is designed to yield an understanding of the fluctuations in
abundance of coastal stocks. Considerable amount of research is directed toward means of providing safe
passage for anadromous fishes at water-use projects.

In the critical international North Pacific fishery, some unique research tools have been developed to
distinguish Asiatic and North American stocks of salmon and determine their distribution. Valuable data
hove been collected on the life history, distribution, and abundance of king crab in the Bering S«

5ea.

Right. The 1 3,000-gross-ton Japanese
mothership Renshin Moru is similar to
some of the salmon motherships operating
in the North Pacific Ocean west of longi-
tude 175° W. This ship contains two
reduction units and is served by 25
trawlers.

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Left. An oceanographer checks
Nansen bottles prior to taking a
water sample somewhere in the
North Pacific Ocean.

Below. This salmon is ready to be
X-rayed for morphometric studies.
Asiatic and North American salm-
on stocks can be separated by study
of the body characters of fish taken
in the North Pacific Ocean and
Bering Sec.

Right. Recurrent molting of the shell continues
throughout the king crab's life. This young
molting crab is a specimen collected by SCUBA
equipped biologists at Unalaska Island in the
Bering Sea.

Above. The sonic tag transmits signals which
allow biologists to "track" a salmon during its
migration upstream. The behavior data col-
lected will be used in research on Fish passage
at dams.

Above. Biologists work in the field the year
'round, in studies concerning survival of eggs and
the production of our rivers, and winter is no
exception.

Left. Working from a boat, biologists use elec-
trofishing gear to collect specimens for laboratory
and field studies of competition and predation
among fishes.

Right. Electricity is being applied in
large-scale experiments at Lake Tapps,
Wash., to guide fingerling salmon on their
downstream migration. This equipment
has shown favorable results.

Columbia Fisheries Program Office

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In 1949 the Congress authorized Federal
funds to initiate a program to rehabilitate the
salmon runs in the lower Columbia River area.
The program is based on the recognized loss of
fish and fish habitat at Federal water-use projects.
The objective is the maximum development of
the salmon and steelhead runs in the tributaries
of the Columbia River. The Columbia River
Fisheries Program Office is ideally located in Port-
land, Oreg., on the Columbia and Willamette
Rivers, to supervise this work.

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Left. The Abernathy Creek artificial spawning
channel for incubation of salmon eggs under
controlled conditions. This is a major restoration
project provided under the Program.

Right. These young steelhead trout are
being marked by fin clipping at the Eagle
Creek Hatchery to determine the best time
of release.

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Left. This salmon hatchery was com-
pletely rebuilt. Its modern facilities ore
typical of those provided at similar stations
operating under the Columbia River Fish-
eries Development Program.

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Left. A study of fingerling mortality
was made at the Leaburg Powerfiouse
on ttie McKenzie River, Oreg., to
determine the need for screens in the
river system.

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Right. The fish screen illustrated is
typical of the type of facility in
stalled in the John Day River system
to protect downstream migrant salm
on. Over 400 screens have been
installed in this watershed

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Left. Major fishway construction is
very important to the rehabilitation
of salmon fisheries of the Pacific
Northwest. Fishways, which by-
pass impassable barriers such as
falls, open spawning grounds to
salmon runs in an effort to improve
and restore runs of salmon and
steelhead in the Columbia River
Basin.

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Enforcement

The Commercial Fisheries Enforcement
OFfice in this re3ion is responsible for
enforcing the international treaties and
regulations for protection of the fishes and
marine mammals in our coastal waters.
The Office fosters cooperative and coor-
dinated programs with State and other
Federal agencies concerned with the
enforcement of the international treaties
and regulations.

Left. A Canadian vessel fishing for halibut
on the high seas. Regulations for this
fishery are based on recommendations of
the International Pacific Halibut Commis-
sion and enforced by the Governments
of Canada and the United States.

Exploratory Fishing

Exploratory fishing aids the growth
of our commercial fisheries by expanding
present fishing grounds, diversifying effort
on present grounds, and discovering new
fisheries. By developing better gear and
improving fishing methods, increased re-
search can help the domestic industry com-
pete with foreign imports.

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Above. The John N. Cobb was com-
missioned at Seattle, February 18, 1950,
for exploratory fishing and gear research
in the Pacific Northwest. The Cobb is
93 feet long, with a speed of 10 knots.

Left. SCUBA divers prepare to board a
moneuverable sea sled to observe a bottom
trawl in action. These observations pro-
vide a better understanding of gear opera-
tion and design.

Left. In the Shumagin Islands,
Alaska, an exploratory opera-
tion For shrimp produced excellent
results. This haul was made with
a 40-foot "Gulf of Mexico"
shrimp trawl. Towing time for
20-30 minutes produced a catch
of 3,300 pounds. The operation
was conducted aboard the Bu-
reau's charter vessel Tordenskjold.

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Right. Commercially productive
trawling grounds were located by
the John N. Cobb in mid-1960.
Fishermen harvested 300,000 pounds
from the petrale sole grounds during
the first 1 0 days of fishing. This more
than compensated for the cost of the
Cobb's cruise. This area was pre-
viously considered unfishable be-
cause of poorly defined rough bottom.

Pilot house indicotor meter,
controls and lomp

Left. Electrical trawl cables have been used
aboard the John N. Cobb since 1957. The
equipment was first used for depth telemetering.
Since 1959, the use has been extended to measure
temperature, indicate bottom contact, and supply
data on catches. These continuing experiments
assist private enterprise to build a new phase of the
commercial fishing industry.

Electrical trawl coble

Cctch-lood indicator

Deptti^Temperoture sensing unit i>

Bottom contact switcti

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Foreign Training

The establishment of a Foreign Train-
ing Office in Seattle in 1959 made the
Pacific Northwest a worldwide center for
training fishery people. The ever-increas-
ing number of foreign visitors is aiding
Bureau personnel to make valuable con-
tacts for the exchange of scientific fishery
information with many foreign nations.

Right. A Korean trainee learns statistical
techniques used in biological research
from a skilled researcher.

Fur Seal Management % Research

Once nearly exterminated by fur hunters, the fur seal herds of the Pribilof Islands are now approaching
their peak abundance under the research and management of the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, whose
success with the seals is an outstanding example of conservation in action.

The United States netted about $1 ,500,000 annually from its share of the seal pelts during the last 1 5
years. Japan and Canada receive shares of the seal pelts taken by the United States under the provisions
of the Interim Convention on Conservation of North Pacific Fur Seals. The Soviet Union is also a partici-
pating nation under this Convention. The island byproducts plant has a seasonal output of about 350 tons
of seal meal and 50,000 gallons of seal oil. The Bureau, in its Pribilof Islands Program, provides for the
health, education, and welfare of about 600 Aleut resident natives.

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Left. At Polovina Rookery on
St. Paul Island, Alaska, well-
defined fur seal harem — a bull,
cows, and pups — may be seen in
the foreground. On the skyline
is a runway and tripod, used when
taking a census of the harem bulls
and for general observation of
seal life.

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Right. Biologists and Pribilof Islanders
tag 0 fur seal pup. Tagging provides
valuable information on the migration,
age, and abundance of seals.

Left. An aerial view of the village
on St. Paul Island. Dock facilities
may be seen in the lower right corner
and radio installations in the lower
left. Seal industry buildings ore in
the center foreground.

Loans § Grants

The Branch of Loans and Grants
administers a fisheries loan program in the
States of Washington and Oregon for
financing and refinancing operations,
maintenance, replacement, and repair of
commercial fishing vessels and equipment.
Loans valued at $1,255,000 have been
awarded to vessel owners in this region.
The Branch also conducts a mortgage
and loon insurance program and a differ-
ential subsidy program for the construc-
tion of fishing vessels.

Left. Workmen prepare to remove de-
bris from a steel trawl-seine vessel, follow-
ing on explosion and fire while at sea.
A loan was awarded for complete
rebuilding of the vessel.

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Marketing

The basic objectives of the Branch
of Marketing are — (1) to promote the
free flow of domestically produced
fishery products, (2) to develop and
otherwise facilitate increased markets
for fishery products of domestic origin,
and (3) to promote the improvement of
marketing practices. To industry
people, including fishermen, buyers,
wholesalers, jobbers, brokers, and re-
tailers, the Branch provides consulting
services on market trends, consumer pre-
ferences, quality controls, packaging,
selling, transportation, and market pro-
motion.

Above. Front of
Marketing Office.

Left. A home economist ex-
plains the elements of taste testing
an experimental recipe to a panel
of testers. "Palatability tests"
provide information for bettering
recipes. Before being published,
new recipes on all fishery products
must pass several rigid tests.

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Left. The housewife learns fish
cookery through TV demonstrations.
Bureau home economists appear
frequently on TV and radio. Other
fish cookery demonstrations are
given to institutions, restaurants, and
other consumer groups and, in co-
operation with the Department of
Agriculture, for the National School
Lunch Program.

Right. The
extends right
A Bureau
conducts 0 c
tion.

educational program
down to the children,
marketing specialist
lass on fish conserva-

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Market News

The Seattle Market News Service
Office is one of eight such offices strate-
gically located throughout the United
States. Through the daily publication
of the landings, receipts, stocks, prices,
market conditions, this Service encourages
the orderly marketing of fishery products
and byproducts. In addition to the
daily "Fishery Products Reports," many
other types of reports of importance to
the fishing industry are issued, including
monthly and annual summaries. The
Seattle office reports are mailed to
nearly every State, Canada, Mexico,
and many foreign countries.

Left. Market News reporter talks daily
with industry personnel to obtain informa-
tion for reports.

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Technological Laboratory

The Technological Laboratory conducts research that is designed to improve and develop methods of
handling, processing, preserving, and distributing Fish and shellfish, and to increase utilization of byproducts.

Principles of chemistry, bacteriology, engineering, and nutrition are used to accomplish these objectives.
Programs at the laboratory include: (1) Research on marine oils, such as chemical reactions and properties
of oils, their fatty acids, and related products,- synthesis of new compounds; oxidation and its prevention in
fish oils and fish flesh; causes and prevention of odors; and nutritional effects of fish oils; (2) development
of voluntary standards for grades of fish and shellfish; (3) inspection and certification of fishery products;
(4) investigation of biochemical changes during spoilage of fish; (5) preservation and processing of fish and
shellfish; (6) analysis of fishery products for components such as amino acids, vitamins, minerals, proteins,
and oils.

Left. The centrifugal molecular still is used to
prepare large quantities of fractions of fish oils
and their triglycerides and fatty acids. This
method retains the unique characterstics of fish
oils, which are the best natural source of highly
unsaturated compounds. These are nearly taste-
less, odorless preparations that are used to make
new products and to study nutritional values of
fish oils.

Right. Gas-liquid chromatography is used
to study compounds formed during spoilage
of fish. This technique is also used for
both qualitative and quantitative analysis
of fatty acids in fish oils.

15

Below. A USDI fishery products inspec-
tor examines and grades frozen halibut
steaks under the continuous inspection
program. Samples are taken from the
processing line periodically and examined
under the applicable U.S. Standard.

Left. Fishery products in mylar-polyethylene bags
are placed into No. 2 cans for irradiation by the
Materials Testing Reactor, Gamma Facilities, at
Idaho Falls, Idaho. The fish are given pasteurization
doses and tested for the effects on flavor and on
storage life.

Below. This laboratory refrigeration unit is used to
cool a salt-glucose solution for immersion freezing of
fish and shellfish.

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Right. A technological researcher determines the
net weight of a halibut steak before examining its
quality under the voluntary standard.

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Statistics

Two of the 36 field offices of the Branch of Statistics are in Region 1, at Seattle, Wash, and Astoria,
Oreg. They are responsible for assembling data for Washington and Oregon on the number of fishermen,
fishing craft, and quantity of gear engaged in taking fish and shellfish in these States,- the volume and value
of the catch; the production of manufactured fishery commodities,- and related information. The data are
compiled from the records of the State fishery departments or by surveys of fishermen, fishery wholesale
dealers, and manufacturers. Statistical information on the fisheries is released in monthly and annual
bulletins in the Current Fishery Statistics series and in the Bureau's annual Digest, "Fishery Statistics of the
United States."

SALMON GILL NETTER

North Pacfic Coast

U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1961— 0-596778

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MBL WHOI Library - Serials

5 WHSE 002

ADDRESSES OF OFFICES IN PACIFIC REGION

Regional Director, Pacific Region

Division of Administration, Pacific Region

Office of International Relations (Foreign Training)

Branch of Loons and Grants

Commercial Fisheries Enforcement

The above offices are located at the following address:

Bureau of Commercial Fisheries
6116 Arcade Building
1319 Second Avenue
Seattle 1, Wash.

Biological Laboratory
2725 Montloke Boulevard
Seattle 2, Wash.

Exploratory Fishing

2725 Montlake Boulevard

Seattle 2, Wash.

Market News Service and Statistics Office
Pier 42 South
Seattle 4, Wash.

Fur Seal Management
706 Federal Building
Seattle 4, Wash.

Technological Laboratory
2725 Montlake Boulevard
Seattle 2, Wash.

Market Development Office
2601 Market Street
Seattle 7, Wash.

Astoria Statistics and Market News Office
342 11th Street
Astoria, Oreg.

Columbia Fisheries Program Office
827 N.E. Oregon Street
P.O. Box 4332
Portland 8, Oreg.

Marine Mammal Research
Sand Point Naval Air Station
Building 192
Seattle 15, Wash.