711.428/2029
Memorandum by Mr. Joseph T. Keating of the Treaty Division
Mr. Frank Bell, Commissioner of Fisheries of the United States and a member of the International Fisheries Commission, and Mr. John Gardner of the Bureau of Fisheries, called at the Department on November 13, 1936, in order to confer with Department officials in connection with a recent development which seriously concerns the continuance of the Halibut Convention between the United States and Canada which regulates the Northern Pacific halibut fishery.31 [Page 184] A meeting was called in Room 388 of the Western European Division and was attended by Mr. John Hickerson, Assistant Chief of the Western European Division, Mr. Dooman of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs, Mr. Bonbright of the Western European Division and Mr. Keating of the Treaty Division.
Mr. Bell stated that he had just returned from a trip to the Pacific coast where he had attended a meeting of the International Fisheries Commission; that the members of the Commission were greatly concerned with the fact that they had received definite information that a British-registered fishing vessel was being outfitted at Oslo, Norway, and was about to depart for the Northern Pacific waters which are covered by the halibut convention. The vessel is named Thorland and is classed as a mother ship with all modern equipment and freezing apparatus together with small boats. Mr. Bell stated that the vessel’s owners have already entered into negotiations with distributing organizations in the United States and Great Britain with a view to having the organizations agree to purchase the halibut. If the British vessel is successful it is believed that the vessels of other countries will become immediately interested. The Commissioners are particularly anxious not to have Japanese vessels enter this area. They believe unless something is done to stop the project the whole convention will be jeopardized and that Americans and Canadians will object to having the area regulated when other vessels come in to take advantage of the sacrifice made by the Americans and Canadians. Mr. Bell further stated that a formal resolution was passed by the Commission and signed by each member and that copies thereof will be forwarded at an early date to the two Governments concerned so that they may be made a basis for joint representations to Great Britain with a view to preventing British-registered fishing vessels from engaging in halibut fishing in the Northern Pacific area.
Mr. Hickerson stated that he believed that we could take the matter up with a fair chance of success but that it would be most advisable to take the matter up with the Canadians first and make sure that they will make a protest with us through the Canadian High Commissioner at London.32 He believed that working through the Canadians our representations by the American Ambassador at London would be more effective and that they could probably reach the difficulty by preventing access to the British market of halibut caught in the Northern Pacific area when these waters were closed to such fishing by the International Fisheries Commission. Commissioner Bell agreed that this would solve the question because the only other important market besides the United States is the British market and [Page 185] under the Northern Pacific Halibut Act fish caught in this manner could not be imported for sale in the United States.
Mr. Dooman stated that he did not think there was any reason to be apprehensive about the Japanese. He stated for one thing the Russo-Japanese fishery treaty had recently been renewed and that the Japanese were more interested in salmon and that there was no market for halibut in Japan.
Mr. Hickerson suggested that it might be advisable to have Mr. Found of the Canadian Department of Fisheries come to Washington or that possibly Mr. Bell might be interested in going to Ottawa and conferring informally in regard to this matter so that there could be an understanding and concerted action on the part of the two Governments. Mr. Bell thought that was a very good suggestion and stated that he would be in Ottawa in the near future in connection with other matters and that he would report back to the Department when he had conferred with Mr. Found.
- Signed May 9, 1930, Foreign Relations, 1930, vol. i, p. 518.↩
- Vincent Massey.↩