International Pacific Halibut Commission
Encyclopedia
The International Pacific Halibut Commission is an International Fisheries Organization, having Canada
and the United States of America as its members, responsible for the management of stocks of Pacific halibut
or Hippoglossus stenolepis within the Pacific waters of its member states. It was founded in 1923 by an international treaty.
It has carried out many activities including the use of chartered commercial fishing vessels to undertake bottom trawls and long-lining for sampling fish stocks, banding fish, recording water temperatures using bathythermograph
s, etc., in the North Pacific and Bering Sea
for many years. Also, staff have been stationed at on-shore fish processing plants to sample catches, remove otoliths to determine the age of the fish, and many other research activities.
Its offices were located on the campus of the University of Washington
until November, 2010. The IPHC has since moved its offices to Interbay in Seattle.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and the United States of America as its members, responsible for the management of stocks of Pacific halibut
Pacific halibut
The Pacific halibut is found on the continental shelf of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering sea. They are demersal, living on or near the bottom. The halibut is among the largest teleost fish in the world. Halibut are strong swimmers and are able to migrate long distances...
or Hippoglossus stenolepis within the Pacific waters of its member states. It was founded in 1923 by an international treaty.
It has carried out many activities including the use of chartered commercial fishing vessels to undertake bottom trawls and long-lining for sampling fish stocks, banding fish, recording water temperatures using bathythermograph
Bathythermograph
The bathythermograph, or BT, is a small torpedo-shaped device that holds a temperature sensor and a transducer to detect changes in water temperature versus depth. Lowered into the water from an underway ship, the BT records pressure and temperature changes as it is dropped through the water...
s, etc., in the North Pacific and Bering Sea
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises a deep water basin, which then rises through a narrow slope into the shallower water above the continental shelves....
for many years. Also, staff have been stationed at on-shore fish processing plants to sample catches, remove otoliths to determine the age of the fish, and many other research activities.
Its offices were located on the campus of the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
until November, 2010. The IPHC has since moved its offices to Interbay in Seattle.