International Commission for Northwest Atlantic Fisheries

The fourth annual meeting of the International Commission for Northwest Atlantic Fisheries was held in Halifax, Canada, from June 14 to 18, 1954, under the chairmanship of Dr. Stewart Bates (Canada). The Commission received and approved a report from the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics recommending modifications and additions in the Commission's system of collecting and compiling statistics. With regard to haddock regulations, the Committee had referred to one of its panels the question of a proposed amendment to the regulation exempting a specified maximum percentage of the catch of haddock to ensure that there was no hardship to fishermen. Upon the recommendation of the scientific advisers that there was no undue hardship, the Commission noted that important principles of exemption were involved, and furthur serious consideration was required. The Commission received and approved reports which dealt with the status of the fisheries, its research programs in relation to the more comprehensive research program adopted by the Commissionn i 1953, and commercial fishing regulations. The Commission chose Ottawa, Canada, as the site of its next meeting which was to be held in June 1955.