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Abstract:
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"The evolution of the management of the British Columbia salmon fishery is summarised, focusing on the period from 1900 to 1930, as a period of major change in the industry with the development of a management structure that partly continues to the present. During this period, fishing and processing were mechanised, exploitation spread to all species of salmon and all areas of the British Columbia coast, basic biological research was completed, processing firms went through a cycle of merger, entry, and merger, and jurisdictional disputes were settled.
"A significant aspect of the history of this era is the development of management regulatory programs and property rights allocations. The salmon fishery is a classic example of an open access resource where, without controls, fishers will enter the industry until total harvesting costs equal or exceed total revenue. Furthermore, because of salmon's high value and ease of capture, resource depletion will occur as fishing effort increases. It has long been realized that conservation requires public intervention, usually through regulation of exploitation, but possibly also through allocation of rights to the resource.
"Caught between the conflicting objectives of development, equity, and conservation, and faced with a developing industry, management authorities grappled with the problems presented by the open access characteristics of the fishery. In the early years, fishing inefficiency probably had more to do with resource conservation than any regulations used to prevent overfishing. Also, the early lack of appreciation of the complexities of the resource (the many separate 'runs' of salmon, the timing of 'runs,' etc.) hid whatever depletion was taking place. However, as technological changes in harvesting increased fishing efficiency, as more inputs were attracted into the industry, and as awareness and understanding of the resource increased, the consequences of open access became all too apparent. Between 1900 and 1930 five Canadian government commissions were appointed to investigate and make recommendations on all or part of the fishery. Various property rights allocations, including exclusive fishing rights, limitations on fishing licences, and limitations on processing licences were tried. By 1930 property rights allocation had evolved to a system of generally open access with a variety of restrictions on fishing effort.
"Jurisdictional disputes, between the federal and provincial governments and between Canada and the United States complicated and hindered management. Both the Canadian federal and British Columbia provincial governments claimed at least some management rights, usually for economic and political reasons. Between 1900 and 1930, through a series of court cases, their respective roles in the administration of the resource were determined. Internationally, Canadians and Americans both made claims on certain salmon stocks, as some salmon migration routes are through both countries' territorial waters. By 1930 Canada and the United States had negotiated a management treaty for the most important stock.
"The British Columbia salmon fishery provides an important and significant example of the development of common property management institutions and how these institutions responded to the characteristics of the resource, the development of the industry, and changing jurisdictional responsibilities."
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