Canada explained that the conservation measures aimed at preserving and enhancing fragile sockeye
and pink and herring stocks had been basically determined by three conditions resulting from the complex
biology of these species. These were: (i) the vulnerability of these species to resource depletion which
entailed a sophisticated or detailed catch reporting system; (ii) the highly cyclical nature of both fisheries
which created complex management problems and a need to provide a steady supply of fish to Canadian
processing plants of a resource that had consistently been in short supply; (iii) the sensitivity of these
particular species to quality control problems both prior to and during processing. Canada relied on
statistical reports from on-shore processing facilities as they provided the most accurate and detailed
statistics on the catch for the purpose of monitoring, controlling and restricting domestic production
and the carrying out of scientific research related to the conservation programmes.