The Halibut Treaty was a 1923 Canadian–American agreement concerning fishing rights in the northern Pacific Ocean. The treaty established the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) as a mechanism for the joint management of the Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) which, at that time, was in severe decline. The commission originally had four members but now has six, which are selected from industry and related government agencies. Half the members are Canadian and half are from the United States. The treaty also had a provision for a closed season, so halibut could not be fished during the more dangerous winter months. The treaty has been revised numerous times, often based on recommendations from the IPHC and its team of scientific researchers. Background In 1907, Canada began to negotiate its own commercial treaties. Prior to that, treaties had been negotiated on behalf of the Canadian government by the British government in London. However, those treaties negotiated since 1907 had all been signed into agreement by the British ambassador to Canada. In 1916, the British Columbia government was informed that halibut stocks were declining in the North Pacific Ocean. Large scale halibut fishing began after the opening of the Northern Pacific Railway to the Canadian Pacific Coast which allowed the transportation and sale of halibut in Eastern Canada. During World War I there was increasing cooperation between Canada and United States on trade issues. During the war, the value of halibut increased. Following the war in 1919, the United States and Canada agreed on a closed-season treaty that also included provisions for salmon fishing. The treaty failed to reach the United States Senate for approval. The Canadian Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, held the belief that only Canada through Parliament would determine its role within the British Empire. After negotiations over the Rush–Bagot Treaty failed due to British involvement, King intended to push for greater Canadian autonomy. King faced resistance to the treaty from the British Foreign Office. In 1921–22 some in the American halibut industry operated under a voluntary closed season. 1922 proposal In 1922, Canada proposed a treaty that dealt only with halibut. Named, the Convention for the Preservation of Halibut Fishery of the Northern Pacific Ocean, this treaty created the International Fisheries Commission (IFC), which was initially intended just as a study institute, not for management. The treaty was birthed from Article VII of the previous salmon and halibut treaty.