138 DESCRIPTION OF IMPORTANT FISHERIES AND THEIR PRODUCTS 



The California and Washington Herring Fishery. The herring fishing in 

 California rarely exceeds a miUion pounds a year. In 1960, when the 

 landings of herring were heavier than average, a small amount of the 

 catch was canned. The technical problems involved in canning of herring, 

 and the economic basis for such an industry, does not, at this moment, 

 seem to have been solved in a satisfactory manner for the California 

 herring product. The small amount of herring landed at various points 

 on the California coast is, therefore, mainly used for bait. The reduction 

 of whole herring into meal and oil is not permitted in the state of Cali- 

 fornia. Purse seining is the conventional method used for catching the 

 Pacific herring. 



Similarly, in the Pacific Northwest small quantities of herring are 

 taken largely for use as fish bait. In recent years attempts have been 

 made in upper Puget Sound in Washington to establish a herring meal 

 and oil operation, but market conditions for the products were not 

 sufficiently favorable to encourage establishment of this potential opera- 

 tion on a continuing basis. 



The Alaskan Herring Fishery. The herring fishery in Alaska is still 

 important but has, during the past decades, seemed to be decreasing. 

 Yearly landings of herring in Alaska from 1940 to 1950 averages 67,000 

 tons as compared with the 41,000 ton average of more recent years. 

 Practically all of the herring landed is reduced into fish meal and oil. 

 The salting and curing of herring, which formerly was done to a consid- 

 erable extent in the Kodiak and Dutch Harbor area, has now ceased 

 due, in part, to lack of suitable raw material, rising costs, a contracting 

 market, and foreign competition. 



The British Columbia Herring Fishery. This industry is concentrated 

 mainly in the area around Vancouver and Prince Rupert. Several herring 

 reduction plants located in these areas reduced, during the herring 

 season, the following quantities of herring: 



Only an insignificant part of the above landings was used for purposes 

 other than reduction. Much of the more than 30,000 tons of herring 

 meal produced yearly is exported to the United States. 



