To operate more efficiently, the design of vessel tanks was changed 

 so that some could "be used for carrying fuel on the trip south and fish 

 on the returne Others were adapted to carrying live "bait to the fishing 

 grounds and frozen tuna on the ret\ai'n journey. As the southern tuna 

 grounds were explored, it was found that yellowfin and skipjack occurred 

 from southern California to Peru. Although the particular area in which 

 tuna were aljundant varied from year to year, the long range vessels, with 

 a cruising radius of 10,000 miles or more, were ahle to operate wherever 

 they were to he found. 



During the period from 1926 to 1938 canners were assured of a steady 

 supply of the light meat varieties of tuna, hut were dependent upon imports 

 of alhacore from Japan for most of their white-meat packs. After the large 

 catch of 22,2065923 pounds of alhacore in 1925, the catch had declined to 

 less than 2,500 pounds in 1933» However, in 1935, alhacore reappeared off 

 southern California and a catch of 2,448,100 pounds was made. Since that year, 

 lEindings of alhacore in California have increased spectacularly, reaching a 

 peak of 61,746,000 pounds in 1950. 



The Pacific Northwest Tuna Fishery 



In 1937, alhacore were found off the coasts of Washington and Oregon 

 in the warmer offshore Japanese Current. It is prohable that alhacore 

 had always heen present in these waters diiring a portion of each year since 

 they had frequently heen sighted in northern waters hy sailing ships operating 

 between San Francisco and Alaska. Also, salmon fishermen v/ho ventTired into 

 the waters of the Japanese Current had occasionally caught alhacore. No 

 attempt had heen made to develop an alhacore fishery off Washington and Oregon 

 since local fishermen were not familiar with the fish and there was no market 

 for them in the area. There was so little interest in the fish that when 

 salmon trollers occasionally ran through schools of tima, they were reported 

 to have pulled in their lines and left the area rather than risk damage to 

 their gear hy the hard-hitting alhacore. Despite the lack of interest in 

 alhacore small landings were made in Oregon dujing most of the years after 

 1928. In 1933, a Warrenton, Oregon, canner packed a few cases of alhacore, 

 the first recorded pack of tuna in the Pacific Northwest. 



15 



