dependence on live bait supplies from waters of foreign countries o 



POSSIBLE ALTERNATE TUNA GROUNDS 



Expansion of the actual tuna fishing grounds reached the present 

 southern limits of the fishery some 20 years ago, except for some 

 seasonal fishing on the banks off northern Peru where United States 

 fishermen began fishing three years agOo Areas vriiich iiive been steadily 

 fished for over 20 years are still producing record landings (Gary, 1952). 

 Recent seaward expansion has led to tuna fishing as far as 200 miles 

 or more from any lando Results of exploratory fishing by the Service's 

 Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investigations indicate that subsurface stocks 

 of tuna extend abundantly in a band of equatorial water for thousands of 

 miles off the coast of Central and South America, (For other possible 

 alternate tuna grounds seeprevious asctionSo'Airther exploration may lead 

 to our tuna fleet operating as far as oue or two thousand miles from 

 shore but at no greater distances from California ports than the present 

 southern limits of the fishery „ The adaptability of tuna boats and crews 

 to long-line fishing (discussed in another section) will undoubtedly have 

 an important bearing on fUrther seaward expansiono Thus, in the event 

 of closure of some waters to United States tuna fishermen (even though 

 entailing coi:isiderable inconvenience)^ there is evidence to indicate that 

 sufficient stocks of tuna exist beyond 200 males from shore to support the 

 present industry. 



273 



