Salmon troll ers venturing farther off the coast in search of salmon 

 occasionally picked up a few tuna but did not market them» In the 

 late 1930' s and early 1940' s sufficient albacore were taken for packers 

 around Astoria and Grays Harbor to become interested in canning tuna. 



The Oregon industry is centered at Astoria on the Columbia Rivera 

 Here have been located large salmon canning plants and it was only 

 natural that the canning of a new species would be first attempted by 

 experienced canners seeking to extend their operating season. These 

 plants, already equipped with salmon canning machinery, sou^t whenever 

 possible to acccmmodate their existing plant to their tuna operation, 

 installing only what specialized tuna equipment was necessary. While 

 some of the plants became important tuna packers, the canneries were 

 still primarily salmon plants packing tuna or salmon vdiichever was in 

 season. Thus,, a difference existed between California and Oregon. 

 California plants were primarily tuna plants „ Oregon plants were com- 

 bination canneries o 



In Oregon most of the plants are of fairly small capacity (20 - 30 

 tons of fish per day). One plant is of large capacity and ranks along 

 with the major California plants in size and efficiency. 



Later, in Washington 5, a similar development occurred whereby plants 

 that had handled only salmon began to use the same equipment as far as 

 possible for their new tuna operation. The Washington plants, located 

 principally in the Grays Harbor area, are all very anall plants capable 

 of handling from 5 to 15 tons of tuna per day. Some packers have in- 

 stalled a complete hand-pack tuna line with precooker, guillotine, and 

 well-built packing tables vAiile others still use makeshift equipment, 

 adapted from Salmon canning operations. 



With the gradual falling off of the tuna catch along the Oregon 

 and Washington coasts, the plants have had to supplement their operations 

 with imported tuna when available . These plants would like to be able 

 to procure more imported tuna and if available would use it to extend 

 the already shortened salmon season 



Canning of tuna on the east coast has been a new development of the 

 last few years. Aside from sport fishing, tuna had not previously been 

 taken commercially on the Atlantic coast. With realization that a po- 

 tentially important commercial tuna fishery might be developed, small 

 tuna packing operations have been started in Maine, Massachusetts, 

 Maryland, and South Carolina. 



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