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NOTES ON TUNA FISHING AND CANNING INDUSTRIES IN 

 SELECTED AREAS 



Los Angeles Area 



Fishing and fish canning employment represents less than three- 

 tenths of one percent of total employment in the Los Angeles area. In 

 December 1952, 2,000 were engaged in fishing, while 4,200 were em- 

 ployed in fish canneries. This is not significantly different from 

 conditions in December 1951o Eraplojnnent declines have been reported 

 in some larger fish canneries, however, due to mechanization. Much of 

 the solid pack process has been converted to chunk and grated pack 

 through the use of machinery, which saves time over the hand-pack 

 methods previously used. 



Despite the small percentage of area workers involved in fish- 

 ing or fish cannirig and the abundance of job opportunities to be 

 found in the Los Angeles area — particularly in aircraft and relat- 

 ed activities — a sharp drop in fishing would create high unemploy- 

 ment among workers attached to this industry. The major reasons for 

 this situation are age, language barriers, attachment to the indus- 

 try, and limited woric experience in other fields. 



Most workers in these industries entered their occupations at 

 an early age ajnd through famiily ties. Available infonnation on tuna 

 fisherman shows that over one-third are past 50 years of age, and 

 less than one-sixth under 30, For the area as a whole, less than 

 three-tenths of all workers are past 50, and close to one-third be-» 

 lovj 30o This older age would prove a handicap in obtaining other 

 jobs. Also, many of the workers can communicate effectively only 

 in a language other thian English, This problem is further compli- 

 cated by the fact that a number of languages other than English 

 are spoken so that fishermen and cannery workers cannot even trans- 

 fer readily from boat to boat or plant to plant but must work with- 

 in a group where they can be assisted in their communications with 

 others. Transfer to other industries is greatly impeded. The lim- 

 ited work experience of these workers also hampers any shift to 

 other jobs. The skills of commercial fishermen are peculiar to 

 the industry and cannot be fully utilized elsewhere. Industries 

 that might absorb these workers as laborers are petroleum produc- 

 tion and refining, and shipbuilding. They mi^t also find dock 

 vK>Tk as riggers or longshoreman. None of these industries are ex- 

 panding and an adequate supply of experienced workers is available, 



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