FISHEEY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1927 501 

 CALIFORNIA 



In 1926, the fisheries of California employed nearly 6,000 fishermen, 

 2,000 boats, and 362 fisliing vessels having a total net tonnage of 

 6,675. The catch amomited to nearly 400,000,000 pounds, valued at 

 nearly $8,000,000. Pilchards, or sardines, were of greatest impor- 

 tance and accounted for nearly three-fourths of the weight and about 

 one-fifth of the value. The tunas and tunalike fishes were next 

 and together were of considerably greater value, though, of course, 

 of smaller quantity than the sardine. Among the other fish taken, 

 flounders, barracuda, yellowtail, rockfishes, and white sea bass were 

 the most important. Of the shellfishes, crabs, spiny lobster, shrimp, 

 clams, and abalone were important. The number of fishermen 

 employed was the largest on record, as w^as also the number of motor 

 boats. The number of vessels was the same as in 1925. The in- 

 crease in number of vessels was rapid and continuous up to that year. 



The total catch was about 10 per cent smaller than in 1925, due 

 chiefly to the reduced catch of pilchards, or sardines. It should be 

 remarked that, though the catch of sardines was smaller, the output 

 of canned sardines increased, the decrease in catch being due mainly 

 to restrictions imposed by the State on the use of sardines for reduc- 

 tion to fish meal and oil. The catch of albacore, choicest of the 

 tunas, was only one-ninth as large as in 1925. The deficiency in 

 this item was partially offset by the greater catch of skipjack or 

 striped tuna. The catch of "California halibut" has been declining 

 consistently for a number of years, and the catches of other flounders, 

 which have been increasing, seem to have reached their maximum in 

 1925 and declined in 1926. The shad and salmon catches declined 

 sharply in 1926. The catches of most of the shellfishes was about 

 normal as compared with those of previous recent years. 



Fisheries of the Pacific Coast States, 1926 

 OPERATING UNITS: By States 



