8 tr. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



were allowed to decompose on the beach. The Diario Oficial, the 

 official publication of the Mexican Government, from time to time 

 contains fishery concessions to exploit the waters around Lower 

 California. Some 12 tons of fertilizer cover the only fish products 

 exported since the opening of this office on January 1, 1919. 



There are no available statistics relative to fish products imported, 

 though it is safe to say that practically all imports of this nature 

 came from the United wStates, it being customary for the consumers 

 to buy most of their provisions at retail on the American side of the 

 border, exporting them for use on their plantations, or if in small 

 quantities for direct personal use, bringing them across in person, 

 thus avoiding the pajrment of customs duties, small parcels of food 

 being freely passed without the assessment of duty wnen carried by 

 the purchaser. There is no reexport of imported products. 



The only fish products imported from foreign countries other than 

 the United States are several varieties of dried fish from China, 

 imported exclusively by and for the consumption of the large Chinese 

 population in Mexicali. The United States has the trade, and as 

 long as this district remains without transportation to foreign coun- 

 tries other than through the United States and continues to do its 

 retail trade on the iGnerican side of the border, two conditions 

 which seem likely to continue, there is but little chance of losing the 

 trade. Advertising might help to increase the demand, but there is 

 no foreign competition to be met. 



ENSENADA. 



[By William C. Burdett, consul, August 29, November 4 and 5, 1921.] 



The fisheries of Lower California constitute its most important in- 

 dustry. Aside from a small amount consumed locally all of the fish 

 is exported to the United States, and due to the abundance of locally 

 caught sea food there is no importation of fish into the Territory. 

 The principal fish are barracuda and "halibut," the several varieties 

 of tuna coming next, with sea bass, yellow tail, bonito, rock cod, and 

 mackerel each furnishing its quota. Minor catches are made of 

 perch, sea trout, shark, whitefish, and smelt. 



Several fish canneries were established in Lower California but did 

 not prove profitable, and at this time none are in operation. The 

 tuna, comprising about 8 per cent of the total catch, and the skip- 

 jack, 2 per cent, are canned at San Diego, Calif. The remainder of 

 the fish is sold fresh to the fish companies at San Diego and San 

 Pedro, from which cities they are sent throughout California and the 

 southwestern States. 



The sea food exported from Lower California to the United States 

 in 1920 totaled 8,129,173 pounds. Of this amount there were 

 6,981,503 pounds of fish, 942,020 pounds of crustaceans, chiefly spiny 

 lobsters, and 197,585 pounds of mollusks, chiefly abalones. No fish 

 fertilizer is exported from Lower California, but a small amount of 

 shark oil finds its way to the United States, as well as a few hundred 

 pounds annually of shark fins, this last destined for consumption by 

 Chinese. 



The following table, compiled by the California Fish and Game 

 Commission, shows the number of pounds of fish received at San 

 Diego and San Pedro, Calif., from Lower California during 1920: 



