FISHEItlKJ^ OF CALIFOTtNIA 365 



pounds; two firms, 30 cents per 100 pounds if received frozen, and 

 50 cents per 100 1)outu1s if the lish is to be frozen in the plant; and 

 three firms char<2;e 50 cents per 100 pounds for the first month's storage 

 and 33}s cents per 100 pounds for each succeeding montfi. 



During 192(S the freezing plants in C^alifornia froze 4,236,093 pounds 

 of fishery products, consisting mainly of salmon, shellfish, and 

 mackerel. This is only about 4 per cent of the total quantity of fisli 

 frozen in the United States during 1928. 



Monthly holdings of frozen fish in 1928 ranged from 1,045,000 

 pounds to 1,669,000 pounds, the smallest amount being held in Aj)ril 

 and the largest in February, and averaged about 1,332,000 pounds. 

 Holdings of cured fish each month in 1928 ranged from 414,790 ])()un(ls 

 in February to 827,079 pounds in July and averaged about 537,000 

 pounds. 



Fish rapidly frozen and packaged as fillets have lately been intro- 

 duced in California. This product is frozen and packed at plants on 

 the east coast, transported in mechanically refrigerated freight cars, 

 and marketed at retail stores in its original frozen condition. As yet 

 no local establishments have begun to freeze and package fillets or 

 other fish products, although several firms prepare and market fresh 

 fillets and other package products. 



SHELLFISH 



The shellfish group includes abalone, octopus, squid, shrimp, clams, 

 oj^sters, crabs, and spiny lobsters. California is the only State hav- 

 ing an abalone fishery. The production of all these species in 1927 

 amounted to 12,887,248 pounds, valued at $751,502, or about 3 per 

 cent of the entire yield of the California fisheries that year. This 

 was the largest catch on record. Practically the entire catch is made 

 in the San Francisco and Monterey districts. In point of value, 

 spiny lobsters were most important and crabs next, followed by 

 abalone. 



Crabs and spiny lobsters are marketed fresh cooked. Large quan- 

 tities of the meat of crabs are sold by retail establishments in the form 

 of cocktails. At the fish wharf in San Francisco there is a row of 

 these establishments where each has a cooking vat on the sidewalk 

 in front of the store. Here the crabs are cooked immediately upon 

 landing; the meat is picked out and is then ready for serving. 



Both the meat and the shell of the abalone are utilized. The meat 

 is marketed fresh although some is minced and canned, the production 

 of the latter in 1928 being valued at $3,520. The shells are used for 

 the manufacture of curios. Octopus and squid are dried and mar- 

 keted chiefly to the oriental trade. Some squid is canned, but the 

 production is small. Shrimp is marketed both fresh and dried; the 

 dried shrimp being sold mainly to the oriental trade. Clams and 

 oysters are marketed fresh. The catch of native oysters is negligible. 

 Mature eastern oysters are transplanted to beds in the vicinity of 

 San Francisco, where they are held pending sale. The eastern 

 oyster does not reproduce in California waters. 



