CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME. 



93 



PATROL BOAT "ALBACORE" BUSY. 



The fish and Game Commission's new 

 patrol boat "Albacore" is now in commis- 

 sion, and under Captain H. B. Nidever 

 will take care of the fisheries and kelp 

 patrol work, and lend assistance in the 

 investigation work being carried on by 

 the commission. The boat's headquarters 

 will be at Long Beach and its territory 

 will be the state waters from Ventura to 

 San Diego. 



ANCHOVIES WILL BE SALTED. 



Santiago Brioncs. Inc.. fish jiackers of 

 New York, have established a plant at 

 Monterey and are preparing to put up salt 

 anchovies on a large scale. The fish will 

 be packed in 5-, 14- and 2S-pound cans. 



THE ANCHOVY A FINE FOOD FISH. 



The anchovy is one of our best food 

 fishers and is delicious fried in olive oil or 

 butter. It is found along our shores 

 the year round in immense numbers and 

 the markets could sell it very cheaply 

 if the public would use it. 



MACKEREL DELICIOUS BUT SELDOM 

 EATEN. 



The coast of California for a good part 

 of the year swarms with mackerel. They 

 are found close to shore, where any one 

 may easily catch them. They are food 

 fish of the highest quality, but the fisher- 

 men do not catch thom, for they can not 

 sell them. 



TUNA INVESTIGATIONS. 



The Fish and Game Commission in its 

 investigation of the tuna, under the super- 

 vision of Mr. W. F. Thompson, has added 

 several assistants in order that the work 

 may be hurried along. A laboratory has 

 been opened at Long Beach in close 

 proximity to the tuna canneries in order 

 to facilitate the gathering of data and 

 the handling of cannery statistics. The 

 scope of the work has been extended in 

 order to include the sardine and herring. 



The objects of this investigation work 

 are to establish a basis on which the future 

 of the fisheries may be judged and to de- 

 termine if they show evidence of deple- 

 ♦■inn, also to assist in the more I'apid de- 

 velopment of the fisheries. The work has 

 been well organized along the lines of 



similar investigations iu Europe and with 

 the intention of continuing it indefinitely. 

 The commission is co-operating with 

 tuna packers in carrying on experimental 

 fishing on rather a large scale. Two well 

 trained Japanese fisheries experts are em- 

 ployed and already we feel assured that 

 new methods of tun*, fishing can be profit- 

 ably introduced and the fishing season 

 considerably extended. , 



BETTER FISHING METHODS 

 NEEDED. 



The meatless days and the high price 

 of meats have increa.sed the consumption 

 of fr&sh and canned fish throughout the 

 state, but there has been no material in- 

 crease in the consumption of -salt or 

 smoked fish. During the winter months 

 the fishermen have not been able to sup- 

 ply the public with the species that are 

 more commonly used fresh, such as Cali- 

 fornia halibut, salmon, striped bass, 

 sand dabs, sole and rock cod. The rea- 

 son for the shortage of fresh fish this 

 winter was due mostly to the inefficient 

 fishing methods employed, which proved 

 inadequate to supply the increased demand 

 during what is termed the "off season" 

 for fish. The shortage of fish in northern 

 California was caused mostly by the poor 

 catches of the trawl or paranzella nets, 

 which failed when most needed. 



Three yeax's ago the editor of this de- 

 partment read a paper before the Pacific 

 Fisheries Society in which he had the 

 following to say about improved methods 

 and the future of trawl fishing in Cali- 

 fornia : 



"As to the future of trawl fishing in 

 California, it is safe to say the otter 

 trawl will in time be adopted, for it 

 can be operated more economically and 

 will do better work. It can be oper- 

 ated at night and the fish landed fresh 

 for the morning market. The paran- 

 zella can not very well work at night. 

 The otter trawl can work in much 

 deeper water, thus greatly extending 

 the fishing area. It can work near 

 submerged rocks and close to rough 

 bottom by virtue of the fact that the 

 net follows directly behind the boat and 

 by taking soundings the rocks or rough 

 bottoms are detected before the net 

 reaches them and the course can be 

 altered or the net raised. By fishing 

 adjacent to rough bottom this trawl 

 will catch a greater variety of fish. It 

 can work in the stormy weather of 

 winter when the fish bring a good 

 price. The boats would be larger and 



