FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 131 
The kelp, which grows in abundance along the Pacific coast, has 
not been utilized commercially in the past, though it has long been 
known to contain a large percentage of potash. This country has 
heretofore depended almost entirely on Germany for its supply of 
potash, but since the beginning of the European war there has been 
such a decrease in the importation of this product that the Depart- 
ment of Agriculture deemed it expedient to make investigations to 
determine the feasibility of harvesting the kelp for the purpose of ex- 
tracting the potash and other ingredients of commercial value. It 
was found to be entirely practicable and, though the actual work 
was yet in its incipiency in 1915, extensive preparations were being 
made in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties for future effort in this 
important industry, and a number of plants were in operation in 
1916. One company operated in Los Angeles County during 1915 
_ and cut 1,500 tons of kelp. 
San Diego County.—This county ranked fourth in the State in the 
quantity of products taken during the year. The total catch was 
12,652,996 pounds, valued at $343,919. In the amount of the 
capital invested, which was $625,021, and the number of persons em- 
ployed, which was 1,026, it occupied third place. The products in- 
cluded 21 different species, and a number of these were sold both 
fresh and salted. As in Los Angeles County, the leading species was 
albacore, with a total catch of 3,630,931 pounds, valued at $54,505, 
used fresh, and 25,000 pounds, valued at $481, salted. Other species 
taken in large quantities were flounders, 2,182,658 pounds, valued at 
$83,826; barracuda, fresh, 1,415,904 pounds, valued at $41,121, and 
salted, 330,000 pounds, valued at $13,180; rockfishes, 734,464 pounds, 
valued at $16,703; spiny lobsters, 500,313 pounds, valued at $84,726; 
rock bass, fresh, 489,450 pounds, valued at $10,032, and salted, 2,750 
pounds, valued at $97; yellowtail, fresh, 337,898 pounds, valued at 
$4,954, and salted, 124,500 pounds, valued at $4,743. 
The fisheries of this county are centered at San Diego, where four 
tuna canneries, one of which also canned a small lot of abalone taken 
from Mexican waters, and six wholesale fresh-fish houses are located. 
The abalone canning was somewhat in the nature of an experiment 
and was discontinued when found to be unprofitable because of the 
excessive cost of getting abalone from foreign waters. 
Many of the fishermen of southern California have been going to 
Mexican waters during the last eight years or more because they 
thought those waters more productive than those where they had 
been fishing nearer their home ports. To do this, they are required 
to secure a permit from the representatives of the government of 
Lower California and also to pay a tax of 2 cents per pound on all fish 
taken from what are claimed as Mexican waters, and it has been 
stated that this tax is levied even though the fish in question have been 
taken beyond the 3-mile limit. The bulk of the halibut or flounders 
and a considerable portion of the barracuda, lobsters, and other 
species brought to the San Diego market are from fishing grounds 
off Lower California. It is said that some of the San Diego boats 
often go as far as 100 miles ormore from home when fishing in southern 
waters. . 
Line fishing is the most important, because the great bulk of the 
albacore is taken by that apparatus. The total catch by lines was 
5,580,946 pounds, valued at $101,381, of which 3,628,560 pounds, 
