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PACIFIC FISHERMAN 



California Tuna Canning Industry 



OF the three fish known locally as 

 "tuna" in California, only one 

 species, the Long Fin Tuna or 

 Albacore, (Germo alalunga), enters in- 

 to the canned product of the state. The 

 fact that not only this fish but the fa- 

 mous Leaping Tuna (Thunnus thyn- 

 nus) and Yellow Fin Tuna (Thunnus 

 macropterus) are known to most Cali- 

 fornians simply as "tuna" has unfor- 

 tunately resulted in some little confu- 

 sion in the public mind and in some 

 quarters at least the impression pre- 

 vails that the commercial fishermen 

 are engaged in packing one or both of 

 these two latter game fish. A careful 

 investigation both at San Pedro and 

 San Diego would seem to indicate that 

 this charge is without foundation. 



The public is, however, scarcely to be 

 censured for its vaguely general con- 

 ception of this fishery, when it is re- 

 membered that the men who are act- 

 ually engaged in the tuna canning in- 

 dustry are themselves seriously handi- 

 capped by a lack of knowledge con- 

 cerning the fish which they are prepar- 

 ing. Those who have made a study 

 of Californian waters dismiss the Long 

 Fin with a few brief words of identi- 

 fication and there is a pronounced 

 dearth of data on its life habits and 

 history. 



The indifference of early scientific 

 observers is attributable doubtless to 

 the fact that the commercial possi- 

 bilities of the Long Fin have been 

 brought to light only within the past 

 few years. In fact Jordan, writing in 

 1905, says."The flesh is of little value 

 unless, as in Japan, it is eaten raw." 

 The fish have always occurred plenti- 

 fully in the waters of Southern Cali- 

 fornia and could be taken with so little 

 effort that in many instances they 

 were brought into San Pedro, by the 

 fishermen although no local market 

 existed for them at the time. 



It was not until a process particular- 

 ly adapted to the individual qualities 

 of the fish had been evolved that any 

 progress was made commercially with 

 the Long Fin. Experimental packing 

 was first begun about five years ago by 

 a sardine packing concern located in 

 San Pedro. The first attempts to can 

 the fish were very unsatisfactory and 

 it soon became apparent that some 

 radical change in the ordinary fish 

 canning method would be necesary. 

 The experimenters finally hit upon a 



By RUSSELL PALMER 



plan of baking the fish before it was 

 placed in the can and introducing a 

 vegetable oil to bring out the latent 

 merits of the tuna. 



Its processing problems once solved, 

 the success of the industry was as- 

 sured. Other plants soon sprang up at 

 San Pedro and San Diego and the pack 

 jumped from two hundred and fifty 

 cases the first year to 115,0000 cases 

 in 1913 and in 1914 to 217,000 cases. In 

 that year the industry reached its high 

 water mark with a maximum of eleven 

 plants in operation. Notwithstanding 

 the fact that the domestic product 

 bore slight resemblance to the im- 

 ported, and the various concerns car- 

 ried on distributive efforts without 

 regard for each other's plans, the 

 product has moved rapidly through 

 trade channels and captured the fancy 

 of the consumer. 



METHODS OF FISHING. 



The Long Fin is comparatively short 

 and exceptionally thick set. Although 

 single specimens weighing as much as 

 one hundred pounds have been taken, 

 the average weight is thirty pounds. 

 It makes its appearance in the waters 

 of Southern California early in the 

 Spring and the fishing operations 

 which begin with its arrival are often 

 carried on as late as December. It is 

 curious to note that fishermen report 

 that the fish often disappears for 

 months during the period between 

 June and November. Nothing which 

 could be dignified as a creditable the- 

 ory has been advanced to account for 

 the absence of this fish from its usual 

 haunts at this time, but it has been 

 hazarded that it spawns during this 

 period. The Long Fin is a deep sea 

 fish and is rarely taken near shore. It 

 is a pelagic fish, moving in large, well 

 distributed schools at a depth above 

 ten feet. Oftentimes when the Long 

 Fin can be seen in plentiful quantities 

 by the fishermen it is impossible to se- 

 cure a catch owing to the presence in 

 the schools of the Leaping and Yellow 

 Fin Tuna. These gamy, swift moving 

 fish, owing to their prowess, are able 

 to reach the bait before their more 

 lethargic cousin. 



The supposition among some is that 

 the best fishing grounds for the Long 



Fin are at a considerable distance from 

 shore and that bigger and more eco- 

 nomical catches could be made with 

 large vessels on longer trips. The 

 proper equipment has never been pro- 

 vided, however, and the Portugese and 

 Japanese fishermen have not yet dis- 

 played sufficient fortitude to test the 

 theory out with their present craft. 



The vessels employed are small, 

 open motor boats driven by engines 

 of about eight average horse power. 

 Usually three or four men constitute 

 a crew, although some vesesls operate 

 with only two. No attempt appears 

 to have been made to evolve a vessel 

 specially suited to this fishery and as a 

 result those in use differ little in size 

 and design from the common California 

 type. 



Hand line fishing is used exclusively 

 in securing the commercial catch and 

 until recently this meant trolling. The 

 Japanese however, are credited with 

 introducing the method of "chumm- 

 ing" now in vogue and being employed 

 with success. Before starting on a 

 trip the fishermen prepare a quantity 

 of bait for chumming by chopping up 

 sardines and other small fish common 

 in the local waters. Enroute to the 

 fishing grounds living sardines are 

 caught by seining alongside. These 

 are placed in a tank on ship board 

 and the water renewed frequently to 

 keep the bait in good condition. A 

 live sardine is placed on a trolling line 

 and the boat continues on her way 

 slowly. When a strike is made, indi- 

 cating the presence of a school, the 

 engine is stopped and the chopped bait 

 thrown overboard to keep the school 

 about the boat. The hand lines are 

 baited with live sardines and if the 

 fish are running well they can be tak- 

 en almost as fast as the lines can be 

 cast and hauled. Almost incredible 

 catches by this method are reported. 

 It was stated to the writer at San 

 Pedro that two men have taken a ton 

 of Long Fin in less than half an hour. 



Daily trips to the fishing grounds 

 are made, the fleet returning each 

 afternoon or evening to the canneries. 

 The fish are dressed on the home trip 

 when possible, and are generally de- 

 livered at the docks in this condition. 



The industry supports a large num- 

 ber of individual fishermen to whom 

 it appears to yield an excellent liveli- 

 hood. 



the breast of fowl. In fish the muscle fibres are very short 

 and are arranged in flaky masses, which are easily sepa- 

 rated one from another. Hence fish lends itself to com- 

 paratively speedy digestion. Of course, fish differ greatly 

 in digestibility, the lean kinds being more readily disposed 

 of than the fat, and salt fish, owing to the hardening of the 

 fibre during .salting, lingers longer in the stomach than 

 fresh fish. Moreover, fish is less stimulating as a food 

 than meat, which is a matter of importance in these days 

 of heavy nervous tension. 



"In this connection, however, an important feature must 

 not be overlooked, viz., that, as in other foods, the digesti- 

 bility and nutritive value of fish largely depends on the 

 cooking of it." 



The various associations of dealers in, and canners and 

 curers of, fishery products have also done good work 

 through the publication of pamphlets setting forth the good 



qualities of their particular products. Among these might 

 be mentioned the oyster bulletins issued by the Oyster 

 Growers' and Dealers' Association of North America, and 

 the Canned Salmon bulletins issued under the joint aus- 

 pices of the Association of Alaska Salmon Packers and the 

 Puget Sound Salmon Canners' Association. The most recent 

 bulletin of the last named associations is entitled "Canned 

 Salmon the Ideal Army and Navy Ration. An argument 

 presenting the Merits of Canned Salmon as a Nutritious 

 Low Priced Article of Food Especially Suited to Military 

 and Naval Purposes." This bulletin has been extensively 

 circulated amongst the army and navy purchasing agents 

 of the different countries, and has already produced gratify- 

 ing results. 



The packers and canners have also done much to extend 

 the markets for various fishery products by advertising and 

 the circulation of pamphlets. 



