THIRTY-SEVENTH BIENNIAL REPORT 53 



improved all beds and working facilities. Native oysters from the bay 

 will be ready for market in the fall of 1942. 



Some apprehension was entertained when the war began in regard 

 to the future supply of pacific seed oysters, which formerly were sup- 

 plied from Japan, but pacific oysters have been found to spawn and set 

 successfully in Willapa Bay and Puget Sound, Washington, and seed 

 oysters will be available from that source. In 1940 pacific oyster sales 

 amounted to 1,290,000 pounds, and in 1941, 1,717,000 pounds were sold. 



ABALONES 



Abalone diving has been confined for a number of years to district 

 18 (Monterey to the Santa Barbara- Ventura County line). To prop- 

 erly manage this resource the northern part of the State (Districts 6, 7, 

 and 10) should be opened to commercial diving and District 18 closed 

 for a number of years. An alternate opening and closing of these areas 

 would result in the production of considerable quantities of food material 

 now being lost and would distribute the fishing effort, thereby reducing 

 periodic localized scarcity. A bill was introduced at the 1941 Session 

 of the Legislature providing for this type of regulation of the abalone 

 fishery, but was defeated. 



Commercial diving for abalones does not affect the supply of these 

 animals in the littoral zone. The decimation of the abalone population 

 along the beaches is directly attributable to the noncommercial collector. 



SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS 



Problems involved in the conservation of California's marine 

 fisheries are commensurate with the size of the fisheries themselves. 

 The area covered by the fisheries alone presents problems in observation 

 that are sufficient to tax the full resources of a large staff. Three major 

 fisheries, the sardine, tuna, and mackerel, produce the bulk of the land- 

 ings. However, 17 species yielded over 1,000,000 pounds, and 39 pro- 

 duced more than 100,000 pounds in 1941. The tuna fishery itself is 

 based upon five distinct species. 



Consideration of the basic requirements of an investigation in any 

 one of the major fisheries indicates that the staff before the war was 

 hardly more than a skeleton of what is required. Funds utilized during 

 the present biennium for this purpose were inadequate for work that is 

 essential to the solution of the many problems involved. 



The research vessel ''N. B. Scofield" was tied up immediately after 

 December 7, 1941, thus eliminating further field operations during the 

 war. Loss of staff members to the armed forces has further curtailed 

 operations of this bureau. The next few years will probably see further 

 restrictions upon the work that can be carried on by this bureau, due, 

 not only to loss of personnel, but also to lack of materials and equipment. 



Increased demands for fishery products may be anticipated after 

 the war, with the natural grovd;h of the population. Therefore, as soon 

 as conditions allow, the research work of this bureau must embark upon 

 a broad enough program to yield information essential to the rational 

 exploitation of our fishery resources. Ample funds are provided 

 through direct taxation of the commercial fisheries. These funds must 

 be expended in such a manner as to insure the stability of the industry 

 that forms their source. 



