THIRTY-FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT 107 



We are also publishing yearly fish catch bulletins which give the 

 catch of each species in each locality by months, as well as special 

 articles giving the important developments of the different fisheries as 

 compared with past years. These are shown graphically and in con- 

 densed form wherever that can be done, to bring out the important 

 features. 



Statistical Circular No. 3, for the year 1928, shows the amount of 

 each different kind of fish landed during that year at the different 

 fishing centers. It shows also that the number of fish packing and 

 canning plants in the state, exclusive of the fresh fish plants, was 68, 

 valued ^at $9,427,886, and employed 6709 persons; 4,431,498 cases of 

 canned fish were packed ; 27,865 tons of fish meal and 3,749,302 gallons 

 of fish oil were produced. The value of these products was $24,578,856. 

 This last figure does not include the value of the fish handled by the 

 fresh fish markets. 



Statistical Circular No. 4, for the year 1929, shows there were 77 

 fish packing plants, valued at $9,677,107, and employed 7688 persons, 

 which operated with an output of 6,022,568 cases of canned fish, 42,821 

 tons of fish meal, 6,548,126 gallons of fish oil and other products, valued 

 at $30,401,499. If we add to this the value of the fresh fish products, 

 we have a figure near $35,000,000. 



In 1928, the number of commercial fishermen licensed was 5340. In 

 the year 1929, the number of licenses sold was 6014. The increase in 

 the number of fishermen is not so great as the increase in the amount 

 of fish caught. This does not necessarily mean that fish are becoming 

 more abundant in California. Larger and more efficient boats are 

 being employed in the fisheries and, for that reason, the catches are 

 larger. Most of the increase was in the catch of sardines. This increase 

 was caused mainly by sardine canners placing higher limits on the 

 fishing boats, which was the result of the change in the law permitting 

 the canner to put a larger per cent of the sardines in reduction plants. 



The most important developments in the fi.sheries of California 



during the past two years have been : The great increase in the sardine 



fishery ; the sudden development of a very large mackerel canning 



industry; and the extension of fishing to distant and foreign waters 



to supply the increased demand which can not be supplied by our local 



waters. 



SARDINES 



The sardine fishery is by far the largest and most important fishing 

 industry in the state. The great increase in the total amount of fish 

 caught in the state is almost entirely due to the increase in the catch 

 of sardines. This is clearly shown in Fig. 50, which gives the catch 

 by calendar years. The sardine season, however, begins in the fall and 

 ends the following spring, and it is customary for the industry to speak 

 of the sardine pack and catch by seasons. 



The amount of sardines caught and the amount of sardine products 

 packed by seasons can be found in detail in the fisheries statistical 

 circulars issued by this bureau, which are reproduced in the appendix 

 hereto. To give some idea of the great size of the sardine industry, it 

 is sufficient to state that in the season 1928-29 the sardine catch was 

 252,433 tons; there were produced from this great catch: 2,673,063 

 cases of 1-lb. oval cans and 313,044 cases of other size cans ; 28,724 tons 



