108 



FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



of fish meal and 5,125,251 gallons of sardine oil. In the season 1929-30, 

 there were caught 322,600 tons of sardines, from Avhich were produced 

 3,514.210 eases of 1-lb. oval cans and 642,211 cases of other size cans; 

 35,462 tons of fish meal and 6,359,777 gallons of oil. 



Although the amount of sardines caught has been increasing each 

 season, the catch has not increased in proportion to the fishing effort 

 expended, and there is every indication that the waters adjacent to the 

 fishing ports have reached their limit of production and are already 

 entering the first stages of depletion. The increase in the amount of 

 sardines caught is the result of fishing farther from port with larger 

 boats and improved fishing gear. This overtaxing of the supply of 

 sardines is all the more regrettable when it is realized that the canners 



Fig. 43. Unloading sardines at the California Packing Plant, Terminal Island. 

 Photo by D. H. Fry, Jr., March 11, 1929. 



are not reaping the benefit. There has been an overproduction of 

 canned sardines, as well as of sardine oil, and the old evil of selling 

 canned sardines at less than the cost of production has continued, with 

 the expectation of making up the loss with the profits from the sale of 

 so-called byproducts — oil and meal. "With this year's slump in the oil 

 and meal market, this hope has not been realized, and it is now being 

 proposed to reduce the price paid to fishermen from $11 to $8 per ton, 

 in order that the canneries may continue to operate the coming season. 

 The canners are also seeking, through organization, to limit the sardine 

 pack and thus prevent overproduction. 



The Fish and Game Commission has consistently endeavored, through 

 legislation and through cooperation with the canners, to restrict the 

 amount of sardines which canners are permitted to use in their reduc- 



