THIRTY-FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT 



115 



The reason for this sudden development was a demand for canned 

 mackerel and, in response, mackerel canning developed on a large 

 scale. In 1928 a little over 388,000 cases were canned. In 1929 this 

 amount was increased to over 600,000 cases. By far the most of these 

 mackerel were canned at San Pedro, while San Diego was second in 

 importance, with Monterey third. A full handling of this development 

 can be found in Fish Bulletin No. 20, ' ' The Commercial Fish Catch of 

 California for the Year 1928. ' ' 



EXTENSION OF FISHING TO DISTANT WATERS 



The great increase in the landings of fish in California has been due 

 to the species used for canning. In 1928 there was actually a decrease 

 in the amount of fish delivered to the fresh fish markets. The indica- 

 tions are that our local fishing banks are not able to suppl.y the increas- 

 ing demands. Some of our species, like the salmon, white sea bass, 

 southern halibut and albacore show unmistakable evidences of depletion. 

 To supply the fresh fish markets we are more and more depending on 

 fish from off the coast of Mexico and on shipments from Oregon and 

 Washington. 



There has been a decline in the catch of tuna in our local waiters 

 and, to supply the demand of the canners, tuna fishing has been 



Fig. 47. Purse seine boat with a deck load of local bluefin tuna delivered at San 

 Pedro. Photo by G. R. Chute, July 12, 1928. 



extended for great distances south of the United States' boundary line 

 and tuna are even being imported from Japan for canning purposes. 

 As the tuna fishing has been pushed to tlie south along the peninsula 

 of Lower California, larger and better boats have been built. A large 

 fleet of these boats known as "high seas boats" are now employed, 

 some of them 150 feet in length, powered with Diesel engines and 

 refrigerator plants with storage space for keeping the fish. These boats 

 have fished as far south as the equator and for many miles off shore. 

 It has been a most remarkable development and it now seems certain 



