14 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



amount of effort required to take the various important commercial 

 fishes. 



Investigations have been made on the efficiency of various types of 

 nets and gear used, and with the assistance of the U. S. Bureau of 

 Fisheries, considerable productive work has been done in the develop- 

 ment of the oyster industry, particularly in the Humboldt Bay region. 

 Salmon studies have continued, and important work done on the white 

 sea bass, barracuda, striped bass and the life history of sardines. The 

 commercial fisheries laboratory also issued a handbook on commercial 

 and game fishes of the State which has been unusually well received. 



The gathering and analyses of statistics on the commercial fishes 

 has continued, and the work strengthened by the registration and 

 assignment of numbers to all fishing boats, and by the installation of 

 mechanical tabulating and recording devices. 



GAME REFUGES 



The Fish and Game Commission now owns and operates four 

 refuges for migratory waterfowl, one of 3000 acres in the San Joaquin 

 Valley near Los Banos, one of 1100 acres in Inperial County, another 

 of 2500 acres in the Sacramento Valley near Gridley, and another of 

 1720 acres on Joice Island in the heart of the Suisun Bay duck areas. 



An elk refuge of 950 acres in Kern County has been purchased 

 with funds made available jointly by the Kern County Board of 

 Supervisors and the State Park Board and turned over to the Fish 

 and Game Commission to operate. 



In addition to the operating of refuges owned by the State, this 

 bureau is responsible for the posting and control of predators on other 

 refuges set aside by legislation for the improvement of game. Lion 

 hunters and trappers are employed for this purpose. 



GAME FARMS 



California's game farms have continued to attract attention because 

 of the successful use of electric incubating and brooding equipment. 



While the major effort of this bureau has been in the production 

 and distribution of pheasants, the valley quail has received an increas- 

 ing amount of attention, particularly at the southern farm, which has 

 been assigned to that work by the Commission. During the period 

 covered by this report, 48,000 pheasant eggs have been distributed to 

 interested groups and individuals who have raised and released over 

 14,000 birds from these eggs, while an additional 19,000 pheasants 

 have been distributed from the two game farms. Sportsmen's clubs 

 and other community organizations have been most helpful in this 

 work. As a result, a short open season will be requested at the next 

 Legislature. 



During the past season, about 15,000 valley quail eggs were pro- 

 duced and approximately 4000 of these birds will be distributed on 

 refuges where special quail work is in progress. 



A real start has been made in the development of areas to increase 

 natural propagation, and to make this increase available to sportsmen. 

 The game rights on selected areas are being turned over to the State. 

 Water and food are being developed in these areas and quail enemies 



