THIRTY-FOURTH BIENNIAL REPORT 39 



country is prosperous the fishery production rises, and when a depres- 

 sion comes the fisheries drop to a lower level. In our last report we 

 pointed out the rising production of the fisheries during the years 

 1932 and 1933 after the low year of 1931. The tremendous increase in 

 the production of the fisheries during 1934 and 1935 (See Fig. 5) 

 can not all be credited to returning prosperity, however, for we cer- 



CALirORNIA CANNED FISHERY PRODUCTION 



7 



6 

 5 



B 4 



c 

 o 

 i 3 



»— • Alt fishery products 

 •— • Sardines 

 » • Tunas 



^ .^ t. --I Prior to I92B lost thon 



c » Maci<.eret' 20.000 ca»3 ,.r ,o,r 



J L 



Fig. 6. California canned fishery production, 1916 to 1935, inclusive. 



tainly were not as prosperous during the past two years as we were 

 in 1928 or 1929, although the fisheries produced two hundred million 

 pounds more fish in either of the past two years than in the former 

 record year of 1929. There are two main causes for the increase. One 

 is the virtual removal, by the Division, of restrictions against the 

 use of sardines for the manufacture of oil and meal; and the other is 

 the strong domestic market for canned fish, which is, no doubt, being 

 used in part as a substitute for more expensive meats. The increased 

 demand for fish as a food is not a temporary thing but bids fair to 

 be permanent. 



Although this report is for the biennial period extending from 

 July 1, 1934, to June 30, 1936, we have been accustomed to com- 

 piling the commercial fish catch and fish pack by calendar years. The 

 sardine season fits best into the fiscal year; therefore, besides com- 

 piling the sardine statistics by calendar years along with the rest of the 

 fisheries, we also treat them in a special seasonal report. This pro- 

 cedure is followed in this report and care should be used not to con- 

 fuse sardine figures given for calendar years with those for seasons. 

 The detailed record of the fish catch and fivsh pack for the calendar 

 years of 1934 and 1935 and the special sardine report for the seasons 

 1934-1935 and 1935-1936 may be found in the appendix to this report, 

 or in statistical Circular No. 9, issued in May, 1935, and Circular No. 10 

 issued in May, 1936. 



In 1934, the total landings of fish and shellfish in California by 

 California fishermen amounted to 1,167,419,462 pounds. In 1935, the 

 total landings were 1,172,539,562 pounds. The combined landings 

 for the two years amounted to 2,339,959,024 pounds as compared with 

 landings of 1,140,668,653 pounds for the two years 1932 and 1933, or 

 an increase of 105 per cent. 



