50 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



The greatest jaeld of our fisheries in both volume and value is 

 from those schooling species which may be caught in quantity and 

 readily preserved by canning. Consequently, our three major research 

 projects include the three groups of fishes caught in greatest amounts 

 and in most danger of over-utilization — sardines, mackerel and the 

 tunas. Our study of the flatfishes of northern and central California 

 is our only major project dealing with a fishery supplying fresh fish 

 markets. In addition to these four major investigations, a number of 

 comparatively^ minor studies have been completed during the biennium. 



To avoid confusion in such a varied program and to systematize 

 its operation, each of certain major projects has been assigned to one 

 staff member to assume responsibility for carrying out the details as 

 planned. In most of the planning, a system of conferences has been 

 followed so that each staff member feels a part of and contributes 

 toward the program as a whole. The major assignments among staff 

 members are as follows: 



Sardines — Frances N. Clark. 



Mackerel — Donald H. Fry, Jr. 



Tuna— H. C. Godsil. 



Flatfishes— G. H. Clark. 



Compilation of Statistics — Geraldine Conner. 



Sport Catch Records- — Richard S. Croker. 



Before discussing the research projects separately, we wish to 

 point out two important developments that characterize the past 

 biennium. Both result from the appreciative and encouraging attitude 

 of our Commissioners and Executive Officer. The most important is a 

 noteworthy widening of the application of statistics to fish and game 

 management and the second is a general enlargement of our fisheries 

 research program, especially the initiation of fish tagging experiments. • 



Sardines. 



First consideration in our research program has been given to 

 sardines because the volume of the sardine catch in California is more 

 than double the landings of all other species of fish and shellfish com- 

 bined. The study of this fishery has proven to be the most difficult of 

 our research projects but during the last two or three years the results 

 of our previous work have been clarified with the addition of more 

 information so that now we have a fair working knowledge of this 

 baHling fishery. We have learned the distribution and relative density 

 of the supply, the sizes available, the size composition of the catch, 

 spawning liabits, spawning areas, intensity of spawning in various areas, 

 apj)roximat(' growth rate, size at maturity, migrations, relative measure 

 ol" nalni-al fluctuations in supply, and roughly a gauge of the effects of 

 man's fishing upon the available supply. We need to perfect our 

 measures of abundance and extend our knowledge of local spawning 

 and nursery grounds, especially in Lower California and along the 

 coast northward from Monterey Bay. We also need to know in greater 

 detail the growth rate of the young fish and should continue to measure 

 the rehitive strength of each new age class before and after it enters 

 the commercial catch. 



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