26 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



MACKEREL 



The mackerel fishery has shown wide variations in seasonal catches 

 ever since its inception in 1928. Landings reflect not only economic condi- 

 tions and availability of fish, but the competition of other fisheries. Dur- 

 ing the sardine season the moderately-priced and moderately-abundant 

 mackerel is fished as a side issue to the lower-priced but more abundant 

 sardine. When sardines can be taken in great quantities, mackerel catches 

 drop ; when sardines are relatively scarce, mackerel landings often rise 

 as the fishermen turn to that species. Similarly, when the high-priced 

 albacore and bluefin are running, fishermen spurn the mackerel ; when the 

 tuna are scarce, they fish for mackerel. 



Figure 5. California landings of Pacific Mackerel and Horse Mackerel, by sea- 

 sons, 1936-1937 to 1945-1940. Some mackerel is sold to fresh fish markets, from Monterey 

 to San Diego, but the bulk of the landings are delivered to canneries at Los Angeles-Long 

 Beach Harbor and Newport Harbor. 



Catches of Pacific mackerel and horse mackerel for the seasons 1936- 

 37 to 1945-46 are shown in Figure 5 (the mackerel season begins in May 

 and runs through the following April ; the canning season usually com- 

 mences in August or September, and closes in February). The seasonal 

 catches for 1944-45 and 1945-46 are shown in Table IX. The production 

 of canned mackerel for 1944 and 1945 is presented in Table X. The can- 

 ning industry is centered at Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor, and nearby 

 Newport Beach. Mackerel and horse mackerel are handled by the fresh 

 fish markets at Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Los Angeles 

 Harbor, Newport Beach, and San Diego. (See Tables IX and X, appen- 

 dix, page 105.) 



Mackerel Investigations: Mackerel investigations remained vir- 

 tually suspended until the last few months of the biennium. It did prove 

 practicable to take routine samples of the commercial catch at Los Angeles 

 Harbor and Newport Beach throughout the period, thus assuring con- 

 tinuity in both length frequency records and otolith collections for age 

 determination studies. 



