298 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



FRESH FISH SALES 



In gatherinp: statistieal information on fresh fish sales from 400 

 side line fish dealers, we find that the meat dealer who carries fish as 

 a side line dislikes very much to handle fish. In most instances they 

 would be satisfied if meat markets could be restrained from selling fish 

 and have it sold by exclusive dealers only. In this way the consuming 

 public should be able to get a wider variety to choose from, and could 

 be sold fish six day5 a week, displayed and handled in a sanitary manner 

 and sold at a price considerably less than that necessarily charged by 

 the side line dealer. The following table indicates the statistical infor- 

 mation procured from side line dealers : 



Fish carried as a profitable item — 30 per cent. 



Fish carried as an accommodation — 70 per cent. 



Average number of varieties carried — 1. 



Best seller — 1, salmon; 2, halibut; 3, sole; 4, rock cod. 



Frozen fish sales — Unfavorable, 74 per cent ; fair, 10 per cent ; good, 16 per 

 cent. 



Method of refrigeration — Mechanical, 76 per cent ; ice, 24 per cent. 



Push sales by advertisement — Yes, 62 per cent ; no, 38 per cent. 



Days of sale — Monday, 4 per cent ; Tuesday, 13 per cent ; Wednesday, 13 

 per cent ; Thursday, 45 per cent ; Friday, 100 per cent ; Saturday, 14 per cent. 



— A. A. Alstrom, May 25, 1934. 



THE 1934-1935 SARDINE SEASON 



At the beginning of the 1933-1934 sardine season the staff of the 

 California State Fisheries Laboratory drew up a statement predicting 

 the relative abundance and size of sardines to be expected in the 1933- 

 1934 season. A discussion of the success of these predictions and predic- 

 tions for the 1934—1935 season are submitted in the following report. 



RESULTS OF THE 1933-1934 PREDICTIONS 



Because of the differences between the fall and winter fisheries 

 along the entire California coast, it is necessary to consider the two as 

 separate units. The fall fishing at San Francisco and Monterey extends 

 from August through November, at San Pedro through November and 

 December. The winter fishery at San Francisco and Monterey lasts 

 from December to February, at San Pedro from January to March. 



With one exception the ])redictions for 1933-1934 proved remark- 

 ably accurate. The forecast for the fall fishing at San Francisco and 

 Monterey was that sardines would be relatively scarce and of large 

 sizes, roughly 11 inches in total length. This proved to be the case. 

 Fishermen had difficulty locating large schools of fish, and at times 

 during the fall months the Monterey crews were forced to range as far 

 north as San Francisco. The fish were as a whole large, though there 

 were a few more small fish in the catch than had been expected. 



For the San Pedro fall fishery, it was predicted that a new abun- 

 dant group would enter the fishery, that these fish would be small, 8 

 to 9 inches, and that larger fish would be very scarce. These expec- 

 tations were fulfilled. 



For the winter fishery at all ports a relative scarcity of fish was 

 anticipated. Off Monterey and San Francisco this held true. In the 

 San Pedro area this prediction was wrong, as fish were exceptionally 



