40 PISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



Figure 5. Value and poundage of the California commercial fish catch, 1940-1949. 

 Value represents the amount paid to the fishermen. 



salmon. San Francisco and Central California ports netted about $3,000,- 

 000 which was low for that region and was caused by the scarcity of 

 sardines. Monterey fisliermen received $5,000, 000 and $6,000,000 for the 

 two years, an improvement over tlie preceding' l)iennium when the sar- 

 dines failed to appear. The ports in the Santa IJarbara region had their 

 best year in 1948 when the total value of the landings was in the neigh- 

 borhood of $2,000,000. This area is growing in importance. Canneries 

 have been established in the vicinity of Port Hueneme and facilities 

 have been developed for receiving large loads of sardines for shipment 

 by truck to the canneries in Central and Southern California. Los 

 Angeles and San Diego had their best monetary year in 1948 when the 

 value of the deliveries was $29,000,000 and $87,700,000, respectively. 

 The 1949 value was slightly less. Tuna was in part responsible for this 

 prosperity, but it was also partially due to the fact that there was such a 

 large migration of northern vessels to the southern ports. 



This period has been marked by an extensive movement of the 

 vessels in the fleet along the coast. Each year a greater number of boats 

 and fishermen from Alaska, Washington and Oregon come south during 

 the albacore season and remain to participate in other fisheries. In the 

 two-year period 2,000 additional fishermen were licensed to fish in Cali- 

 fornia waters (1949 — 14,962 fishermen) and there was an increase of over 

 1 ,000 boats in the fleet (1949 — 6,160 vessels) . Many of the vessels entering 

 the fleet were of larger sizes. In 1949 there were about 164 over 100 feet 

 in length, equipped with modern devices for more efficient fishing which 

 pei-mitted them to go farther afield and remain on the fishing grounds 

 for a greater length of time. 



