56 FISH AND GAME COMMIPSTON 



five years, thus allowing a given population of clams limited protection 

 for short ]:)eriods. 



Pismo clam investigations, re-established in l!)4(i, indicate that there 

 have been no exceptionally successful sets at Pismo Beach since 1946. 

 A review of available information about the Pismo clam was prepared 

 for publication in California Fish and Game, July, 1950, and a more 

 technical report on populations, maturity and local growth rates is being 

 prepared in conjunction with Dr. Wesley K. Coe of Scripps Institution 

 of Oceanography. 



ABALONE 



The production of abalones has increased slightly over that of the 

 last biennium. Because of the great increase of abalone divers after the 

 war, the drain on District 18 was excessive and practically all of the 

 legal-sized abalones were removed. Most of the abalones now come from 

 the Channel Islands. The present diving crews are the old timers who 

 have followed the fishery for years. Only a few of the postwar semi- 

 professionals have stayed in business. A newspecies (HaUotis sorensenii) 

 described from a few specimens taken near San Simeon has been dis- 

 covered in commercial quantities around San Clemente Island. The 

 center of the industry is at present at Santa Barbara Avhere a large 

 modern plant processes the abalones as they are landed from the islands. 

 Morro Bay has two processing plants wliich produce a small steady 

 supply. 



OCEAN SPORT FISHING 



Ocean sport fishing has shown a contiinial rise in numbers of boats 

 and fishermen since the end of the war. The increase in numbers of boats 

 and fishermen between 1947 and 1948 was 21 and 22 percent, respec- 

 tively, but the increase in total number of fish caught was only 8 per- 

 cent. If the stock of fish was sufficient, the total ocean sport catch could 

 be expected to increase in proportion to the number of fishermen. 



Spot checks of sport boat lamlings, made continuously since 1947, 

 have revealed that the average catch of the nuirine angler is about five 

 fish of all species. The number of anglers catching 10 or more fish during 

 any one day of angling averaged less than 10 percent of the total anglers 

 throughout the season. Seventy-five percent of the anglers caught five or 

 less fish during an average fishing day. In fact, over half of the 234 boats 

 checked during 1948 and 1949 reported an average catch of three fish 

 or less per fisherman. 



Before 1949, holders of sport fishing licenses were permitted to take 

 15 fish in the aggregate of certain species. Beginning in 1949, the regu- 

 lation was changed to a bag limit of 10 fish of certain species, and several 

 additional species were placed on a limit of 15 fish. This new regulation 

 was intended to perform two functions : to help eliminate some of the 

 waste of fish that often occurs when an angler returns with a heavy catch 

 and has difficulty in disposing of it, and also to distribute the available 

 fish more evenly among the anglers. This would be accomplished by 

 causing the higldy successful angler to give his overlimit fish to those 

 anglers that were less successful. Preferably, of course, it is better that 

 an angler cease fishing if he reaches his limit, or releases alive over- 

 limit fish. 



