"50 



REPORT OP TUK FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



the albacore. Fortunately the United States Bui-cnu of Fisheries has 

 be^im an investigation, but there is still mneh to be done. 



Shad in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers have been decreasing 

 during the past few years, due to overfishing. The total catch for 1915 

 was 3,816,048 pounds. Thirty-three carloads of fresh shad were shipped 

 east. If this amount of fishing continues protective measures will be 

 necessary to prevent serious injury to this fish. Already dangerous 

 conditions are to be found. A record made in 1914 of the proportion 

 of male to female shad on the upper San Joaquin River showed that 

 the males outnumbered the females twenty to one. The sexes are nor- 

 mally al)()Ut even. Tf an emergency measure could hnvc been passed by 



Fig. 35. Temporary camp of crawfishermen on San Clemente Island, showing new crawfish 

 traps on shore ready for use. Photograph by H. B. Nidever. 



the Fish and Game Commission the situation could have been promptly 

 dealt with. This not being possible, no measures can be instituted until 

 the meeting of the next legislature. 



The annual catch of California halibut exceeds 5,000,000 pounds. 

 Although this fish is better protected than ever before, owing to the fact 

 that dragnetting has been prohibited and the present law prescribes 

 an eight-inch minimum mesh, it may be necessary to still further 

 increase the mesh limit and a fui-Hicr conscrviition measure might be 

 the closing of .small areas to fishing. 



Stringent laws now prevent the drying of shrimps, and the former 

 destruction of young fish is prevented by confining shrimp fishing to 

 South San Francisco Bay. At present only a few boats fish intermit- 

 tently and the catch totals only about 350,000 pounds per year. Profit 

 ill the past has rested principally in dried shrimps since the price 

 obtained for fresh ones — ^six and seven cents per pound — does not cover 

 the higher operating cost. 



