50 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION. 



There is no doubt Imt tliat the present law giving a more liberal 

 amount of fish for reduction purposes has enabled many canners to 

 survive, who would otherwise have perished, but there is also little 

 doubt but that permitting a certain per cent of the catch to be used 

 for reduction purposes has resulted in the lowering of the quality of 

 the canned sardine pack. In order to get the fish for reduction pur- 

 poses most of the canners have lowered the quality as well as the price 

 of the canned pack. For the export trade price is what counts and 

 the quality does not cut much figure. The quality of California canned 

 sardines liiust be built up. AVe therefore recommend that the amount 

 of sardines which may be diverted for reduction purposes be limited 

 to what is absolutely necessary in putting up a good pack and that this 

 amount be definitely fixed in the law. 



In our last biennial report we said that the sardine industry showed 

 decided signs of reviving during the winter season of 1921-1922. This 

 revival was more marked in the two seasons which have passed since 

 that time. The catch is again very near that of the banner year of 

 1919. Several of our sardine canning companies have failed and 

 others no doubt will fail before the industry is again on a firm footing. 

 But the crisis has passed and as soon as the industry can be freed 

 from the demoralizing tendency to make profits out of the by-products 

 plant and to sell the canned product below cost it is bound to have a 

 healthy growth. 



PURSE SEINE FISHERY. 



The purse seine fishery of southern California was dealt with in 

 our last report and our prediction that there would be a fight at the 

 last legislative session against the use of purse seines was fully borne 

 out. Those opposed to purse seines claimed they would eliminate them 

 as a conservation measure, but we are not quite sure that the basis of 

 the opposition was economic. It is the ancient objection to a new 

 method or appliance which upsets the old order. The situation was 

 investigated by Dr. Tage Skogsberg, one of our fishery assistants. 

 Unfortunately, his report could not be published in time to be read 

 at the last legislative session. It is possible that if it had been pub- 

 lished and available, the measure eliminating purse seines would not 

 have passed. As the bill was vetoed, the matter is soon to be brought 

 up again. There was a good deal of misunderstanding amongst the 

 legislators as to what were the real facts in the case. Since that time 

 Mr. Will V. Thompson has written a condensed review of Dr. Skog-s- 

 berg's report which was published in California Fish and Game, 

 Volume 9, pages 87-98. This review and the complete report, which 

 is now ready for the printer, should clear up the points at issue and 

 enable the legislators to get a dear understanding of the situation. 



The report points out the necessity of carrying on a biological 

 investigation of the principal species of fish involved in the dispute, 

 especially the barracuda. This investigation would be along the lines 

 of the investigations now being carried out in the case of the tuna and 

 sardine. As such an investigation is required by law, we hope to 

 start the work as soon as finances will permit. 



