50 PI8II AND <;\MK COMMISSION. 



There is iii> (lonht liiit tii.ii till' pi-esciil law »ivin<r a iiioi-e liheral 

 ainouiil nf lisli \'()]- rrMJiici idii |)Ui'|insi-s lias eiuihled many canners to 

 survive, wlio would otlu-rwise have |)crislie(l, hut there is also little 

 douht hut that i)eri)iittiim a certain per cent of the eateh to he used 

 for reduction puri)Oses has resulted in ilir lowering of the quality of 

 the canned sardine paek. In m-dci- to tret the fish for reduction pur- 

 poses most of the canners have lowered the ([uality as well as the price 

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

 the quality does not cut mucli figure. The quality of California caniu'd 

 sardines nuist he hiiilt ii|». \Ye therefore recommend that the amount 

 of sardines wliich may he diverted for reduction purposes he limited 

 to what is ahsolutely necessary in puttin" uj) a good pack and that this 

 amount he definitely fixed in the law. 



In our last Mrnnial ri-pori we saiil tli;il lln- sardine industry showed 

 decided signs of reviving dui'ing the winter season of 1 1)21-1922. This 

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

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

 1919. Several of our sardine canning companies have failed and 

 others no douht will fail hefore the industry is again on a firm footing. 

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

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

 plant and to sell the canned product helow cost it is hound to have a 

 healthy growth. 



PURSE SEINE FISHERY. 



The |)urse seine fishery of southern California was dealt with in 

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

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

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

 as a conservation measure, but we are nut 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 l)y Dr. Tage Skogsberg. one of our fishery as.sistants. 

 Unfortunatel.N . his report could not he 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 F. Thompson has written a condensed review of Dr. Skogs- 

 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 

 in\estigation of the jtrincipal 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. 



