THIRTIETH BIENNIAL REPORT 1*21 



one fishing boat or the daily catch of any species at any fishing port. 

 These records showing the daily catch of individual fishing boats form 

 the basis for our analysis of boat catches and yield and desired infor- 

 mation as to changes in the fish supply. As a necessary supplement 

 to the catch records there is also recorded information as to the fish- 

 ermen employed, dealers engaged in the fish business, number, kind 

 and value of boats operating and descriptions of the kind and amount 

 of fishing gear used. Work with these records of catch and gear forms 

 an essential part of the program of the California State Fisheries 

 Laboratory. 



As our catch records are made out in the form of receipts, as required 

 by law, from fish buyers and cannery men, there are many minor diffi- 

 culties in the way of gaining complete and accurate data. Omissions 

 of desired detail and confusion as to the common names of fishes are 

 examples of such difficulties but of more importance are the adjust- 

 ments necessitated by the changing and evolving conditions in our 

 fisheries of this state. The last two years have shown a greater 

 improvement in the dependability and completeness of these records 

 than any other biennium since our system of catch statistics was estab- 

 lished. There has been an even greater perfecting in the methods of 

 recording, tabulating and proper filing of these data. Analyzing 

 the more outstanding features from the catch records and the publica- 

 tion in graphic form of these results are now under way so that the 

 salient features of these important records will be made more avail- 

 able to the fisheries industries, legislators and the interested public. 



MOST IMPORTANT FISHERIES 



Since our commercial fisheries resources are so great and so varied, 

 it is out of the question for us to apply detailed study to more than a 

 very few of the many problems calling for attention. Only some half 

 dozen of the most important fisheries have so far been chosen for 

 extensive investigation although several in addition have been given 

 systematic observation and study. 



By all odds the most important fishery of the state at present and 

 for many years in the future is that of sardines. This fishery, 

 because of its outstanding importance and the difficult administrative 

 and legislative problems involved, has been selected as the major prob- 

 lem for investigative work. The albacore catch for several years 

 ranked second to sardines in pounds landed, and this fishery called for 

 a particularly detailed study. Other work of major importance has 

 been done in connection with the barracuda and striped bass fisheries. 

 As mentioned previously, the work of Dr. J. 0. Snyder on the salmon 

 fishery of California is not included in the work of the California 

 State Fisheries Laboratory. 



Special studies have been made of several fisheries considered minor 

 as compared with the sardine and tuna fisheries. Examples of such 

 studies are the investigations of the rock-fishes, smelt, Pismo clam, 

 spiny lobster and grunion catches. One such special study is an inves- 

 tigation of the drag or paranzella net fisheries of the state, particularly 

 as to the methods of fishing and to determine whether or not such 

 fishing is destructive to young fish. 



