116 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



REPORT OF SARDINE PLANTS, SEASON 1937-38 



Sardine fishing started in the Monterey Bay area on August 9th 

 and in the San Francisco Bay area on August 11th. In southern 

 California fishing started on November 1st. 



Permits to take and use sardines by a reduction process for the 

 manufacture of meal and oil were issued for 12,500 tons to all plants 

 with a reduction plant capacity per hour of one to twenty tons; and 

 permits for 16,500 tons were issued to plants having an hourly 

 capacity of twenty-one to forty tons. In Monterey and northern 

 California a monthly limit was placed on the amount that could be 

 taken in each plant. However, if the tonnage allotted for any month 

 was not taken, it could be carried over and taken at any time during 

 the season up to February 15th. No plant during any month took the 

 full monthly allotment. For the entire State permits to take 765,500 

 tons for use by a reduction process were issued, and the plants received 

 and used 183,858 tons of sardines by a reduction process; and at the 

 close of the season there were 581,642 tons of unused permit tonnage 

 canceled. 



This report covers operations of the shore plants only and does 

 not include sardines taken for fresh fish markets, bait or quarter-oil 

 pack. 



During the season six floating reduction ships operated off tlie 

 coast of California outside the jurisdiction of the State. These float- 

 ing plants started to operate in September and came in and ceased 

 operations early in December. It is estimated that these floating 

 plants took 74,334 tons of sardines, and produced 12,389 tons of meal 

 and 2,479,731 gallons of oil. Adding the estimated tonnage taken by 

 the floating plants to the tonnage taken by the shore plants would make 

 a total of 420,168 tons of sardines taken in State waters and off the 

 coast of California. This is 307,230 tons less than was taken during 

 the previous season, a decrease of forty-two per cent. There was a 

 greater fishing effort on account of the increase in the number of 

 fishing boats and at no time were any limits put on catch of the boats, 

 all plants taking all fish brought in. 



The floating plants which operated off the California coast with 

 names of the owners were: American Fisher, Santa Cruz Oil Co., 

 Currier, American Marine Products Co., Lake Mirafores, Santa Cruz 

 Oil Co., Lansing, Fishermen's Produce Co.. Inc., Manatawny, Deep 

 Sea Fisheries, Inc., Santa Inez, Pacific Ocean Products Co. The 

 Polarine did not operate and the Brookdale and Monitor came inside 

 and operated as shore plants in State waters under permit from the 

 Commission. These three plants were operated outside of State juris- 

 diction during the previous season. 



