100 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



REPORT OF SARDINE CANNING AND REDUCTION PLANTS, 



SEASON 1940-1941 



Disagreement on the price of sardines delayed the opening of the 

 sardine season in the San Francisco and Monterey districts in 1940. 

 With the exception of one plant in San Francisco that did not belong 

 to the San Francisco Sardine Association, all plants were idle until 

 October. A price of $10.50 per ton was eventually agreed upon and 

 plants in the Monterey district began receiving sardines on October 

 7th, and in the San Francisco district on October 8th. 



A total of 226,188 tons of sardines were received for canning pur- 

 poses, as compared with 225,357 tons for the previous season. The 

 overage on the canning fish was 70,404 tons, and the offal from the fish 

 canned was 77,896 tons, making a total of 148,300 tons of the total 

 received for canning that went into the reduction plant. A decrease 

 in the pack of one-pound oval cans was offset by an increase in the 

 pack of other sizes. The total pack was approximately 25,000 cases 

 less than that of the previous season. 



No change was made in the law pertaining to the taking of sardines 

 for canning or reduction purposes, and the same method of determining 

 the percentage of sardines received for canning that may be used for 

 reduction has not been altered from that shown in Circular 13. 



Permits to receive and use sardines by a reduction process were 

 issued for 5,000 tons for each plant regardless of press capacity. 

 Seventy permits were issued for 350,000 tons but at the close of the 

 season 126,413 tons granted under permit were canceled. Of the per- 

 mit tonnage granted for use for reduction, onl}^ 60 per cent of the total 

 was taken in the San Francisco district, 84 per cent in the Monterey 

 district, 64 per cent in the San Pedro district, and 6 per cent in the 

 San Diego district. 



The permits issued for the San Francisco and Monterey districts 

 were on a monthly allotment basis of 20 per cent each month for the 

 first five months of the season and the tonnage not taken in the month 

 for which it was allocated could be accumulated and taken at any time 

 thereafter until the close of the season February 15th. In southern 

 California the total allotment for the season was made available at the 

 opening of the season. 



This report does not include sardines taken for fresh fish markets, 

 bait, or quarter oil pack. 



