36 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



of meal and oil, as well as the shortage of cannery labor, also contributed 

 to the diversion of a greater proportion of the fish into the reduction 

 plants. 



Allocation 



The decrease in the canned pack of the last year of the biennium 

 occurred in spite of the complete regulation of the fishing and utilization 

 of sardines by the Federal Government under the so-called "allocation 

 orders. ' ' 



After the beginning of hostilities, and with the beginning of the 

 1942-43 season, it was apparent that some outside agency would have to 

 enter the sardine picture in order to prevent a major loss in production. 

 The sardine fishing fleet had been reduced in size by the loss of large 

 numbers of the sardine boats to the Army and the Navy. Those plants 

 owning boats naturally desiring to ensure their own catch prevented the 

 sale of the catch of their boats to other plants and in other ports. As a 

 result some plants at times had an excess of fish, most of which was 

 diverted to reduction while other canners were unable to obtain enough 

 fish to operate their plants. During periods of heavy fishing the boat 

 loads were limited by the plants to keep the landings within the owner's 

 production capacity. 



An attempt was made by the California Division of Fish and Game 

 to remedy this situation ; and the first order of the commission was issued 

 on August 22, 1942, to prevent the loss of boat production by imposition of 

 catch limits and to distribute the fishing fleet between the three Cali- 

 fornia sardine ports in proportion to their plant capacities. Several 

 months were required to solve the numerous problems involved in the 

 inauguration of such a radical departure from normal fishing operations ; 

 and the commission was unable to put allocation into operation before 

 injunction proceedings, instituted by several sardine plant operators in 

 the port of Monterey, forced the cessation of allocation activities. Allo- 

 cation was then taken over by the War Production Board which had 

 cooperated closely with the commission in its early attempts to organize 

 the allocation program. The War Production Board carried through 

 allocation to the end of the 1942-43 season. 



During the period between the end of that season and the beginning 

 of the 1943-44 season, the office of the Coordinator of Fisheries was estab- 

 lished in the Department of the Interior within the personnel of the U. S. 

 Fish and Wildlife Service. This organization took over allocation at the 

 beginning of the 1943-44 season. The imposition of limits on the boat 

 catches was prohibited. Boats were licensed to fish in certain ports in an 

 attempt to distribute an inadequate fleet equitably between the three 

 fishing ports in California, to obtain the greatest possible production from 

 them. Poor fishing experienced in the ports of Monterey and San Fran- 

 cisco during the months of October, November, and December, however, 

 made it impossible to maintain the distribution of boats on an equitable 

 basis and the canned pack fell to the lowest figure reached in the last 

 three years. 



Sardine Investigations 



Although sardine investigations have been curtailed due to lack of 

 personnel, the essential phases are being continued. During each season 

 the daily catch has been sampled so that there will be no break in the 



