THIRTY-EIGHTH BIENNIAL REPORT 37 



continuity of studies of size changes of fish. The age analysis of the 

 catch has been carried on througli a cooperative study with the U. S. Pish 

 and Wildlife Service. No sardines were tagged during this biennium, 

 but tags were recovered from former releases. In the 1942-43 season, 

 1,328 tags were recovered i)i the California fishery, and eight in the 

 Pacific northwest. In 1943-44, fi48 tags were returned in California, 

 and 52 in the Pacific northwest. These represent recoveries from groups 

 released in previous years off the coast of Mexico, Southern California, 

 Monterey and San Francisco. In addition, 78 recoveries were made in 

 California of tags released off the mouth of the Columbia River by the 

 Oregon P^ish Connnission, and three were taken which had been released 

 by the Fisheries Research Board of Canada off the Washington coast. 



Analyses have been continued of the fisherman's catch per unit of 

 effort expended. These studies, together with the age readings and 

 length measurements, indicate that at present the sardine population is 

 in a comparatively healthy condition due to good spawning survival in 

 1937 and 1939. These two year-cl-asses have been the main support of 

 the fishery for the past three or four seasons. 



Annual meetings with representatives of fisheries departments of 

 Canada, Washington, Oregon, California, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service have been held to coordinate the sardine investigations of the 

 fisheries staffs of Canada, and the Pacific Coast States. 



TUNA 



The landings in pounds of tuna at California ports for the years 

 1940 through 1943 are as follows : 



TABLE VI 



1940 19',1 19J,2 19-',3 



Albacore 3,885,000 2,747,000 10,621,000 21,.385,000 



Bonito 5.291,000 10,177,000 1,051,000 2,282,000 



Bluefin 19,970,000 9,519,000 12,845,000 10.179,000 



Skipjack 56,650,000 25,-585,000 38,715.000 28.894,000 



Yellowfin 113,760.000 76,702,000 41,167,000 49,261,000 



Total 199,-556,000 124.7-30,000 104,999,000 112,001,000 



MACKEREL 



The catch of mackerel in 1942 was 52,353,663 pounds. In 1943 it 

 rose to 75,261,000 pounds. A shortage of fish in 1942 added to the diffi- 

 culties of movement of the boats in and out of the harbors in Southern 

 California, resulted in the lowest mackerel catch that has been recorded 

 in 10 years. The canning season, which is determined only by the avail- 

 ability of fish, began in September, 1942 ; and extended for that season 

 only to March, 1943. The latter part of this season was characterized by 

 the presence of large numbers of fish which Avere too small for the eanners 

 to handle properly. In 1943-44 the return in large numbers of the 1942 

 yearlings resulted in a major increase in the catch. As two-year olds, 

 these fish w^ere satisfactory for canning. The 1943-44 season started in 

 August, and ended in February. 



