FORTIETH BIENNIAL REPORT 



37 



method of fishing was logically financed and directed by the fish com- 

 panies. At this time there were less than 20 vessels engaged in the 



fishery. „ , , ^ ^i 



With the advent of World War II the loss of several vessels to the 

 armed services gave impetus to a change to otter trawl gear. Otter trawl 

 fishing is carried on by one vessel. With an unlimited market supplied 

 by the military, the use of otter trawl gear spread through the fishery. 

 There were no paranzella (double drag) operations during this biennmm. 

 The expansion in otter trawl boats continued until over 80 vessels are 

 now engaged in this occupation. Development of dragging techniques 

 has enabled some trawlers to extend their operations from 100 fathoms 

 to as deep as 230 fathoms. This extension in range has opened new 

 grounds to the fleet, and has resulted in heavy catches in this new area. 

 Development of new processing methods in handling, filleting, and freez- 

 ing has enabled the companies to keep abreast with the increasing catches. 

 However, all is not well with the industry. Individual boat catches have 

 shown a continuous decline from 1940 onward. 



Other factors not apparent on cursory examination of the statistical 

 data make this condition more ominous than appears. Nearly all the 

 otter trawl boats now engaged in the fishery possess sonic depth finders. 

 These devices make it possible to return to the same depth and follow 

 schools of fish in those depths that they are most abundant. The radio 

 telephone has also added to the increased efficiency of the fleet. Formerly, 

 considerable time had to be spent prospecting for schools of fish. Now the 

 information gleaned from the radio telephone has reduced this scouting 



to a minimum. 



The development of fillet lines, similar in mechanization to canning 

 lines, enabled the fishery to take other species of fish in great quantity 

 that were formerly unutilized. The rockfish trawl fishery was developed 

 to such an extent that loads of 80,000 pounds per trip were possible. 



Even with the increased efficiency resulting from the use of the 

 electronic devices, and the production and utilization of abundant new 

 species such as rockfish and dogfish, the catch per unit of effort decreased. 

 The average catch per drag has fallen from about 2,000 pounds prior 

 to 1940 to slightly less than 1,100 pounds in 1947— a decrease of 45 per- 

 cent. This decline ties in with the general loss of control over the fishing 

 operations by the companies. 



Prior to 1940 the companies maintained a voluntary 5-inch minimum 

 size on their trawl nets. When the fishery shifted to independent opera- 

 tion, the voluntary agreement no longer prevailed, and the size of gear 

 decreased to as small as three and one-half inches. Consequently, many 

 millions of small, unsaleable fish have been killed needlessly ; and as a 

 result, the bottom fish populations have suffered a loss of abundance. 



During the past two years landings of sole have increased markedly 

 (see Figure 16, and Table 6). This increase, most of which took place at 

 Eureka'and Fort Bragg, was due to the increased fishing intensity, and 

 to operations in deeper water. Rockfish catches, which had inci^ased m 

 a phenomenal manner during the war, suffered a sharp decline. This was 

 due in some measure to a shrinkage in markets following the curtailment 

 of military purchases, but signs of scarcity of fish are apparent on some 

 of the banks. 



