40 



FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



hoop net, catches increased considerably. After the war some of the 

 trawlers that fish for sole and sand dabs modified their operations to 

 fish for crabs. At the same time there was an expansion of ' ' crab picking ' ' 

 to provide fresh and frozen crabmeat to restaurants. The catch increased 

 from three or four million pounds a season to over 9,000,000 in 1945-46 

 and 1946-47 (see Figure 17). A small crab canning industry developed 

 in the San Francisco and Eureka regions, with 15,000 cases (48 half- 

 pound cans) produced in 1946, and 6,000 cases in 1947. 



To prevent the waste and over-exploitation inherent in trawl oper- 

 ations, this type of crab fishing was curtailed by legislation enacted in 

 1947. As a result, the fishery is now on a more stable basis. 



In early 1948 the bureau instituted a biological investigation of the 

 crab to determine if the stock can withstand the intensified fishery and 

 to ascertain what precautions might be necessary. This study is being 

 made in cooperation with the fishery agencies of Oregon and Washing- 

 ton, under the sponsorship of the Pacific Marine Fisheries Commission. 



• SQUID 



During the biennium, the squid fishery centered at Monterey con- 

 tinued at a high level. Catches in 1946 exceeded all previous records, 

 with landings reaching 38,000,000 pounds (see Figure 18) . This enormous 



Figure 18. Poundages of squid landed in California, 1938-1947. The rapid increase 

 after 1942 resulted from an expansion of the fishery in Monterey to supply a canning 



industry 



