REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF MARINE 



FISHERIES 



The responsibility for tlie eoiisci-xatioii ami adiiiiiiisl ration (jT tlie 

 ocean fisheries of California is in the hands of the Burean of Marine 

 Fisheries. The bnrean condnets biolo<iical and statistical stndies of the 

 marine sport and commercial fishei'i(>s; and with the information thus 

 gathered and anah'zed, is able to make recommcndatioiis to the Fish and 

 Game Commission and the Legislature I'oi- wise conservation measures. 

 The bureau works in close cooperation with the Pacific Marine Fisheries 

 Commission and the Marine Kesearch Connnittee. Brief accounts of the 

 activities of these organizations are presented on pages 65 and GG. 



During 1948 and 1949 California's fish catch was greater than it 

 had been in the biennial period immediately preceding, but compared 

 with the total landings in any of the 12 years from 1934 through 1945, 

 it can not be considered high. The catcli trend reflects the success or 

 failure of the sardine season, and the sardine fishery had not recovered 

 from the failure which was so marked in 1946 and 1947. In 1948 the total 

 catch was over 900,000,000 pounds and in 1949 it reached 1,100.000,000. 



Among the cannery species three of the tunas surpassed previous 

 records. Yellowfin tuna landings in 1948 were over 191,000,000 pounds. 

 In 1949 skipjack passed the 78,000,000 pound mark and albacore totaled 

 more than 44,000,000. Although the mackerels did not break a record the 

 combined catch of jack and Pacific was over 112,000,000 pounds in 1948 

 and slightly less the following year. The 1949 sardine catch of 633,000,000 

 pounds was the best in four years but for the 12-year period prior to 

 1945 the yearly catch w^as in the neighborhood of 1,000,000,000 pounds. 

 Because sardines were scarce in the years immediately preceding 

 this biennium, a very high percentage of the fish went into cans, and. 

 this, combined with the heavy catches of tuna and mackerel, brought the 

 1948 case pack to 2,000,000 more than had been packed during any 

 previous year and in 1949 the pack exceeded 13,000,000 eases. 



Important among the market species, the 1948 catch of sole was 

 over 21,000,000 pounds or almost double the 1947 peak poundage. The 

 crab catch of 11,000,000 pounds for each year set a record for that species. 

 Salmon landings of approximately 7,000,000 pounds for each year w^ere 

 lower than the record catches of the previous four years. 



The value of the catch to the fisherman in 1948 was $80,500,000. The 

 high price of fish in general and the heavy landings of tuna (yellowfin 

 tuna, $32,000,000, skipjack, $9,000,000 and albacore, $11,000,000) com- 

 bined to make this a banner year, exceeding the peak 1947 value by 

 $2,000,000. In 1949 although the poundage was greater, chiefly due 

 to an increased catch of sardines, the wholesale value to the fishermen 

 dropped to $73,000,000. Prices in general were lower and the high-priced 

 yellowfin tuna catch was less in poundage. 



For the fourth year in succession the fishermen delivering to Eureka 

 and other ports along the northern coast received over $3,000,000 for 

 their catches; these were made up chiefly of sole, crabs, albacore and 



(30) 



