FORTY-SECOND BIENNIAL REl'OKT 



63 



species making up the majority of the otter trawl bottomhsh catch can 

 be taken successfully only by the trawl fishery. No other means of fishing 

 can economically capture these bottomfish. 



This fishery takes some species that are not at present utilized by the 

 industry. These include skates, rays, and unwanted varieties of soles, 

 hake, etc. This nonutilization is a result of lack of cultivation of taste 

 and development of new markets and products by the industry. Our 

 fisheries' selective utilization can be contrasted to the situation in Europe 

 where close to 100 percent of the catch is utilized. 



However, irrespective of the effect of market conditions on the demand 

 for certain species, it should be emphasized that there would be no sole 

 taken, a very small percentage of the rockfish catch, and an almost com- 

 plete waste of the bottomfish population without the efforts of the trawl 

 fishermen. A fishery that has yielded over 25 million pounds of fish 

 annually is an important segment of our marine resources and State's 

 wealth, and the interests of this industry should be guarded judiciously. 



Further returns from the tagging program on the bottomfish yielded 

 additional information on the migratory habits of some of the bottom- 

 fish. Of the English sole tagged in the Eureka region, 25 fish moved an 

 average distance of 95 miles south, and 26 fish moved an average distance 

 of 25 miles north, with 15 fish remaining close to the area of tagging. Of 



A bag load of shrimp being landed aboard the shrimp trawler Grace H 

 out of Morro Bay. There are about 800 pounds, almost 100 percent 



shrimp, in this bag. 



