FORTY-SECOND BIENNIAL REPORT 



75 



In the north coastal region, where no commercial diving is permitted, 

 several spot dives were made. Abalone in great nnmbers were found in 

 the reefs offshore from San Francisco to Fort Bragg, especially in the 

 Fort Bragg area. Additional survey work in this area will be conducted 

 as soon as weather permits. Extended tagging experiments will be carried 

 on also. 



Some difficulty has developed with the pins used in tagging ; electrolysis 

 has been observed on pins as was noted on those used on salmon and 

 striped bass, and some of the tags have undoubtedly been lost. However, 

 this is a minor technical problem which should be soon solved. 



The greatest limiting factor on the investigation is the weather. The 

 sea must be calm for safe diving operations. Since favorable weather 

 conditions are encountered along the Northern California coast only 

 during the summer months, operations in this area are limited to only a 

 few months of each year. 



CRABS 



Present crabbing methods are so efficient and fishing activity is so 

 great, that each season the percentage of crabs (Cancer magister) taken 

 during the first few months has been increasing. More than 80 percent of 

 the crabs landed at San Francisco in the 1950-1951 season were landed 





H 



A raking dredge with a fine meshed collecting net as used for catching very young crabs. 



