Although the crab resource is apparently holding up well under extremely heavy fishing pressure, it is 

 necessary to watch it carefully to observe any sign of possible overfishing. This eight-foot beam trawl 



is used in crab sampling operations. 



during the first three months of the season. In Eureka the trend is in the 

 same direction, being nearly 60 percent in the 1950-1951 season, as 

 compared to about 35 percent in the 1948-1949 season. 



Through biological research, the rate of growth and sizes at sexual 

 maturity in bay and ocean waters are being obtained. Investigations are 

 also under way to determine the biological interrelationships that have 

 bearing on the industry as a whole. Savings gear experiments are being 

 conducted to secure information for bases of recommendations which will 

 materially increase the take per unit of effort as well as give added 

 protection to the small crabs now trapped in the gear commonly used 

 throughout the State. 



Specially designed traps are being tested. These traps have escape 

 openings to allow undersized male crabs and females to leave traps and 

 thus escape injury from large crabs in traps and from necessary handling 

 by fishermen. Such a trap has been on public display in Steinhart Aquar- 

 ium, San Francisco, for several months and has clearly demonstrated 

 that it serves the purpose for which designed. 



With the securing of the Broadbill, a state research vessel of a size 

 compatible to shellfish investigations in shallow waters near shore, the 

 research staff has for the first time been able to sample market crabs 

 with gear specially designed for that purpose. In preliminary work off 



