FORTY-THIRD BIENNIAL REPORT 



63 



were shown in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River gill 

 net fishery- landings during the period of the report, as 

 compared to the years 1950 and 1951. Curtailment of 

 the area open to gill netting, imposed b>' the State Leg- 

 islature, was responsible for the smaller landings. Re- 

 strictions created bv the law affected an entire season 

 for the first time in 1952. 



At the same time shipments of salmon into Califor- 

 nia by common carrier averaged 770,000 pounds per 

 year during 1952 and 1953, a decrease of 140,000 

 pounds under the two previous years. Most of the 

 shipments are bound for Los Angeles. 



Sport Fishing Study 



Because of the ever-increasing pressure on the sal- 

 mon population by the new sport fishery, it became 

 apparent that more factual knowledge of its methods, 

 catch composition, and economic as well as recrea- 

 tional value would be required to assure proper man- 

 agement regulations, thus assuring safeguards for 

 future abundance of the salmon resource on which it 

 depends. 



Plans formulated and approved in 1953 for a fed- 

 eral aid project will supply the necessary minimum 

 investigation of California's ocean salmon sport fishery. 



Marking and Mark Recovery 



In 1950 an interstate salmon marking program \\as 

 started on the recommendation of the Pacific Marine 

 Fisheries Commission to determine, among other 

 things, the contributions made to the ocean fishery in 

 different areas by salmon originating in various river 

 systems of the Pacific Coast. The actual marking was 

 described in the last biennial report. 



An obvious corollary to a marking experiment is a 

 carefully planned mark recovery program. California, 

 in cooperation with Oregon, Washington, British 

 Columbia, and Alaska, has such a recovery program. 



Men stationed at coastal ports from Monterey, Cali- 

 fornia, to Pelican, Alaska, search for marked fish in 

 the catches landed b\' ocean salmon troUcrs. This pro- 

 gram is coordinated by the Pacific Marine Fisheries 

 Commission with which British Columbia and Alaska 

 voluntarily cooperate. Activities of this commission 

 are more full\' discussed in another section of this 

 report. 



Pertinent data is summarized regarding each mark- 

 ing experiment made by the department since 1950 in 

 the table entitled "Salmon Marking and Recovery," 

 Appendix Table 40. Marking experiments conducted 

 by Oregon and Washington are not included; re- 

 coveries of California marks made by them, as well as 

 by British Columbia, are included for 1952 and 1953. 

 No California marks have been recovered off Alaska to 

 date. 



A word of explanation is necessary in regard to the 

 higher survival rate of hatchery fish as compared to 

 wild captured fish in the release of 1949 brood year 

 king salmon in the Sacramento River. 



Because of difficulties in capturing wild salmon 

 fingerlings without injury, only "cull" fish were taken. 

 Fish hatched at Coleman Station, a salmon hatchery 

 operated by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, were 

 bigger and in better condition than the wild fish when 

 released. 



Results of the experiments to date show that in 1952 

 the 1949 brood year king salmon from the Sacramento 

 River were taken in greater numbers by the combined 

 ocean troll fisheries of Oregon, Washington, and Brit- 

 ish Columbia than by the California fishery. Final 

 analyses will demonstrate whether or not this hap- 

 pened again in 1953. Conversely, the majority of sil- 

 ver salmon taken by the California fishery originated 

 in Oregon's coastal streams. Hence, when something 

 changes the salmon producing potential in one state, 

 the economy of other states will be affected. 



Parf of the California salmon fleet anchored at Point Reyes, where as many as 300 boats sometimes anchor during the run. 



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