FORTY-FOURTH BIENNIAL REPORT 



59 



haul nets are used in the deeper parts of the bay and 

 fishermen using beach seines and gill nets operate 

 along the beaches where the herring gather to deposit 

 tlieir eggs. 



Herring entering San Francisco Bay to spawn, on 

 the other hand, are much less vulnerable to fishing 

 activity. Strong tides, tide rips, and rocky shore lines 

 make it difficult for fishermen to catch the fish. The 

 population entering San Francisco Bay to spawn was 

 estimated to be about three times as great as the 

 population entering Tomales Bay. Thus, even though 

 tlie San Francisco Bay spawning population is much 

 larger than the population entering Tomales Bay, 

 increased markets for herring would bring about 

 greater pressure upon the better fishery because of 

 the easier availability of the Tomales fish. 



All Year fishing Pressure 



Where adult herring go after spawning in San 

 F"rancisco and Tomales Ba\s was not fully disclosed, 

 hut evidence indicates that considerable numbers con- 

 centrate in the Monterey Bay area upon returning to 

 sea. In 1952, over half of the \earl\' tonnage was taken 

 in the summer months in Montere\- Ba\-. Thus, the 

 adult herring spawning in Tomales and San Francisco 

 Ba\s ma\' be subject to fishing pressure all \ear 

 round. 



As a result of the surve\', the commission refused 

 to grant reduction permits. 



MARINE RESEARCH COMMITTEE 



In 1955 the Legislature changed the composition of 

 the members of the Marine Research Committee, and 

 the membership of the committee now consists of 

 nine men, of whom five represent the production 

 phase of the fishing industry, one represents organized 

 sportsmen, and one represents organized labor. 



.Marine investigations carried on under the coordi- 

 nation of this committee were continued by California 

 .Academy of Sciences, California Department of Fish 

 and Game, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Hop- 

 kins Marine Station, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service. Under this study oceanic phases of the pelagic 

 fish, including sardines, mackerel, anchovy, herring 

 and squid, were investigated, bringing together addi- 

 tional information concerning the pelagic marine fish- 

 eries of the Pacific Ocean. 



Limited catches of the supporting fisheries con- 

 tinued during the period, with, a small increase in the 

 catch of sardines. 



BOTTOM FISHERIES 



During the past two years the otter trawl fishery 

 continued to produce the State's major source of fish 

 for the fresh fish market. Over 30 million pounds of 

 assorted bottom fish are brought in each year by Cali- 

 fornia's trawl fleet. These landings have continued at 



this high level in spite of increasingly strong compe- 

 tition from imported frozen fish fillets. 



Although there has been little change in the pound- 

 age of fish landed, there has been a marked change in 

 the relative proportion of the various species in the 

 catch. 



DOVER SOLE 



Dover sole is still the leading species, but bocaccio 

 rockfish has increased rapidly and has taken second 

 place from English sole. There has also been a marked 

 increase in the combined landings of several other 

 species of rockfish which are usually marketed to- 

 gether. 



The relatively small fillet return from rockfish is 

 offset b\' using the remainder of the fish as pet or 

 mink food. The marketings of rockfish and flatfish 

 "frames" along with varieties and sizes of fish now 

 considered undesirable for human use, has made it 

 possible for the trawl fishermen to operate at price 

 levels which otherwise would be impossibly low. 



Research by the department on bottomfish has in- 

 cluded mesh studies to determine the sizes of webbing 

 which will do the best job of retaining marketable 

 sizes of fish and releasing those which are too small. 

 Part of this work has been done as a cooperative study 

 under the coordination of the Pacific Marine Fisheries 

 Commission. The latest such experiment was per- 

 formed in 1956 and was carried out bv Washington 

 State Department of Fisheries and California Depart- 

 ment of Fish and Game men, working together on 

 California's research vessel, the N. B. Scofield. 



Sampling Program 



A continuing program of sampling the trawl catch 

 is being carried on at San Francisco and Eureka. Addi- 

 tional information is obtained from the daily log of 

 fishing activit\- which each trawl fisherman is required 

 to turn over to the department. These logs and records 

 of the daily landings of each boat are collated and 

 checked. The combined information obtained from 

 these processes has served to keep the management of 



A typical bag of boltam fish, invertebrates and debris taken during 

 halibut tagging work near Long Reach. 



(Pierpont Landing Photo) 



