62 



DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 



SPECIAL ACTIVITIES 



Increased services to the investigations of the de- 

 partment marked the 44th biennium in statistics. Dur- 

 ing this time, replacement and addition of business ma- 

 chine equipment enabled more detailed and more com- 

 prehensive analyses to be made. 



Special tabulated reports of data, both biological 

 and statistical, were prepared. Correlation of data from 

 fish receipts, log books, questionnaires, and original 

 source documents recorded by field scientists gave the 

 basis for this information. Reports were likewise tabu- 

 lated for the Inland Fisheries and Game Management 

 sections. 



The acquisition of newer, improved tabulating 

 equipment permitted the absorption of these additional 

 duties through more efficient and versatile operation. 



Publications 



The stafi^ issued three publications during the bi- 

 ennium. Statistical Circulars Nos. 29 and 30 presented 

 the annual statistics of fresh and canned fishery prod- 

 ucts for the years 1954 and 1955, respectively. Circular 

 30 had in addition a table of processed sport-caught 

 fish— the first time sport processing has been separated 

 in the records. Fish Bulletin No. 102 represented the 

 complete commercial fish catch for 1953 and 1954, in- 

 cluding the jack mackerel and sardine yield per area 

 from California waters from 1946-1947 through 1954- 

 1955, illustrated by charts, tables and accompanying 

 text. 



Since January, 1955, preliminary monthly landing 

 figures have been published in cooperation with the 

 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This leaflet, recording 

 preliminary figures, is printed in Washington, based 

 on monthly landing figures supplied by the depart- 

 ment and distributed both by the department and the 

 U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Prior to this publica- 

 tion, state-wide monthly preliminary figures were not 

 circulated. 



Kelp 



Early in 1955, the California Fish and Game Com- 

 mission recommended the formation of a committee 

 of persons interested in the kelp problem to consider 

 the history and the future of the kelp resource and 

 advance a program to bring about a concerted attack 

 on the problem by all interested groups. 



Two important results have come from committee 

 efforts: (1) a working agreement between the kelp 

 industry and the sport fishing industry was reached; 

 (2) a five-year study of the relationships between fish 

 and kelp, water conditions and kelp and other rela- 

 tionships has been set up with the University of Cali- 

 fornia. Preliminary financing of this project is under 

 contract with the department. 



In the latter half of 1955 and the early part of 1956, 

 the department resurveyed the commercial kelp beds 

 off Southern California by airplane, with some addi- 

 tional check by boat and from shore. New maps were 

 drawn and these were compared to maps made in 1912. 

 Four categories were used to assist in the comparison: 

 heavy, medium, thin, and gone. Of 44 beds thus com- 

 pared, five showed no change between the two sur- 

 veys, 17 had declined in abundance, and 22 improved. 

 The beds which shov\ed no change comprised 16 

 square miles, those which declined 35, and the im- 

 proved beds 44 square miles. 



A number of the beds have declined to the point 

 where they are practically nonexistent. All of these 

 beds that have practically disappeared are located in 

 close proximity to sewage outfalls with discharges in 

 excess of 40 million gallons per day. These include: 

 two beds near the outlet of San Diego Bay, three off 

 White Point, and two in Santa Monica Bay. 



Seismic Explorations 



Department of Fish and Game personnel observed 

 all offshore seismic oil explorations conducted by use 

 of explosives during the biennium and reported all 

 observed damage to marine life. 



Each seismic exploration crew is accompanied at all 

 times by an official representative of the department, 

 whose dut\' is to observe the operation and take what- 

 ever steps are necessary to keep damage to marine life 

 to an absolute minimum. Companies holding seismic 

 permits from the Fish and Game Commission defray 

 costs of the department observers. 



One seismic crew operating in Southern California 

 waters from July, 1954, until March, 1955, detonated 

 1,382,826 pounds of black powder with an observed 

 kill of 389 fish. A second, operating in the same general 

 area between October, 1954, and May, 1955, detonated 

 1,148,985 pounds of black powder with an observed 

 kill of 665 fish. No crews operated between May, 

 1955, and January, 1956. Seismic exploration recom- 

 menced in the Santa Barbara area in January with 

 632,070 pounds of black powder detonated between 

 Januar\' and June, 1956. A total of 860 fish was the 

 observed kill. A fourth crew operated in the Santa 

 Barbara area during the biennium and between June 

 11, and June 30, 1956, detonated 51,795 pounds of 

 black powder, killing 56 fish. 



In all, four regular seismic crews operating in South- 

 ern California waters during the biennium detonated 

 3,215,676 pounds of black powder which killed 1,970 

 fish. 



In addition, a series of experimental seismic shots 

 were made in an effort to find a cheaper and safer sub- 

 stitute for black powder that would do as little dam- 

 age to fish life. Observations were made of the use of 

 explosives in pier removal near Elwood and in sewer 

 outfall construction at White Point. 



