78 



DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 



fornia, 1,957 convictions were obtained for angling 

 license violations alone. 



LOGGING SURVEY 



In order to rehabilitate potentially good spawning 

 streams, the value of which was destroyed through 

 stream obstructions, debris accumulations and other 

 poor logging practices, wardens in the northern part 

 of the State assisted materially during the biennium 

 in the survey of all streams in Regions I and III to 

 determine the effect of logging on fish habitats. Spe- 

 cial periodic surveys of the Klamath River were made 

 to check on the operation of log dumps. Bark traps 

 were inspected and log rafts watched for possible 

 effects on fishlife. 



Section 482.5 of the Fish and Game Code provides 

 that "No person shall cause or permit to exist any log 

 jam or debris accumulation * * * in any stream  * * 

 in Del Norte, Siskiyou, Trinity, Humboldt, Mendo- 

 cino, Sonoma, and Marin Counties, which will prevent 

 the passing of fish up and down stream or which is 

 deleterious to fish * * *." In certain critical situations 

 arrests were made for violations of 482.5 and success- 

 ful prosecution followed. 



To aid in the maintenance of present good spawn- 

 ing streams and in the restoration of others which had 

 become impassable to migrating steeihead and salmon 

 because of man-made barriers, wardens conferred 

 with timber operators in an effort to reconcile the 

 needs of spawning fish with the demand for more 

 lumber to meet requirements throughout the mush- 

 rooming State. While much remains to be done, prog- 

 ress was made in safeguarding streams vital to the 

 future of steeihead and salmon. 



The Striped Bass Problem 



In the years following the end of World War II, 

 fishing pressure for .striped bass in the Sacramento- 

 San Joaquin Delta region has more than doubled in 

 intensity. In the same period, the striped bass popula- 

 tion has been on a slow and steady downward trend. 

 To safeguard this important fishery, the Fish and 

 Game Commission in February, 1956, raised the mini- 

 mum legal length of striped bass from 12 to 16 inches. 



Wardens in the delta area intensified their patrol of 

 rivers and sloughs to insure compliance with the length 

 requirement. At the same time, inspections of fish 

 markets and restaurants were stepped up to discourage 

 the illegal sale of stripers, and netting operations were 

 closely watched to prevent the retention of this fish 

 which may not be taken commercially. 



During the biennium a game fish long overlooked 

 by anglers gained rapidly in popularity. Shad, present 

 in the State since 1871, at last began to attract interest 

 by a large number of fishermen. One favorite method 

 of taking shad is by means of dip nets during night 

 hours. Since shad is the only species of game fish which 



may be so taken, wardens directed their attention to 

 adequate patrol of this expanding sport, in order to 

 protect other species of fish present during shad runs. 



Pollution Laws Enforced 



Increasing industrialization of the State resulted in 

 expanding water pollution problems. In the San Fran- 

 cisco and Los Angeles areas particularly, pollution 

 problems are chronic. One warden in the former city 

 and two in the latter are assigned primarily to enforce- 

 ment of antipollution laws. During the biennium they 

 remained constantly busy in the investigation of com- 

 plaints, attendance at conferences and regional water 

 pollution control board meetings, and prosecution in 

 court of wilful violations of laws designed to main- 

 tain the purity of state waters. 



Protection of salmon, the most important sport fish 

 taken north of Monterey, accounted for heavy patrol 

 effort. In 1955 the Fish and Game Comnussion 

 changed sport salmon regulations so that it was no 

 longer permissible for ocean anglers to retain one 

 salmon under the minimum length of 22 inches. 

 Wardens concerned themselves with inspections on 

 sport fishing boats to insure that the legal length was 

 observed. 



The mounting popularity of salmon fishing both in 

 ocean waters and in the Sacramento River system 

 required wardens to maintain constant vigilance over 

 spawning beds during the autumn and winter months. 

 Many hours on foot, by car or boat, or aloft in the 

 department's aircraft were expended to insure that 

 salmon would not be molested during the critical 

 period. 



GAME PATROL 



Changes and additions to game seasons did not alter 

 the wardens' work patterns during the biennium as 

 noticeably as did conversions in fishing habits. How- 

 ever, the opening of seasons on some previously un- 

 hunted species and special hunts to reduce deer and 

 elk herds in certain areas affected the over-all work 

 load of the Wildlife Protection Branch. 



checking a hunter's bag is only one of the many duties of a game 



rden. 



(Fish and Ciame Photo) 



