Wildlife Protection 



A warden checks a string of bass at Santa Margarita Lake, San Luis Obispo County. 



-Fish and Game Photo 



Land patrol activities and responsibilities increased 

 during the biennium in many areas as new reservoirs, 

 such as Lake Berryessa in Napa County and Lake Isa- 

 bella in Kern County, began to produce good fishing 

 within a few hours drive of population centers. Ex- 

 tended quail and pheasant seasons, introduction of bear 

 license tags, lengthened chukar partridge seasons, es- 

 tablishment of a burro sanctuary, an alarming reduc- 

 tion in salmon spawning runs, numerous special deer 

 hunts, and other changing patterns all tended to place 

 additional work upon land wardens throughout the 

 State. 



An increase in workload was also experienced bv 

 marine patrol wardens as ocean waters gradually re- 

 ceived heavier angling pressure. Excellent runs of 

 bonito, white seabass, barracuda and yellowtail in 

 southern waters, an increased number of commercial 



abalone divers in the central coast area, the dwindling 

 supply of salmon available to commercial fishermen, 

 greater interest commercial!)' in the northern shrimp 

 fishery, and a boom in the sport of skin diving all 

 contributed to the necessity for additional enforce- 

 ment activities of Marine wardens. 



The overall increased hunting and fishing activity 

 also resulted in a sharp rise in arrests during the bi- 

 ennium. While the number of enforcement personnel 

 increased 1 3 percent, arrests surmounted the previous 

 biennial figure by 30 percent. Some 23,733 hunters 

 and anglers were haled into court during the 1956-58 

 period and paid the staggering sum of $696,730.50 in 

 fines, an average of 129.36 per errant sportsman. 



Although angling license sales dropped only four 

 percent during the January 1, 1958, to June 30, 1958, 

 period when the new angling license stamp require- 



[2.] 



