64 



DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME 



the angling pressure exerted by the sportsman is felt 

 to be an important link in the decline of the halibut, 

 particularly since 1947. 



Tagging ^\as started in March, 1956, and approxi- 

 mately 8,000 halibut were tagged by the end of the 

 biennium in California waters. Tag returns have aver- 

 aged about 5 percent a year, but improved methods 

 recently developed should increase returns substan- 

 tially. Commercial fishermen have all but abandoned 

 the fishery, with the exception of two or three tram- 

 mel net operators. Trawlers catch halibut incidentally 

 ■while tra\\"ling for other species. 



SURF FISHES 



The detailed results of the surf fishing investigation, 

 which terminated near the end of the biennium, will 

 appear in two biological bulletins, one on barred surf- 

 perch, the other on California corbina and spotfin and 

 yellowfin croakers. These bulletins wall cover the life 

 histories, tagging studies, voluntary catch statistics, 

 and a creel census analysis. The barred perch bulletin 

 gives a considerable amount of ecological information, 

 especially that from beach seining operations, in which 



P<!wCef So^ 0<!iCcA^ 



about 128,000 fish of 72 species were taken during the 

 period from February, 1953, to September, 1956. Some 

 7,000 fish for biological study and tagging were taken 

 from the project species which formed part of this 

 total. Another 4,000 specimens, including fish for tag- 

 ging, were taken by trawl net and other means. 



Barred perch made up over 73 percent of the beach 

 seine catch of the four species; California corbina, 17.5 

 percent; spotfin croaker, 8 percent; and yellowfin 

 croaker, 1 Vj percent. 



In the surf fisherman's catch the barred surf perch 

 predominated along the entire Southern California 

 coast, making up virtually 100 percent of the catch 

 north of Santa A4onica Bay, and about 80 percent 

 south of there. It was followed by California corbina, 

 spotfin croaker, and yellowfin croaker in that order. 



Marine biologists E. J. Smith, left, and Leo Pinkus, right, check size and take scale samples from unidentified sportsman's catch of barracuda. 



— Fish and Game Photo 



