

■''^}i 



~v. 





L^^'\ 



N 





Shrimp vessel unloading its catch at Crescent City. 



— Photo by E. A. Best 



is available and size limits are observed. As the com- 

 mercial catch of the pink abalone, a southern species, 

 has shown a decline since 1952 (\\ith the exception of 

 1957) the investigation has shifted emphasis from 

 Northern to Southern California. 



Over 800 pink abalone were tagged and transplanted 

 during the biennium and their progress is being fol- 

 lowed. Techniques of collecting, holding, and trans- 

 porting have been developed and considerable valuable 

 knowledge is available regarding these processes. 



MARKET CRAB 



The crab fishery has undergone change and expan- 

 sion in recent years. Contributing factors are the in- 

 creased market demand for the whole and processed 

 crab products and the evolution of highly efficient 

 fishing gear and techniques. 



The commercial harvest of the market crab reached 

 record highs of more than 14,000,000 pounds during 

 1956 and 19,000,000 pounds in 1957. These landings 

 far surpassed the previous high mark of 13,000,000 

 pounds set in 1952. The increased catch during the 

 biennium may be attributed to an increase in fishing 

 pressure and the availability on the fishing grounds of 

 highly successful dominant year classes of marketable 

 crabs. The harvest for 1958 appears destined to be 

 above the average for recent years but somewhat be- 

 low the record take of 1957. 



Gear studies were made during the biennium to 

 determine the optimum size for an escape opening in 

 the crab pots that would allow a maximum number of 

 undersized crabs to escape. 



Tagging programs have supplied data concerning 

 migrations of the market crab. Recent development of 

 a new tagging method is expected to furnish data on 

 growth as well as migration. 



Other research activities include analysis of catch 

 statistics and compilation of life history studies of the 

 market crab. 



OCEAN SHRIMP 



California's ocean shrimp industry continues to ex- 

 pand with new plants and new vessels entering the 

 fishery each year. Gains in total landings have oc- 

 curred annually since 1952, despite fluctuations in 

 local areas along the coast. 



Year Landings 



1952 205,485 



1953 287,410 



1954 - -— - 296,857 



1955....„ _.. - 827,733 



1956 - - 1,168,519 



1957 - - 1,376,641 



Shrimp landings for 1958 totaled 706,350 pounds 

 through June 30th— the best early production ever 

 recorded by this fishery. 



Morro Bay beds, closed in 1956 by action of the Fish 

 and Game Commission, were resurveyed by Fish and 

 Game personnel aboard the research vessel Nautilus. 

 Shrimp were present in commercial quantities. Conse- 

 quently, the commission reopened this area to fishing 

 in 1958. 



A quota system that limits annual landings of ocean 

 shrimp, functioned for the first time in Area A (Eu- 

 reka-Crescent City) during 1956 when the 1,000,000- 



