delineate the region where, on the basis of sea temperature averages, most of the albacore would be 

 available in July. Since the prevailing weather and sea temperature patterns may deviate considerably 

 from these averages during the period, we expect to have to modify and update our projections as 

 conditions indicate; these will be forwarded to the fishing community as soon as practicable. 



Preseason scouting activities will be minimal this year. The California Department of Fish and Game 

 R/V N.B. Scofield is undergoing shipyard overhaul, and has been unable to embark on her usual 

 May -June offshore scouting cruise. The loss of Scofield 's valuable preseason participation has already 

 resulted in substantial reduction of our ability to make early-season judgments based on data normally 

 acquired during the cruise. The BCF R/V David Starr Jordan is presently at sea running the CalCOFI 

 sardine-anchovy survey grid hnes and is trolling for albacore in the nearshore region from Punta Eugenia, 

 Baja California, northward to off Monterey Bay before returning to port on June 22. Jordan first 

 reported taking four albacore near San Juan Seamount (33° N, 121° W) on June 12. This catch is the 

 first authenticated report available this season, and suggests that the fish may be arriving on the Pacific 

 Coast feeding grounds up to 2-3 weeks earlier than in the past 3 years. 



The open ocean in the region encompassing the general migratory route of albacore (130-150° W) has 

 shown large-scale warming trends in late May and early June. Thus, if the warming trend continues, we 

 expect to see an appreciable portion of the incoming migrants diverted into northern waters instead of 

 southern Cahfornia. The Guadalupe Island area and the region to the northwest may produce some 

 early-season catches, but we expect the fishery to advance rapidly northward from San Juan Seamount 

 to west of Davidson Seamount by the end of July. 



July landings in southern California should reflect a return to more normal conditions and be near the 

 1940-66 average of about 6,600,000 pounds (3,300 tons). Total California season landings cannot yet be 

 estimated, but we expect that they may also fall near the 1940-66 average of 30,000,000 pounds 

 (15,000 tons). 



The Oregon-Washington region is expected to receive a significant portion of the total U.S. West 

 Coast albacore production this year, but total landings are expected to fall somewhat below 1966-67 

 levels. 



The BCF R/V Jordan 's recent early-season albacore catch continues to demonstrate the value of 

 preseason scouting cruises to determine the arrival time of the albacore tuna in Pacific Coast offshore 

 waters. Even if successful forecasting of environmental conditions were possible, knowledge of these 

 trends would not necessarily enable us to predict the availability of the fish in both time and space. 

 Without having additional life history and other vital statistics from the entire North Pacific albacore 

 population, we can make only certain conclusions which are based on other information sources. 



R/V David Starr Jordan is scheduled to survey the northern California-southern Oregon offshore 

 region from July 15 to August 16. Major objectives of this cruise will include estabhshing the 

 distribution and availability of albacore in offshore waters during the middle of the Pacific coast season, 

 and to test prospects for commercial exploitation of albacore beyond the traditional hmits of the fishery 

 (about 300 miles). During the cruise, pertinent information will be radioed daily to WWD for 

 re-broadcast as part of the daily albacore fishing information sununary. The information gained from 

 Jordan should be of prime value to fishermen and processors in updating mid-season projections this 

 year. 



BLUEFINTUNA 



The high-seas purse seine fleet has already begun intensified scouting in the Cape San Lazaro-Cape 

 San Lucas, Baja Cahfornia offshore region. Boats returning from the yellowfin fishing area south of Cape 

 San Lucas have reported sighting bluefin "jumpers" in cold, green water near Cape San Lucas and 

 northward to near Point Tosco in the past 2 weeks. In addition, one sportfishing boat recently reported 

 taking a few 10-15 pound bluefin in the Guadalupe Island area, about 400 miles to the northwest. 



In recent years, bluefin fishing activity has commenced in lower Baja California by the last week of 

 May. This year, however, the fishery is expected to develop later than usual because of significant 



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