UC San Diego Library – Scripps Digital Collection

Catch bulletins provide records of California's commercial fisheries and their value to fishermen. They also summarize the marine partyboat angler's catch. The report for 1963 is the 23rd in the series. Prior records have been published regularly beginning with those for 1926 and 1927. In recent years, catch bulletins have been published annually instead of biennially. Records are obtained from each wholesale fish dealer or processor who receives fish from fishermen or who processes fish. Partyboat operators record each trip's catch, and these records are also sent to the Department. Clerical personnel in strategic locations (Eureka, San Francisco, Monterey, Terminal Island, and San Diego) maintain contact with fish dealers and local Fish and Game wardens to insure that the records are accurate and transmitted promptly. All data are edited and subsequently processed by electric accounting machines. Landings of inshore bait have become of increasing interest and are included among this year's statistics. We are indebted to Sterling P. Davis for his initial work in this area and the continued enthusiasm of Ken Aasen, our field representative. Both have encouraged the cooperation of bait dealers and the Fish and Game wardens, enabling us to present the first figures to indicate the magnitude of the fishery. Published figures are of national and international concern, but they are used primarily by fisheries scientists and state legislators to manage and regulate California's important fisheries. Chambers of commerce, members of the fishing industry, educators, and others also find these catch statistics of value.