UC San Diego Library – Scripps Digital Collection

California is unusually fortunate because among her varied natural resources she has a large marine fish population in the waters along her thousand-mile coast line. Her ocean fisheries rank near the top in the natural wealth of the state.

The value derived from the possession of an extensive fish population of varied species can not be expressed wholly by a monetary standard. Besides supplying food, the fisheries of California have afforded recreation to the people of the state and nation, for every year thousands enjoy the privilege of catching marine fish at the surf or out on the ocean in boats.

The people of California should know the magnitude of their fisheries and to what extent they are being utilized. If a species is being depleted it should be given protection by efficient legislation. It is equally important to know which of the fisheries has no need of protection, so that legislation will not be passed which would hinder the efficient use of that fishery. The following report of the investigation of the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) has been written to advise the people of California as to this fishery.

The report is divided into three parts: (1) general information about the species, (2) description of the gear and fishing methods of the commercial fishermen, and (3) description of the analysis of boat catches.