UC San Diego Library – Scripps Digital Collection

This publication presents the total landings of commercial fish and shipments into California in the year 1951.

All catch statistics are influenced by economic demand as well as by the abundance of the supply. In using and interpreting the statistics of 1951, at least two economic factors must be considered.

The year 1951 was one of crises in the tuna industry. The phenomenal growth in the post-war years of the tuna fleet with its augmented catch, in conjunction with increased imports of canned and frozen tuna from abroad, gradually piled up a surplus of unsold goods. Early in 1951 the industry was forced to call a halt, and throughout the year the local fleet was either idle or fishing on a rotation basis. Whereas 193 regular tuna boats made 887 deliveries in 1950, 227 tuna boats in 1951 made only 818 deliveries. The average number of deliveries in 1951, 3.6 per boat, compares with 4.6 per boat in 1950. The decrease in catch was not proportionate. The explanation is that when in 1951 a vessel was released to fish, it stayed out until it filled its holds, knowing that it would be tied up again when it returned; whereas in 1950 it was often more productive to return to port with a partial load. These factors must be considered when interpreting the catch of 1951.

While the tuna fleet was idle, the industry was active in attempting legislative curbs on foreign imports. The common threat to the domestic plants and fleet forced concerted action on the part of all concerned. Such effort may have a profound effect upon the future of the tuna fishery.

Meanwhile in the sardine industry the year witnessed the culmination of a trend, associated with the decline in the fishery, from reduction to canning. Although 84 permits were issued to reduce a total of 150,000 tons of sardines, only 1,022 tons of this amount were used. The reasons were largely economic. The season's catch was roughly only 35 percent of that of the preceding year and the price per ton went up accordingly. This high price coupled with a strong demand for canned sardines took the incentive and the profit out of reduction, and everything that could be packed went into the cans.

The failure of the sardine fishery was absolute in northern California, and almost so at Monterey. This stimulated wholesale trucking of fish both north and south. of the 25,000 tons processed in Monterey plants, only 878 tons were landed there by fishing boats. The balance was received by truck and originated almost entirely in southern California. At the same time, so great was competition for sardines, that many of the canners in the Los Angeles region trucked loads to their plants from Santa Barbara and Port Hueneme.

These are but two of the economic factors which influenced the catch of 1951. Numerous others were operative, and must be evaluated in any analyses of the detailed catch statistics.