IN 1892 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FISH CORP. WAS THE FIRST CANNERY IN LOS
LOS ANGELES HARBOR. IN 1903 A TECHNIQUE OF PREPARING AND CANNING WAS
DEVELOPED TO CAN SARDINES, MACKEREL, BLUEFIN TUNA, YELLOWFIN TUNA AND
ALBACORE. IN 1912 THE FIRST FRESH FISH MARKET WAS INTRODUCED IN SAN
PEDRO AND ALONG WITH OTHER MARKETS THAT FOLLOWED, THEY EVENTUALLY
SUPPLIED FRESH AND ICED FISH THROUGHOUT OUR NATION.
BEFORE LONG, FLOTILLAS OF PURSE SEINE BOATS WERE SAILING DOWN FROM
NORTHERN WATERS TO FISH IN SAN PEDRO. BY 1920 THERE WAS A LARGE
FLEET OF FISHING BOATS AND METHODS OF FISHING SUCH AS PURSE SEINE,
LAMPARA, JIG, LIVE BAIT, GILL NET, MACKEREL SCOOPERS AND LONG LINE
BOATS. LOS ANGELES HARBOR BECAME THE LARGEST FISHING PORT IN THE
NATION. THE FISHING INDUSTRY IN SAN PEDRO WAS ORIGINATED PRIMARILY
BY EUROPEAN AND ASIAN FISHERMEN EACH BRINGING FISHING KNOWLEDGE FROM
THEIR NATIVE LANDS.
IN 1935, FOLLOWING THE DEPRESSION, 6,000 PEOPLE WERE DIRECTLY EMPLOYED
IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY. ITS PAYROLL WAS THE LARGEST IN SAN PEDRO,
APPROXIMATELY THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS PER MONTH. THE
INDUSTRY WAS AT ITS PEAK DURING WORLD WAR II. DURING THE FIFTIES,
SARDINES AND MACKEREL GRADUALLY DIMINISHED CAUSING THE DECLINE OF THE
INDUSTRY IN SAN PEDRO.
IN 1992 THE FISHERMEN'S FIESTA COMMITTEE PLANNED TO ERECT A FISHERMEN'S
MEMORIAL. IN 1995, A NEW VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE OF FISHERMEN'S DESCENDENTS
AND FISHERMEN WAS FORMED TO SEE TO PROJECT TO COMPLETION. THIS BEAUTIFUL
MEMORIAL WAS THEN CONCEIVED WITH A BRONZE FISHERMAN AND A MEMORIAL WALL
TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF THE FISHING INDUSTRY. WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF
OUR CITY'S 15TH DISTRICT COUNCILMAN, RUDY SVORINICH JR., L.A.
DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION AND PARKS, L.A. CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AND
THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE COMMUNITY OF SAN PEDRO THIS MEMORIAL
BECAME A REALITY.
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