January 8, 1952 – Truman Asked to Sit In on Tuna Tariff Battle (Washington D.C.) – The stage was being set here today for a dramatic fight in the Senate and the White House for new and increased tuna tariffs.
Battle lines are being drawn by Southern California fishing industry leaders. They claim that additional tariffs to curb increasing tuna imports are the surest way to prevent the San Pedro and San Diego tuna fleets and packers from going broke. – New Developments – In the wake of disclosures that powerful interests are attempting to block additional tuna tariffs, there were these new developments today in the capitol: President Truman has been asked to discuss the tuna tariff situation with Southern California fisheries leaders. The request for a conference was sent to the White House by Charles Carey, Director of the fisheries products division of the National Canners’ Association. IF the president agrees to a conference, he will be given a fill-in primarily on the background for a California Fish Canners Association petition to the Tariff Commission for higher duties on imported tuna, bonito or yellowtail canned in brine and bonito and yellowtail canned in oil. – *Hearing January 29 – The commission has been set for January 29 for a hearing. If it recommends increased tariffs, only the President can put them into effect. With Carey, Montgomery Philster (a San Pedro president of the California Canners’ group, and other West Coast fisheries officials) will call on the Chief Executive IF he grants them an audience. Meanwhile, Chairman Walter George (D-Ga) of the Senate finance committee, has advised Sen. Warren Magnuson (D-Wash) that a bill establishing a 3¢ per-pound tariff on presently Duty Free fresh and frozen imported tuna will be “the first order of business” when his committee reconvenses. Committee staff members estimated January 21st as the earliest date a hearing could be scheduled on the House-approved measure.
January 11, 1952 – TUNA CHIEFS MEET TO MAP QUOTA PLEA – Request to Limit Imports to Be Presented Before Tariff Commission Hearing January 9th – Leaders in Southern California’s tuna industry, endangered by heavy imports of duty-free Japanese and Peruvian tuna, met yesterday in San Pedro to complete plans to present requests for tuna import quotas before the Tariff Commission hearing in Washington D.C. on January 29th. Dr. W. M. Chapman, Research Director of the American Tunaboat Association, an organization of San Diego tuna clipper owners, outlined the industry’s strategy. He said the Tariff Commission will be asked to recommend legislation calling for limitation of tuna imports from 15 to 20% of the total 1951 tuna market in this country. – Quota Necessary – He said that such a quota is necessary if the Southland tuna industry is to stay in business. He pointed out that the industry has ranked 4th or 5th among ALL industries in the State. He said the Southern California pack represents $113,000,000 (equivalent to $1,128,133,455 today – ed.) in new wealth annually. Dr. Chapman said the government commission will be asked, too, to set up temporary import quotas pending their further study of the situation and a permanent arrangement as to quotas. The House of Representatives at it’s last session passed a bill levying a duty of 3¢ cents per pound on imported frozen tuna. – Goes to Senate – The Senate is expected to pass on this bill soon, according to Dr. Chapman. He noted that strong opposition to both the proposed tariffs and quotas on imprted tuna has turned up in recent months. He said the opposition is led by Brayton Wilbur, a San Francisco fish importer, and Nick Bez, a Seattle cannery operator and fishing crony of President Truman. Dr. Chapman said they have established a lobby in Washington D. C. against the two protective measures. He said that he doesn’t believe the State Department will offer serious opposition to the proposals. Dr. Chapman will leave for Washington D.C. in a few days to help present the Southland industry’s proposals. Other tuna leaders at yesterday’s meeting who will make the trip also include: Mongomery Phister, President of the Calfornia Fish Canners Asscoiation; John Real, Manager of the Fisherman’s Cooperative Assn. of San Pedro; Anthony Sokolich, Secretary of the Internation Fishermen’s Union; William Wagner, President of the Small Fishboat Owners’ Assn., and John Calise, Secretary of the Seine and Line Fishermen’s Association.
January 31, 1952 – Tuna Fleet’s Tie-up Hikes Poultry Cost – The tie-up of the San Diego tuna fleet is increasing the cost of raising POULTRY in the county, said Ralph Sexauer, manager of the San Diego Co-Operative Poultry Association today. Sexauer said members of his organization use between 200 and 250 tons of tuna meal a month as part of a balanced feed. Now that this tuna meal is not available the poultry raisers are forced to use the more expensive herring meal from Canada.
April 17, 1952 – New Tuna Fleet Slowdown Seen – A renewed slowdown in operations of the San Diego tuna clipper fleet was imminent today. HIGH SEAS TUNA PACKING CO. (in Point Loma) announced it is ordering it’s boats to remain in port, after unloading catches, one day for each 15 tons delivered from a previous voyage. The purpose is to prevent an accumulation of inventories such as caused a tie-up of the entire San Diego fleet for several months last year. – Seek Prompt Action – Meanwhile, Mayor John Butler announced that a delegation of local industry leaders will go to Washington D.C. soon to advocate prompt action by Congress on a proposed tariff which would levy $60 per ton (i.e. 3¢ per lb. – ed.) on fresh and frozen tuna imported from Japan and South America. The industry contends that it is being choked by these low-priced imports.
June 10, 1952 – San Diego Tuna Plant Reopens – Ending a 6-month shutdown, VAN CAMP SEA FOOD CO.’s big tuna cannery was reopened today to process fish delivered from the southern banks. Glenn Copeland, Plant Manager, said the extent of operations will depend on competitive conditions, including the volume of tuna imported from JAPAN and SOUTH AMERICA.
In recent months all Van Camp boats had unloaded at the company’s Terminal Island cannery. Reopening of the San Diego plant means that all local tuna packing houses are again open after a long period of idleness.
October 23, 1952 – Jap Tuna Exports ‘On the Increase’ – Washington D.C. – Japanese export of fresh and frozen tuna to the United States, in competition with Southern California fishing fleets, are rising steadily, the Interior Department’s Fish & Wildlife Service reported today. To back up it’s statement, the service quoted August exports of 11,788,180 pounds to this country, compared with 9,552,549 in the same month last year. Below lists a summation of the article, comparing the increases/countries by the same time range:
JAPAN
Fresh/Frozen tuna: From 30,158,749 to 38,871,457 lbs. (+28.8%) compared as above.
Tuna in Brine: From 2,827,141 to 11,671,623 (+312.8%) compared as above.
Canned tuna in Oil: 69,881 (August ‘51) to 339,274 lbs. (+385.5%), despite a 45% ad valorem duty (Note: ad valorem is Latin for “according to value” – ed.).
Tuna in Oil: 1,903,726 to 2,669,958 (+40.2%) compared as above.
*Note: A U.S. State Dept. reported a dispatch from the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo that read, “the Japanese government now officially has authorized the 6,000-ton boost in a self-imposed quota limiting exports of fresh/frozen tuna to the United States. The quota now is 18,000 instead of 12,000 tons, Neville reported. There have been reports that Japan was about to shove the quota upward.”
COSTA RICA
Fresh/Frozen tuna: From 484,574 to 603,442 lbs. (+24.5%) compared as above.
PERU
Fresh/FrozenTuna: From 319,511 to 297,574 lbs. (-6.9%) compared as above.
Canned bonito: From 320,042 to 899,090 lbs. (+180.9%) compared as above.
November 22, 1952 – Hearings opened in Washington D.C. on Higher Tuna Tariff – San Diego tuna men claimed the U.S. State Department was making it tough by encouraging JAPANESE IMPORTS to come in. But other canners – especially in the Northwest and East – retorted that the San Diego canners wanted a complete monopoly and that Japanese tuna helped the market.
December 29, 1952 – Tuna Troubles – A survey by San Diego Union reporter John Springer (also published in the San Pedro News-Pilot) prompted by the fact that 30 tunaboats have been lost or damaged this year. Some have been lost to fire, others to storm or other mishap; but together at a loss of $5,800,000 (equivalent to $56,657,725 today – ed.).
But the boat losses are only the spectacular part in the industry’s trouble, Springer found in talking to 22 prominent insurance men, bankers, union officials, fisheries experts, skippers, fishermen and boat builders.
The MAIN thing, writes Springer, is the avalanche of duty-free fresh and frozen tuna, and dutiable tuna canned in oil or brine.
The imports have cut into the American market so much that Springer estimates that San Diego’s overall operations are down 30% this year. As a result, canneries have limited trips for tuna clippers, morale and earning of boat owners and fishermen have dropped, and the value of boats has skidded. As earning fell, some of the experienced fishermen have taken other work, and some boat owners have lost their craft through foreclosure of mortgages.
Springer attributes some of the tunaboat losses to low morale leading to carelessness and lower boat maintenance standards due to less earnings. The answer to the problem is a protective tariff so that American-caught and canned tuna can be competitive in price with the imported stuff.
*Editorial Note: The importing of fresh/frozen tuna into the United States from Japan increased from 9,000,000 lbs in 1948 to 80,000,000 this year (an increase of +788% in 5 years).