“NEWS OF THE WATERFRONT – Cannery At Roseville To Buy ONLY Albacore – The former HIGH SEAS CANNERY at Roseville, now officially known as PLANT 5 of STAR-KIST FOODS, INC., will buy only albacore this season, it was reported yesterday. It is understood that all albacore, yellowfin, and skipjack hereafter will be canned at San Pedro. Mr. John Xitco, former plant manager, has been transferred to Terminal Island, San Pedro. He has been appointed General Supervisor for Procurement for the StarKist Canneries and Fishing Fleet. Mr. R. J. Welliver, for 12 years Office Manager & Treasurer of the High Seas plant, has resigned effective Friday. Mr. Welliver said he would remain in San Diego. Only two canneries are now operating in this port. They are VAN CAMP and WESTGATE-CALIFORNIA. At one period in the history of the tuna industry, San Diego had seven canneries (at least – ed.).
Fishermen report the albacore season is off to a slow start. Only 39 albacore (not ‘tons’, just individual ‘fish’! – ed.) have been brought to port this month, 27 on the ‘BETTY KEN’ and 12 on the ‘DANTE’.”
(*Source: San Diego Union & DAILY BEE newspaper – Wednesday, June 13, 1956 – Pg. 7)
*Editorial Note: Unless I find some more information, I believe this summer of 1956 effectively ENDS the existence of the Roseville tuna cannery, a business literally central to the Portuguese-American community of San Diego since its beginnings circa 1922, a period of 34 years (a full generation, at least), and perhaps the truest precursor of the death of the entire San Diego “Tuna Capital of the World” moniker, if not the entire United States-based tuna fishing industry? – ed.