50 Per Cent Of Crews Must Be U.S. Citizens

News of signal importance to the Santa Cruz fishing industry was issued last night by the United States Coast Guard headquarters in San Francisco.

Coast Guard spokesman said President Roosevelt had signed an amendment to the anchorage regulations designating Italian aliens as "aliens" instead of enemy aliens, and that the amendment would be effective as soon as published in the Federal Register. Date for publication was set for today.

Italian fishermen would be required to obtain routine identification cards, available at 310 California street in San Francisco. Regular departure licenses would be necessary for all craft. Such licenses require presentation of a complete list of crew members to the captain of the port. At least 50 per cent of the crew of each boat must be of American citizenship.

14 NATIONALS HERE

Santa Cruz municipal wharf spokesman declared that there are some 14 Italian nationals in the fishing colony. These men have been land bound since December 7. They own 16 lampara launches, or about one-fourth of the total number of boats engaged in pre-war fishing operations.

The clause in the amendment signed by the president requiring "50 per cent of the crew of each vessel to be of American citizenship" will particularly hurt the Santa Cruz men inasmuch as they operate small one man launches. This might prove necessary for them to carry an "American citizen passenger" with them out on the high seas.

With the opening of crab season in Monterey bay November 1, it is expected that the Santa Cruz Italian nationals will try this fishery first. Prices in crab markets are on the upswing. Frozen crab meat and canned crab formerly hailing from the coasts of Japan is off the market.

ROCK COD CATCHES GOOD

Catches of rock cod, "the hamburger of the sea," have been good for the past few weeks. Most local boats have been averaging about 600 pounds per catch. The albacore run is through for 1942. Off central California coasts fishing has proved a disappointment and deep sea bass have left Monterey bay waters.

With rationing of meat in the offing, the demand for fresh fish is exceeding all known records."