tuna: san diego’s famous fishing industry tuna: san diego’s famous fishing industry compiled by...

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Tuna: San Diego’s Famous Fishing Industry

Compiled by Amy Brandt, Karen Dooley, Matthew Schiff, and Iris Engstrand

In this pictorial essay, we honor both the tuna fish and those of the tuna industry whose history goes back to ancient times. Tuna have been important in the life of man from the beginning of recorded history—and probably even before. The earliest peoples of the Mediterranean harvested bluefin tuna from the Strait of Gibraltar in the West to the Black Sea in the East. Ancient scholars, delighted with the taste and abundance of tuna, wrote about tuna in poetry and plays, drew pictures of tuna on pottery and coins, and inscribed images of tuna into niches and over doorways.

Two areas well known for tuna fishing were the ancient Phoenician city of Gades—today’s Cádiz on the Atlantic coast of southern Spain—and the city-state of Cyzicus on the Sea of Marmara, which featured the tuna fish on its highly circulated coins. Artistotle in the fourth century BCE wrote about “tunnies” and other fish moving in and out of the Black Sea. One of the earliest accounts of the exotic flavor of tuna comes from the poet Hipponax of Ephesus [Turkey] in the sixth century BCE who wrote a poem about a man who spent his life dining every day on tuna and spicy cheesecake.

The journal of Antonio Pigafetta, the Italian diarist on the Pacific voyage of Ferdinand Magellan (Fernando Magallanes), a Portuguese navigator sailing under the flag of Spain, wrote in his diary in December 1520 that:

There are, three sorts of fish in this ocean a cubit or more in length, which are named Dorades [mahi mahi or dolphin], Albacores and

Amy Brandt and Karen Dooley are candidates for the MA degree in history at the University of San Diego. Matthew Schiff, marketing manager at the San Diego History Center, received his MA degree in history at the University of San Diego in 2011. Iris Engstrand, co-editor of The Journal of San Diego History, is the author of books on local history including San Diego: California’s Corner-stone, Sunbelt, 2005, and The San Diego Yacht Club: A History, 1886-2000, San Diego, 2000.

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The Journal of San Diego History

Child posing with tuna catch at Westgate Cannery. Sensor ©SDHC #6-119.

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Tuna: San Diego's Famous Fishing Industry

Bonita. These follow and hunt another kind of fish that flies and which we call Colondriny [sea swallows—from Golondrina], a foot in length and very good to eat. And when the three kinds of fish find the Colondriny in the water they chase them and make them fly—and they fly for as long as their wings are wet, about the distance a man can fire a crossbolt. And while the Colondriny fly, the other fish swim after them, seeing and following their shadow; so that as soon as they enter the water, they attempt to seize and devour them—a merry and marvelous thing to see!1

The Portuguese and Italians, and all those living on the coasts of the Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas, as well as the peoples of Japan, China, Korea and other regions of Asia and the Pacific Rim knew the value of fishing for tuna. Their descendants participated in founding the tuna industry in San Diego and are featured in the following photographs. Although the purse seiners of the tuna fleet are no longer docked along San Diego’s embarcadero, the headquarters of Bumble Bee Foods and Chicken of the Sea are located in the City of San Diego while StarKist is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. These companies, along with the American Tuna Boat Association, have generously underwritten the tuna exhibition featured in the 2012 Makers of History celebration.

1. Antonio Pigafetta, Magellan’s Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First Circumnavigation (New Haven: Yale Univeristy Press, 1969), 54.

In 1951, the tuna clipper baitboat Conte Bianco was built at National Steel Shipbuilding of San Diego. In 1959, the vessel was converted from a baitboat to a seiner under Captain Louis Castagnola. The seiner is docked at the Grape Street Pier in San Diego, awaiting orders to unload its catch of tuna. Photo Courtesy American Tunaboat Asssociation Zolezzi Photographic Collection, Maritime Museum of San Diego.

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The tuna clipper baitboat Triunfo in San Diego Harbor. Built in 1937 by Campbell Machine with George E. Campbell as Managing Owner. Converted to U.S. Navy YP 277 with loss of vessel and life by explosion and fire off French Frigate Shoal on May 23, 1942. Photo Courtesy American Tunaboat Asssociation Zolezzi Photographic Collection, Maritime Museum of San Diego.

Tuna fishermen landing a big one. ©SDHC #84: 14821-11.

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Woman handpacking tuna at Sun Harbor Packing Company, 1948. ©SDHC #89: 17118-419.

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Crew members removing a tuna purse seine (net) from unidentified tuna clipper seiner at the Embarcadero for inspection, repair and replacement. ©SDHC #92: 18835-2120.

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In 1961, the newly built tuna clipper seiner Royal Pacific in San Diego. Commanded by Captain Lou Brito, this is one of first tuna clipper seiners to be built as a seiner and not converted from a military hull or tuna clipper baitboat. ©SDHC #UT85-B8707.

Crew of the Mary Barbara launched in 1947. (L-R back row) Jay Mellusi (skipper), Mario Di Bona, H. R. Knox, Dominick Di Bona, Abe Bruni, Frank Asaro, A. A. Asaro. (L-R front) G. Rodriguez (cook), Charles Piro, Santo Tarantino, Frank Camarda (chief engineer). ©SDHC #9: 19359-8.

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Italian families mending nets, 1917. ©SDHC #1998-032.60.

Tuna clipper baitboat Paramount in San Diego. Built as a tuna clipper seiner in 1937 by Lake Washington Shipyard, Washington, for San Pedro tuna fishermen. Managing owners included Hjarmar F. Olsson, French Sardine Company. Captain Edward X. Madruga of San Diego converted the vessel at Campbell Machine from a tuna clipper seiner to a tuna clipper baitboat in 1940. Converted to U.S. Navy YP 289 during WW II, it was lost in service during 1944 typhoon off Okinawa. Photo Courtesy American Tunaboat Asssociation Zolezzi Photographic Collection, Maritime Museum of San Diego.

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Dominic Ghio holding up fish. ©SDHC #2009-10.126.Anthony Bregante, 1958. ©SDHC #UT 85-8640.

Tuna clipper baitboat Pacific Queen, built in 1938 by Harbor Boat Works and Peter Rask of San Diego. Managing Owner and Captain Tom Carniglia. ©SDHC #85-15342.

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Tuna clipper baitboat American Beauty docked in San Diego after 1942 conversion to U.S. Navy YP 514. Built in 1938 by Campbell Machine for Van Camp Sea Food Co. Photo Courtesy American Tunaboat Asssociation Zolezzi Photographic Collection, Maritime Museum of San Diego.

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Tuna clipper purse seiner Sun Europa belonging to Sam Crivello. Painting by Joe Miller. Courtesy of A. Crivello.

Monterey style fishing fleet at dock in San Diego Harbor, 1920s. ©SDHC #S-234.

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Pacific Fisherman, December 1953.

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Crew of the Lusitania left to right: Alphonse Neves, Victor Rosa, João Henrique Avila, Antonio Rosa, Johnny Neves, three Van Camp Seafood executives, and Jose Rosa. Manuel G. Rosa seated. Photo courtesy of the Rosa family archives.

Tuna clipper baitboat Lusitania, Captain Manuel G. Rosa, after rebuilding in 1940s. Compare with picture of the vessel taken during the early 1930s on page 14. ©SDHC #89-17618.

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Chicken of the Sea Advertisement 1949.

Advertisement from Bumble Bee tuna ca. 1950.

Advertisement from Bumble Bee tuna ca. 1950.

Charlie - people don’t want tunas with good taste, they want good tasting tuna.

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Pacific Fisherman Annual Statistical Number January 25, 1933. p. 108.

tuna: san diego’s famous fishing industry tuna: san diego’s famous fishing industry compiled by...

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