Monterey Sardines, circa 1957

Fishermen unload their catch of sardines on Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey circa 1957.  In the mid-20th century, the sardine fishery off the Monterey coast seemed bottomless, resulting in a network of canneries along the waterfront on Cannery Row. At their peak, they processed millions of pounds of fish each year while providing jobs to thousands. In the 1940s, the Pacific coast sardine catch accounted for around 25% of the total seafood catch in the U.S..  Sardines started to decline by the mid-1940s.  The current thinking is that a combination of over-fishing, pollution, and the natural cycle of the sardine contributed to the rapid decline in the late 1940s.  (Monterey Herald Archives)