COMMERCIAL BE WIE LE FISHERIE SINCE IEEE S2+sane BANSHIU MARU. NO 35 Vol. T= Fa ae Talk ‘NOVEMBER 1952 FISH and WILDLIFE SERVICE United States Department of the Interior W ashington, D.C. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE OSCAR L. CHAPMAN, Secretary ALBERT M. DAY, Director = COMMERCIAL REY FW ’ FISHERIES? A REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS AND NEWS OF THE FISHERY INDUSTRIES PREPARED IN THE BRANCH OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES m ,) StF A. W. Anderson, Editor R. T. Whiteleather, Associate Editor J. Pilegg1, Assistant Editor Applications for COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW, which is mailed free to members of the fishery industries and allied interests, should be addressed to the Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Department of the Interior, Washington 25, D.C. The contents of this publication have not been copyrighted and may be reprinted freely; however, reference to the source will be appreciated. The Service assumes no responsibility. for the accuracy of material from outside sources. The printing of this publication has been approved by the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, December 15, 1949. CONTENTS COVER: THE 1,000=TON CARGO VESSEL BANSU MARU NO. 35 COMING ALONG= SIDE THE JAPANESE TUNA MOTHERSHIP TENYO MARU NO. 2 TO TAKE ON A LOAD OF 1CED FISH FOR THE JAPANESE FRESH=F1SH MARKET. VESSELS OF THE BANSU MARU NO, 35 TYPE WERE EMPLOYED BY THE EIGHTH JAPA= NESE MOTHERSHIP=TYPE TUNA EXPEDITION IN THE WESTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC TO TRANSPORT FISH TO BE MARKETED FRESH IN JAPAN. (SEE PAGE 1 OF THIS ISSUE. PAGE JAPANESE MOTHERSHIP=TYPE TUNA@FISHING OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC, JUNE= OCTOBER 1951 (REPORT ON THE SEVENTH, EIGHTH, AND NINTH EXPEDITIONS), BY WILVAN G. VAN 710212 OOIOOOIOIOUIOOIOCOCOCOOOOOOCOOOOUCOOUOCOOOOOOOOOUOCCOUCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCIOOOOOOOCG 1 ss 2 HH PAGE PAGE RESEARCH IN SERVICE LABORATORIES: .cececeeeoe 10 4 TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS (CONTD. Dis PROGRESS ON PROJECTS, OCTOBER 1952 . 10 PACIFIC OCEANIC FISHERY INVESTIGATIONS: TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRAM CHANGES wees 11 EXPERIMENTAL TUNA=FISHING OPERATION TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS: ecccccsccecerccore 12 BY CAVALIERI SUCCESSFUL .ccoccsesccee 20 RECOVERY AND PALATABILITY OF DIFFERENT WHOLESALE AND RETAIL PRICES: SPECIES OF SHRIMP AFTER COOKING oeceece 12 WHOLESALE PRICES, SEPTEMBER 1952 .eee. 20 CONNECTICUT RIVER SHAD FISHERY, 1952... 13 RETAIL PRICES, SEPTEMBER 1952 ocessece 21 FEDERAL PURCHASES OF FISHERY PRODUCTS 2. 13 | FOREIGN! cceccccoccccccccecceoccsaccccecs 23 FUR=SEAL SKIN PRICES ADVANCE SHARPLY AT INTERNATIONALS FALE AUGTINON) ‘tcavctslar ere cleree mieletamcle sicletaiien al: FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANI ZATION: GEAR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT: |NDO=PACIFIC FISHERIES COUNCIL AGREE- UNDERWATER SOUND FISH-LOCATING EXPERI- MENT ACCEPTED BY JAPAN socccecccecse 23 MENUS! o6060c00000000000G00000000000000 14 REPORT ON FIRST MEETING OF THE GLOUCESTER MENHADEN LANDINGS, 1952 wees. 15. MEDITERRANEAN FISHERIES COUNCIL .... 23 GULF EXPLORATORY FISHERY PROGRAM: NORTHWEST ATLANTIC FISHERIES OREGON CATCHES TUNA W|]TH TROLLING GEAR COMMISSION: I GULP (ROP MO 1S) cosccdoanconoces 16 . REPORT OF SECOND ANNUAL MEETING weooe 23 OREGON OBTAINS SHRIMP CATCH DATA FOR BASIC STATISTICAL REQUIREMENTS .eose. 26 FALL SEASON (TRIP NO. 16) .ccccesccese 16 WHALING: HUDSON RIVER SHAD FISHERY, 1952 coeseceoee 17 WHALE OIL PRICES, 1952/53 .eseveccece 26 NEW ENGLAND TUNA EXPLORATIONS: FEW WHALING EXPEDITIONS FOR 1952/53 FEW TUNA CAUGHT BY MARJORIE PARKER ON SEASON sretsicicieicletcleretciolecioleieletollstetereietelele/- maa LAST TRIP (EXPLORATORY FISHING CRUISE ANGOLA (PORTUGUESE WEST AFRICA): - NOLO) cites arsieiam wisleicine se oeanawonesene de FISH MEAL PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS, 1951 27 NORTH PACIFIC EXPLORATORY FISHERY PRO- ARGENTINE REPUBLIC: GRAM: WHALE AND SEAL OIL, 1951/52 SEASON ... 27 DEEP=WATER TRAWLING EXPLORED BY JOHN Ne AUSTRALIA: Goris) ((GHWIGE NOs 19) codccsuooogsca0e0 19 CANNED FISH MARKETS SOUGHT IN UNITED JOHN Ne COBB TO INVESTIGATE COMMERCIAL KIINGDOMMeetntcseteeteisteieinintelotelereherertevstalel-lo mec HERRING FISHING POSSIBILITIES IN CANADA: SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA (EXPLORATORY UNDERWATER TELEVISION FOR FISHERIES CRUISE NOW S14) eietercieiotsielets eleieieleieleisereion al @ INVESTIGATIONS BEING TESTED weccceeoee 28 CONTENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 61 COMMERCIAL F November 1952 Washington 25, D.C. Vol.14, No.1l1 TTT WUNUAUAAAUUUT "iy — JAPANESE MOTHERSHIP-TYPE TUNA-FISHING OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC, JUNE-OCTOBER 1951 (Report on the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Expeditions) By Wilvan G. Van Campen* INTRODUCTION A directive (issued in May 1950) by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Pow- ers (SCAP) authorized the Japanese to send fishing vessels as far south as the Equator in the waters of the U. S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, pro- vided that such vessels were organized into fleets based on motherships or tend- ers capable of exercising control and supervision over them. In all, nine such fleets, varying widely in scale and scope, had fished for tuna in the waters of the Trust Territory up to the end of 1951. A detailed report on the first expe- dition (Shimada 1951) and a comprehensive summary of the first six expeditions (Ego and Otsu 1952) have been published. The present paper aims to report the essential facts concerning the operations of the seventh, eighth, andninth fleets, without unnecessarily repeating material covered in the two earlier reports. ORGANIZATION The seventhand eighth expeditions were verysimilar in compositionand manner of operation, and compared closely with the first expedition of the series. Each consistedof about 25 fishing boats--tuna long-liners of 50 to 250 tons--tended by a 100,000-ton refrigerated cargo vessel primarily designed to carry whale meat from the Antarctic. The seventh fleetwas organized around the mothership Settsu Maru, owned by the Nippon Suisan Company, one of Japan's two largest fishing con- cerns; the eighthexpedition with its Tenyo Maru No.2 (which had previously served as mothership of the first expedition) was operated bythe Taiyo Gyogyo Company. The two fleets differed in that most of the fishing boats participating in the eighth expedition were owned by the company which operated the mothership, while the seventh fleet was composed mainly of independently-owned vessels. The ninth expedition was on a muchsmaller scale, comparable to the third and sixth fleets, which had been organized by the same company, Nansei Fisheries, with the same mothership, the 577-ton trawler Tenryu Maru. Only three regular long- line vessels worked with this expedition. In addition to the regular fishing vessels, all three motherships used small (about 30-foot) motor launches to fish long lines. The Settsu Maru had two such boats and the Tenyo Maru No. 2 had one, but as they were operated only part-time on an experimental basis, their contribution to the total catch of the expeditions was negligible. However, the two boats carried by the Tenryu Maru accounted for more than one-fourth of that expedition's catch. #% TRANSLATOR AND OFFICIAL OBSERVER OF THE PACIFIC OCEANIC FISHERY INVESTIGATIONS, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, AND THE HIGH COMMISSIONER, U.S. TRUST TERRITORY OF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS. Wells Wh, IO, Ta COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW SHL 40 ANOLIYYSL LSNYL *S “MN BHL JO SASIYVONNOG 3HL S3LVIIGN! 3N17 Y3IAWSH 3HL $G3LvYadO SNOILIG3dxX3 33YHL WV HOIHM SSIYVONNOG 3HL SHYVW SJNI7 YSLHDIT SHL “SL3374 WNAL 3dAL-dIHSY3HLOW 3S3NVdye HLNIN ONV “HIHD13 “HINSASS 3HL AG GSHSI4 VaYV 0021 2091 00S | acer “SONVISI J1419Vd NIHLIM o0E | — 8 SS SS SS SS SSS SS SS SS aS. M/F 70M SONV TSR IN 704 SM a (op) Se 2 Nvd/7S*' SONV7S/ SYN 002 SND W * ee ee = —— 008! 202! 209! 00S! ob! o0€! November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 3 Table 1 - Essential Data on the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Japanese Tuna-Mothership Expeditions Ek. P CHUMOmEa SOON Eighth Managing concern ....... |Nippon Suisan K. K.| Taiyo Gyogyo K. K.| Nansei Suisan K. K. 2 ) Mothership .....sse.ce-- joettsu Maru Tenyo Maru No. Tenryu Maru ippo (9,329 tons (10,620 tons) (577 tons) 3 (and 2 boats = I November 4, 1951 | November 1, 1951 Fishing began ..........|June 5, 1951 September 17, 1951 Fishing ended ..ccecec.- |AUgusSt 26, 1951 October 24, 1951 October 20, 1951 eee Pistiod’ s..cccessdas 19 ~ 130 N. lat. [1° - 10° N. lat. 153° - 179°. long.| 151° -179°R, long.| 1629-1799 R, long. Tuna catch ...secceceses [6,228,286 lbs. 4,348,407 lbs. 326,276 lbs. Spearfish catch .......-|2,149,787 lbs. 1,526,229 1bs. 173,042 lbs. Sharks and miscellaneous 854,541 lbs. 1,173,497 lbs. 25,404 lbs. MOGAECHAGCH cis cisleelelanie soos ,+L4. IDS. 7,048,133 lbs. See wes Lbs. Average catch rate (fish per 100 hooks per day) AREA AND PERIOD OF OPERATION Both the seventh and eighth expeditions fished over nearly the same area, and were on the grounds for about the same length of time. The Settsu Maru sail- ed from Osaka on May 31 and commenced receiving fish from her catchers on Junel2 at 3°04' N. latitude, 155°56' E. longitude. The mothership gradually shifted eastward with its catchers, which were required by SCAP directives to keepwithin a 200-mile radius of the mothership. The last fish were taken aboard by the ship on August 26 to the east of the southern Marshall Islands at about 7° N. latitude, 179° E. longitude. The Tenyo Maru No. 2 commenced operations August 8 south of Ponape at 3°30' N. latitude, 158° E. longitude, and after moving west as far as 155° E. longitude, began drifting and running to the east and north, following much the same course and winding up its fleet's operations in much the same area as the Settsu Maru. The last fish were taken aboard on October 24. The Tenryu Maru fleet fished from September 17 to October 20, remaining at all times in the vicinity of the Tenyo Maru fleet and under the control of the inspectors aboard the larger mothership. OPERATING METHODS The tuna-fishing vessels, called "catchers" by analogy with whaling fleet practice, fished from 200 to 400 baskets of long lines each day, setting them a- round dawn and hauling them from midafternoon to midnight. Each catcher came a- longside the mothership once in every 10 to 20 days, depending on the success of its fishing and the state of preservation of its catch, to unload its fish and take on supplies. The catchers all used ice to preserve their fish, a few of them also having mechanical refrigeration equipment which was used, not to freeze L COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Voll Uae Nownael the catch, but only to keep the ice from melting too fast. The small motorboats fished about 75 to 150 baskets of gear, and returned to the mothership each eve- ning. The motherships' functions were to receive, freeze, and hold the catch of the fishing boats, andto supply the lat- ter with fuel, crushedice, bait (frozen sardines and saury), provisions, water, repair facilities, andmedical attention. The Tenyo Maru No. 2with the experience of two previous expeditions managed by the same company, performed these func- tions smoothly and efficiently, but the SettsuMaru, participating for the first time in an operation of this sort, had some minor difficulties at the begin- ning. It was found that the fenders with which the mothership was provided were FIGURE 2 - CREWS OF THE 30-FOOT KAWASAKI BOATS : MAKING UP LONG-LINE LEADERS ABOARD THE MOTH~ too small, and trouble was experienced = ersuHip SETTSU MARU EN ROUTE TO THE FISHING in bringing catchers alongside until more GROUNDS . adequate fenders were sent down from Japan aboard one of the late-arriving fish- ing vessels. The second source of trouble was the failure of the catchers totake ice out of the mothership as fast as had been anticipated. This resulted inseri- ous congestion in the holds of the Sett- su Maru for a time, and on one occasion it was even found necessary to leave a considerable quantityof ice on the deck overnight with only a covering of straw mats to keep it from melting away. On the fishing grounds the mother- ships alternated periodsof driftingwith short runs to bring them close to the main concentrations of catchers. Thede= gree of control which the fleet manager aboard the mothershiphad over the move- ments of the catcherswas somewhat great— : er in the case of the eighth expedition, FIGURE 3 - 1CING A CATCHER BOAT, THE ASAHI because of the higher percentage of com- MARU NO. 1, ALONGSIDE THE MOTHERSHIP SETTSU pany-owned vessels in the fleet, but on MARU. both major expeditions the fleet manag- ers seemed unwilling or unable to assign catchers to particular fishing grounds against the will of the fishermen. The result was considerable pulling and haul- ing between the management and the fleet over the direction in which the whole operation was to move. The companies were primarily interested in getting yellow- fin tuna which could be exported to the United States at a good profit, while the fishermen wanted to make weight, regardless of whether the catch was composed of yellowfin, big-eyed tuna, marlin, or shark. It was generally believed thet yellow- fin were more abundant in the southern and western portions of the authorized area, and big-eyed tuna and marlin more numerous to the north and east. Thus, thecourse of operations was a series of concentrations by the catcher fleet along the north- eastern boundary of the 200-mile operating radius, followed by runs by themother- ship to close with the fleet, and subsequent shifts of the operating radius.to the northeastward. Another factor in this pattern was the desire of the catchers to November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 5 FIGURE S = A SMALL MARLIN BROUGHT TO GAFF A- LONGS|IDE A LONG-LINE BQAT. be on big-eyed tuna and marlin grounds at the close of the operation in order to take aboard a big load of high-priced FIGURE 4 -LONG=LINE HAULER INSTALLED IN A fish for sale in the Japanese fresh-fish 30-FOOT KAWASAKI BOAT. markets. PROCESSING PROCEDURES The seventh expedition had as its prime objective the production of as much frozen round yellowfinas possible. Four brine tanks, with atotal capacity of approximately 30 tons of fish, were used to freeze allfirst-quality yellowfin and also considerable quantities of big-eyed tuna, albacore, and mis- cellaneous species. Mar- lin, shark, broadbill swordfish, large big- eyed tuna, and yellowfin unfit for export were filleted and dry-frozen for the domestic market. About 90 tons of iced fish, mostly large first- grade big-eyed tuna and marlin, were sent to Japan aboard the training ship Umitaka Maru midway through the operation in order to take advantage of good prices prevailing in the Japanese domestic fresh-fish market. FIGURE 6 - THE TAIRYO MARU NO. 23 (55 GROSS TONS) COMING ALONG- The eighth expedition . THIS WAS THE SMALLEST REGULAR started out with the same SIDE THE TENYO MARU NO. TICIPATING IN THE EXPEDITIONS. objective, although with c 2 LONG-LINE VESSEL PARTICIP COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 a smaller brine-freezing capacity (one tank of 3.7 ton capacity), andthe limited clearance of the racks in the quick-freezing FIGURE 7 - A 30-FOOT KAWASAKI BOAT BRINGING A MORNING'S CATCH OF MARLIN AND TUNA TO THE MOTH- ERSHIP SETTSU MARU. NOTE SKATES OF LINE FOR- WARD, LINE HAULER AMIDSHIPS, GLASS FLOATS IN CORRAL ATOP THE ENGINEHOUSE, AND FLAG POLES IN RACK AFT. sold to eel culturists as feed. No direct observations weremade of the fish-processing techniques employed on the Tenryu Maru, mothership of the ninth expedi- tion. It is known, however, that a failure of the refrigeration system of this vessel resulted in the loss of a large part of the catch and made the expedition quite profit- less to the vessels that participated in it. RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITIONS The seventh expedition began its opera- tions with a goal of approximately8,270,000 pounds of fish, and this figure was exceeded with only a few extra days of operation over chambers made it necessary to fillet more of the large fish than was done on the Settsu Maru. Midway through this operation, however, develop-— ments in the export market caused some revision of processing proced- ures. First of all, word was re- ceived that Nippon Suisan was hav- ing trouble finding buyers for the yellowfin frozen aboard the Settsu Maru; then came the news that ahigh percentage of fish from the fifth expedition had been rejected by U- nited States inspectors; and final- ly the growing and apparently suc- cessful agitation on the West Coast against imports of Japanese tuna made it appear that the export busi- ness might soon be completely gone. The reaction to these developments was the dispatch of three cargo ves— sels (the Banshu Maru No. 22, Banshu Maru No. 32, and Banshu Maru No. 35) to carry over 700 tons of iced fish to Japan. Another 137 tons of iced fish was loaded aboard the mother- ship in the closing days of the op-— eration, and strenuous efforts were made to salvage everything that could be sold in the Japanese market. Un- like the Settsu Maru, the TenyoMaru No. 2 crew had from the start been recovering and saving all the scrap meat from the heads and skeletons of the filleted tunas and marlin. To- wards the end of the operation even the heads and the scraped bones were saved to be carried back to Japanand FIGURE 8 - WEIGHING BLACK MARLIN ABOARD THE MOTHERSHIP TENYO MARU NO. 2. the originally-scheduled period. Theover-all average catch rate (fish per 100 hooks November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 7 per day) for this expedition was 4.47, of which 2.09 were yellowfin tuna. The eighth expedition, operating almost exactly the same number of days and with the same numberof catchers in its fleet, took about 7,048,130 pounds for an average catch rate of 4.04, of which 1.64 were yellowfin tuna. The report of the Taiyo Gyogyo Company on able 2 - Catch Rates by the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Japanese Tuna-Mothership Expeditions Number of Fish Caught Per 100 Hooks Per Day Fished Average For Species Expedition the eighth expedition blamed Expeditions these rather poor results on ab By the seventh expedition's hav- [Yellowfin tuna .. 1.40 Big-eyed tuna ... Albacore tuna ... Black tuna .eeee. Skipjack tuna ... Black marlin .eee White marlin .... Sailfish and short nosed spearfish Broadbill sword- Pal Shaveleicleicielsisele e ing reducedthe stocks of fish available for capture in the area, but the consensusof the fishermen seemed to be that the lowcatch rateswere large- ly due to the poor quality of the bait supplied by the mother- ship. The much smaller ninth expedition made a total catch of 522,722 poundswith an even lower average catch rate of [Striped marlin .. 3.55, of which 1.40were yellow-jSharks ...cesoees fin tuna. These results may [Others ...ccseoce be compared with the over-all average for the first nine ex- peditions, which caught 4.10 fish of all species per 100 hooks per day, of which 2.14 were yellowfin tuna. It is apparent that these last three expeditions found yellowfin tuna scarcer than their predecessors although, as indicated earlier, the fishermen concentrated in areas where they could make better weight on big-eyed tuna and marlin. < LESS THAN. CONCLUSIONS The postwar Japanese mothership-type tuna expeditions to Trust Territory wa- ters were a response to a peculiar set of conditions existing at the time, and it appeared doubtful that any similar large-scale operations wouldbe undertaken after able 3- Prices Paid to Catchers of the Seventh Japanese Tuna-Mothership Expvedition ew eee 6.7 Round fish Gutted { Marlin gutted, small miscellaneous fish round Gutted and beheaded VALUES CONVERTED AT THE RATE OF 360 YEN PER us$1, AND WEIGHT ON THE BASIS OF 8.27 POUNDS PER KAN. PEP OF O1]Ol © OJN NIP CO PIO O w e NOTE: the ratification of the Peace Treaty had removed the restrictions upon the free movement of Japanese fishing vessels. Independent boat owners and fishermen pre- fer to operate singly rather than with a fleet because of the greater freedom of action, the shorter duration of the voyages, and the generally higher prices re- g COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 Table 4 - Prices Paid to Catchers of theFighth Japanese Tuna-Mothership Expedition a Remarks U.S. Cents Albacore round; yellowfin gutted during latter part of operation Gutted Yellowfin and Albacore tuna eeeeccces Ee) DP ody PO A Spearfish ccccecees ‘ Cr) (a Big-eyed tuna and { prlorpwslooes r Small Yellowfin tuna .... { Round fish Small Big-eyed tuna ..... { se anaes fish REIN) GoGg6000006s60000000 (0) Barracuda, dolphin, : andl gai lish Goats. Bee Slaloia@< wll Sooqq000000 Single pogo d00d00H00000000 Gutted I/VALUES CONVERTED AT THE RATE OF 350 YEN PER us$1, AND WEIGHT ON THE BASIS OF 8.27 POUNDS PER KAN. ceived when fish are delivered directly to Japanese homeland markets. On the oth- er hand, the big fishing companies seek employment for their idle freezerships be- tween Antarctic whaling seasons, and there are many smaller long-liners which, lacking land bases at which to obtain fuel and ice, cannot fish the distant trop- ical tuna grounds without the support of a mothership. Opinion among the supervisory personnel on the seventh and eighth expeditions concerning the future of Japanese tuna fishing in southern Pacific waters ranmain- ee ss P ly along two lines. Men experienced in - a ees the prewar floating crab-cannery fishery in northern Pacific waters felt that sim- ilar shipboard canning of tuna could be carried on successfully and that it would result in a more efficient utilizationof both fish and cargo space than the present freezing operations. There is little de- mand for canned fish in Japan, however, so the practicability of such a develop- ment would hinge upon the condition of the export market. Another school of Sao », thought held that the solution to the mr APD) problem lay in building 300- or 400-ton FIGURE 9 - SQUARING AWAY THE DECK OF THE long-liners with greater cruising range, MOTHERSHIP TENYO MARU NO. 2 PREPARATORY TO better refrigeration facilities, andmore LEAVING THE FISHING GROUNDS. FILLET FREEZ- adequate crew accommodations than the pres- PESOS yu NS aa ent boats. Such vessels would be capable of operating independently all over the South Seas and could bring back big fares of high-quality, high-priced fresh fish for the Japanese domestic market. Recent reports from Japan indicate that there is, in fact, a trend toward the construction of larger long-line boats equipped with brine tanks for the precool- ing of their catch. At the same time, the Japanese Government has shown a desire to reserve for single-vessel operations the area fished by mothership fleets under November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 9 SCAP regulations, forcing the motherships and their catcher boats out into more distant and less thoroughly-explored grounds. This policy would seem likely to have a discouraging effect on small-scale mothership enterprises like the ninth expedition, but it does not appear to have held back the big operators, as is ev- idenced by the fact that in the first summer season after the ratification of the Peace Treaty both the Nippon Suisan and the Taiyo Gyogyo companies sent large fleets into Southeast Asian waters. This region--the Celebes, Banada, and Flores Seas and the eastern Indian Ocean--proved to have rich tuna grounds as was shown by Japanese explorations before and during World War II. It will be interesting to see whether the results of this latest expansion of the high seas tuna fishery will be sufficiently rewarding to make mothership-type operations a permanent fea-— ture of the Japanese tuna industry. LITERATURE CITED EGO, KENJ! AND OTSU, TAMIO 1952. JAPANESE TUNA=MOTHERSHIP OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC OCEAN (JUNE 1950 TO JUNE 1951). U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, COMMERCIAL FISHER- 1ES REVIEW, VOL. 14, NO. 6 (JUNE 1952), PP. 1-19 (ALSO AVAILABLE AS SEPARATE NO. 315). SHIMADA, BELL M. 1951. JAPANESE TUNA=MOTHERSHIP OPERATIONS IN THE WESTERN EQUATORIAL PACIFIC OCEAN. U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW, VOL. 13, NO. 6 (JUNE 1951), PP. 1-26 (ALSO AVAILABLE AS SEPARATE NO. 284). ery Leaflet 195, was recently revised by the Service's Branch of Commercial Fisheries. This list gives the names and addresses of sources of supply of automatic steering devices, baskets, oiled or rubber clothing, depth sounders, direction finders, diving equipment, oyster and scallop dredges, floats, gill-net lifters, hooks, hydraulic accessories, knives, leads, long-line gear, long-line haulers, navigational equipment, net-making supplies, net preservatives, nets, netting and twine, otter boards or doors, unloading pumps, radar equipment, radio-telephones, rakes and tongs, mechanical and electrical reels, vessel refrigeration, fiber rope, shark repellents, trawl makers, trolling equipment, winches, wire netting, and wire rope. Free copies of Fishery Leaflet 195 are available from the Division of Information, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington 25, D. C. --Fishery Leaflet 195 10 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wola Wh ife\5 ial jj} DS . ae Wess \ \\ IN SERVICE LABORATORIES aime Progress on Projects, October 1952 ANALYSIS AND COMFOSITION: Composition and Cold-Storage Life of Fresh-Water Fish: The proximate composition of 16 sheepshead and 6 bullhead was determined. The sheepshead were caught in Lake Erie in June 1952; the bullhead in Lake Ben- ton, Minnesota, in August 1952. The results are presented in the following ta- ble: Composition of Edible Portion of Sheepshead and Bullhead el eee ee eke Fillet Proximate Composition No. Length |Weight Yieldl/ Moisture Centimeters 29.0 29.0 Sheepshead (Aplodinotus Se) 40. Lhe Lhe 42. i} 6 Bullhead 5 (Ameiurus 6 melas 8 melas) 6 1/ BASED ON WHOLE FISH. (Seattle) a i ao REFRIGERATION: Freezing Fish at Sea, Defrosting, Filleting, and Refreezing the Fillets: The experimental research trawler Delaware completed Test Cruises Nos. 16and 17. On Cruise No. 16 about 20,000pounds of scrod haddockwere caught on Georgés Bank. One-half of the catch was frozen round in a new test-freezing medi- um, consisting of a magnesium-chloride solution at temperatures ranging from-10° F, to -5° F. These fish froze in about one-half the time required in previous tests when a sodium-chloride solution was used at 2° F. to 7° F. The remainder of the catch was gutted and iced in the vessel's hold, and will be used for comparative tests. All this fish will be used for experimental purposes to determine the ef- November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW abt fect of the new freezing medium (magnesium-chloride solution) on the color, tex- ture, taste, and storage characteristics of the fish. On Cruise No. 17, approximately 28,500 pounds of scrod haddock and 4,000 pounds of haddock were caught on Georges Bank. About 23,000 pounds of scrodhad- dock were frozen round in brine (sodium chloride) at 3° F. to 8° F. The remain- der was gutted and stored on ice in the hold of the Delaware. All fish from the cruise were sold through the New England Fish Exchange at the Boston Fish Pier to provide interested firms with samples of fish frozen at sea and fish iced at sea for comparative tests. This completes the fishing activities of the Delaware until about March1953. Limitation of funds preclude further sea operations at this time. The interim period will, however, afford opportunity for laboratory personnel to pursue more diligently the laboratory and pilot-plant phases of the project; to design and install an improved brine freezer; and to improve the operation of the refrigera- tion equipment, which up to now has operated at about one-half the rated capacity. Further overhauling and repairing of the vessel and fishing equipment will also be carried out. (Boston) Technological Program Changes A technological survey of the domestic tuna industry is a new project dele- gated to the Seattle laboratory. This project is one phase of a comprehensive study by the Service's Branch of Commercial Fisheries of the current and possible future condition of the domestic tuna industry. The over-all study is expected to provide recommendations for such measures as may be appropriate to promote necessary adjustments of the tuna industry so that it may achieve and maintain a sound position in the domestic economy. The technological study will be confined to plant-survey work. For future reference purposes this project will be entitled Tuna Survey--Technological Phase. Completion of the field work involved has been set for December 15, 1952. Three technologists have been assigned to the project; two from the Seattle laboratory staff and one hired on a temporary basis. Current technological stud- ies by these members of the Seattle laboratory will be delayed until completion of the survey. STUDIES OF BACTERIOLOGICAL AGAR During World War II, all agar was reserved for scientific purposes, principally bacteriological. This was necessitated by the shortage caused when we could no longer receive imports from Japan which had supplied 92 per- cent of our agar. To help alleviate this condition, the U. S. Fish and Wild- life Service undertook an investigation of the properties of agar and agar substitutes relating to their use for bacteriological purposes, The results of this investigation were published in Fishery Leaflet 335, Studies of Bacteriological Agar. This publication consists of two parts: Part I - Physical and Chemical Properties; Part II - Bacteriological Studies. --Fishery Leaflet 35355 12 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 B= DEVELOPMENTS & Recovery and Palatability of Different Species of Shrimp After Cooking The principal species of shrimp marketed in the United States up until 1948 were white shrimp--Peneaus setiferus, caught from North Carolina to Texas and Peneaus stylerostis and P. vannamei from the west coast of Mexico. In that year, brown-grooved shrimp, Peneaus aztecus, appeared in large numbers in Texas and Louisiana but had been taken only in very small quantities in previous years a- long with the white shrimp. The brown-grooved shrimp was sold mixed with the white shrimp. Brown-grooved shrimp are also known as "Brasilian shrimp," "brown=- ies," and "golden shrimp." During January 1950, in the Key West, Florida, area, commercial fishing for the pink or coral shrimp, Peneaus duorarum, started. This is one of the grooved shrimp that. had been taken previously in small quantities in North Carolinawhere it was known as "brown-spotted shrimp." Both the brown-grooved and the pink- grooved shrimp were marketed with difficulty at first on account of the color of the outside shell. Now they are widely sold, although the trade continues to pay a premium for the white shrimp. Early in 1951 there appeared on the markets in the Middle Atlantic some very small shrimp caught off the shores of Greenland. These were red in color and are the same species (Pandalus borealis) as those taken off the Maine coast and in Alaskan waters. To obtain some information on the yield, preliminary tests were made during the early part of 1951 by home economists of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service in its Test Kitchens at College Park, Maryland. Recovery and palatability tests were made on the four varieties. All of the shrimp used in the tests were frozen headless. All test lots were first thawed, weighed, and counted. They were then placed in boiling salted water, covered, and simmered for five minutes. Immediately after cooking they were drained, al- lowed to cool, weighed, peeled, and weighed again. The sand veins were then re- moved and the shrimp were weighed a third time. The results are shown in the table. The percentage of recovery for the boiled, peeled, and drained shrimp was the highest for the brown-grooved shrimp, and the lowest for the red Greenland shrimp. The latter species, being very small, would not ordinarily be deveined, but even before deveining the percentage of recovery after peeling and cookingwas the lowest of the four varieties tested. The percentage of recovery for both the white and pink-grooved shrimp was the same when cooked, peeled, and deveined. However, when only cooked and peeled, the pink-grooved shrimp showed in these tests a higher percentage of recovery than the white shrimp. The sizes (count per pound) for three of the five lots of white shrimp were larger than for the other species of shrimp. However, these three lots had a slightly lower average percen- tage of recovery. It is not known if sizehas any relation tothe percentage of recovery. November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 13 PERCENTAGE OF RECOVERY AND PALATABILITY OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF HEADLESS SHRIMP AFTER COOKING Te. and Boiled, Peeled, Shell Peeled and Deveined Raw Percentage Percentage Percentage Species|Lot|Wei ght |Coun eight| Recovery of| Weight] Recovery of | Weight] Recovery of Raw Wei ght Raw Weight Raw Weight KH HI My 3] At Palatability tests on these four species of shrimp rated them all as accept- able. on 1 Connecticut River Shad Fishery, 1952 The total catch of-shad in the Connecticut River during the 1952 season a- mounted to 466,374 pounds (136,402 fish), valued at approximately $60,000 to the fishermen, according to the Service's Fishery Marketing Specialist stationed in that area. This is an increase of 38 percent in poundage over the 1951 total catch of 337,000 pounds (100,442 fish). In number of fish, the 1952 catch con- sisted of 70,950 buck shad and 65,452 roe shad, while the 1951 catch had 46,808 buck and 53,634 roe. Although the 1952 season showed substantial increases in the number of fish and total poundage landed, the value was at about the same level as in 1951 due to lower prices and a weaker market. ZB a Federal Purchases of Fishery Products ee ee eae $1,569,421) of fresh and frozen fishery products for the military feeding of the U. S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force (see table). Lower than the pre- vious month's purchases by 10.0 percent in quantity and 4.2 percent in value, these purchases were also considerably below September 1951--16.6 percent in quan- tity and 10.8 percent in value. 14 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW (oils Wh, We Tal Purchases of Fresh and Frozen Fishery Products by Department of the Army September and the First Nine Months, 1952 and 1951 Vie er Aleete eeme Wee nek: January—September September January-September 1951 (195200) Li 1950 29520 Osea $ 3 3 3 3 1952 lbs. lbs. lbs. lbs. $ $ $ 3,599, 65114,315,242|26,103,721| 24,585, AL9N ,569,421)1,758,296)11,815 ,029]10, 093 , 380 Purchases for the first nine months this year were greater by 6.2 percent in quantity and 17.1 percent in value as compared with the first nine months of 1951. Fresh and frozen fishery products were purchased by the Quartermaster Corps during the first nine months this year at an average price per pound of 45.3 cents—-high- er than the average of 41.1 cents paid in January-September 1951. This indicates to a certain extent that higher-priced products were purchased this year. Fur-Seal Skin Prices Advance Sharply at Fall Auction United States Government-owned Alaska fur-seal skins averaged a 31.6 percent advance in price at the semiannual auction held in St. Louis on October 13, the Fish and Wildlife Service reported to the Acting Secretary of the Interior in mid-October. The market was strong and bidding was highly competitive for this high-fashion fur. Government receipts from the 26,521 fur-seal skins offered at auction reached #2,784,718--an increase of $994,037 over the spring auction held on April 7. The grand average for all fur-seal skins at the October sale was $105 per skin--an increase of $23.73 over the April grand average of $81.27 per skin. Ss : S Se Black skins (6,278 were offered) averaged $122.04 per skin--a jump of 54.6 percent over the April sale price of $78.30. The dyed "Matara" (brown) skins sold for an average of $109.71 per skin--an advance of 28.7 percent. "Safari" brown (a lighter brown) skins advanced 7.73 percent to $69.14 per skin. In addition to the United States-owned skins, the Fouke Fur Company sold 4,474 Cape of Good Hope fur-seal skins for the Government of the Union of South Africa. These skins averaged $34.54 per skin--an advance of 40.3 percent. NOTE: ALSO SEE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW, APRIL 1952, P. 27. Gear Research and Development UNDERWATER SOUND FISH-LOCATING EXPERIMENTS: First phases in a research proj— ject to investigate possibilities of locating schools of fish by listening for them on underwater sound-detecting devices were carried out this past summer in the Gulf November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 15 of Maine and adjacent waters. This project was carried out under a contract be- tween the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Old Dominion Research and De- velopment Corporation of Erica, Virginia. The work was directed by the Branch of Commercial Fisheries Electronics Scientist stationed at the University of - Miami Marine Laboratory. The Corporation furnished technical personnel, the ves- sel, and the crew, and designed and built some of the equipment used. The work was done aboard the 88-foot auxiliary schooner Bowdoin--a vessel well-known for her many arctic exploratory voyages. The Bowdoin was chartered from its Provincetown, Massachusetts, owner and outfitted with special electronic equipment for listening to, amplifying, and recording underwater sounds in a fre- quency range from 10 cycles per second to 100,000 cycles per second. Some echo- ranging and echo-sounding equipment was also carried. Numerous cruises were made during August and September from Gloucester, Bos- ton, and other New England ports to locate schools of commercially-valuable fish, such as tuna and mackerel. When such schools were found, the hydrophones were put over the side and the sounds picked up in the water were amplified and recorded on magnetic tape recorders installed on the vessel. It is well known that certain marine animals make characteristic identifying noises. If this is found to betrue of commercial species of fish, it may offer an efficient means of locating them. A number of recordings were made near schools of fish, primarily bluefin tuna and mackerel. Unfortunately only a few schools of tuna were sighted due to the fact that apparently this species did not show up in New England waters this year in as large numbers as have been reported during most previous years. Recordings were made at night in Massachusetts Bay on schools of mackerel which were found by the phosphorescent glow which they produced in the water. The recordings will be analyzed in the laboratory to determine if they con- tain sounds made by the fish. If the analysis shows that there are characteristic noises associated with a school of tuna or mackerel, additional work will be under- taken to develop special devices for use by commercial fishermen that will be par- ticularly sensitive to these sounds. It would be a simple matter to arrange the device so that a signal light would flash in the pilot house whenever the fishing boat passes within range of a school, either at or beneath the surface, thereby reducing considerably the time spent in looking for fish. ‘Ss bok J Gloucester Menhaden Landings, 1952 Landings of menhaden at Gloucester, Massachusetts, during the 1952 season, to- taled approximately 26 million pounds, an increase of 271 percent over the 1951 total of 7 million pounds, reports the Service's rep— resentative stationed at that port. This year's production was the greatest recorded at Gloucester since the return of the menhaden fishery to the New England coast during the past few years. The in- creased production probably accounted for the lower ex-vessel price in 1952--$#25.00 per ton; fishermen > ) we received $30.00 per ton in 1951. MENHADEN 16 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 Gulf Exploratory Fishery Program "OREGON" CATCHES TUNA WITH TROLLING GEAR IN GULF (Trip No. 15): Making shrimp trawl drags from shallow to deep water in an attempt to find suitable trawling bottom for shrimp between Tarpon Springs and Cape San Blas, Florida, was the scheduled objective of Cruise Trip No. 15. The vessel left Pascagoula on July 9, but the trip was interrupted by a rigging failure and by illmess of crew members. - Instead a series of short trips was made with various objectives. One trip was made to Apalachee Bay, Florida, and the others were made off the coasts of Alabama and Mississippi. Tugs and other merchant vessels reported observing tuna in the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico the last week of July. The Service's exploratory fishing vessel Oregon found numerous small schools of tuna or scattered tuna just out- side the continental shelf south of Mobile and Pensacola from August 4-11. No schools sighted during this period or in the latter part of August were consider- ed in condition for purse-seining, and a purse-seine set made on the best showing on August 20 was unsuccessful. Four kinds of tuna were taken on trolling gear in the offshore area by the Oregon in August. Included was a single 51-pound yellowfin tuna (presumably Neothunnus argentivitatus), two little tuna (Euthynnus alletteratus), several white skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), and blackfin tuna (Parathunnus atlanticus), the latter first recorded in 1951. Blackfin tuna on this trip were caught much more often than other species, and specimens up to 15 pounds were taken. Not more than 10 percent of the strikes of blackfin tuna resulted in landings because of the fragile jaws of the species. Some of the schools seen were of mixed sizes and species, but schools made up primarily of blackfin tuna and other schools primarily yellowfin tuna were seen. Based on observation alone, the blackfin was the most abundant in the area and the yellowfin tuna next most abundant. The Oregon did not see tuna in early September but two white skipjack and one blackfin were taken on September 17, and a few tuna broke the surface when a trawl was hauled from about 400 fathoms on September 18. Throughout August the tuna were observed mostly in the late afternoon, a few were seen at dawn, and none was seen in the middle of the day. Sharks (silk shark, Eulamis floridanus), were abundant among the tuna observed, and on one afternoon sharks took a good proportion of the tuna that struck trolling lures. At the time of their greatest observed abundance, the tuna were apparently feeding on jacks about one inch long, probably Caranx hippos and Caranx ruber. Tuna usually boiled up in the wake when the propeller wash first threw out the small fish that had taken refuge under the vessel after it had been drifting at night with lights on. The jacks came to the lights at night in large numbers, and their actions around the boat suggests that a trial use of them as live bait should be made in the short season when those of proper size are available (July and August). No small jacks were found in September. KHK KE "OREGON" OBTAINS SHRIMP CATCH DATA FOR FALL SEASON (Trip No. 16): The prin- cipal objective of the Oregon's Trip No. 16 was to work in some areas near Browns- ville, Texas, and off the continental shelf on the coast of Louisiana to obtain information on the composition of the catches by shrimp-trawl drags, water temper- atures, and other conditions during the fall season. This was the first time that the Oregon operated in this area. The vessel left September 30 and returned to Pascagoula October 22. November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 17 After leaving Pascagoula, the vessel proceeded SE. to the east central por- tion of the Gulf of Mexico and then to Northern Shelves on Campeche Bank. It sailed through the northern sector of the Campeche shrimp-fishing area, and later stopped at Brownsville. Drags were made in the area northeast of the Campeche fishing grounds and near the continental shelf south of Brownsville, Texas. Data on bottom tempera- tures and the catch rate of shrimp taken from a series of drags southeast of Brownsville in 35 to 37 fathoms were in accord with previous temperature-pattern correlations and shrimp catch rates. No tuna were taken or seen in thecentral Gulf, although conditions for ob- servation at the start of the trip were fair. Specimens of the common bonito (Sarda sarda) were taken for the first time by the Oregon near Arcas Cay, and shrimp boats on the Campeche grounds reported small specimens 6 to 12 inches in length quite frequently in trawl catches. Observations in the area (about 65 miles ESE. of Tampico) led to the opinion that two strikes on 240-thread trolling lines (which broke the lines) were made by yellowfin tuna, although weather conditions for observation were not good. A concentration of plankton visible to the naked eye was encountered at night on October 10 at latitude 21941' north; longitude 93°47! west (about 220 miles ESE. of Tampico, Mexico), and on the following morning four sperm whales were sighted. Numerous surface schools of fish were observed in the crossing of the lower part of the Sigsbee Deep, with generally more surface evidence of fish than in other areas visited by the Oregon on this trip. The vessel left November 5 on Trip No. 17 and was scheduled to return to port on November 21. The principal objective of the trip is to get additional explora- tory data on shrimp in the area off Cape San Blas and Cedar Key, Florida, chiefly in the vicinity of the "Middle Ground," and to obtain better seasonal distribution of exploratory drags. sh Hudson River Shad Fishery, 1952 Preliminary reports of the 1952 shad production by gill nets in the New York waters of the Hudson River show a total of 616,882 pounds landed--an increase of 46 percent over the 1951 total of 423,473 pounds, according to the Service's Fishery Marketing Specialist stationed in that area. In 1952, the total catch by drift gill nets was 349,763 pounds (173,773 pounds of roe shad, 175,990 pounds of buck shad), and by stake gill nets--267,119 pounds (140,567 pounds of roe, 126,552 pounds of buck). The 1952 shad catch in the New York waters of the lower bay is estimated at between 200,000 and 300,000 pounds--a substantial increase over the 1951 catch of 36,000 pounds. aS 18 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 New England Tuna Explorations FEW TUNA CAUGHT BY "MARJORIE PARKER" ON LAST TRIP (Exploratory Fishing Cruise No. Oey In order to complete this season's bluefin tuna exploratory operations in the Gulf of Maine, theschooner Marjorie Parker left Boston on September 27. Oper- ations were confined to the waters between Georges Bank, Browns Bank, and Seal Is- land Grounds off the eastern tip of Nova Scotia for the first week of the trip. This vessel was chartered by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for this season's bluefin tuna exploration. A series of long-line sets was made in 12 different localities, and surface trolling was carried on during daylight hours. Strong tides were encountered in the area and caused consid- erable difficulty in setting and hauling the gear. Re- sults were poor. Only four tuna were caught, while nu- merous blue shark were taken on every set. Surface water temperatures ranged from 50° F. to 59° F. The vessel returned to Portland on October 3, and weighed out 100 pounds of bluefin tuna, 340 pounds of mackerel shark, and 5,230 pounds of blue shark. Blue sharks were sold to a local fish-reduction company for #16 per ton; mackerel sharks sold for 4 cents a pound; THE 78-FOOT SCHOONER MARJORIE PARKER, A LINE TRAWLER OWNED By tuna brought 12 cents a A FISHING COMPANY LOCATED IN PORTLAND, MAINE, WAS CHARTERED pound, EARLY THIS YEAR BY THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FOR THIS SEASON'S NEW ENGLAND BLUEFIN TUNA EXPLORATION. The vessel left Port- land again on October 7, and exploratory fishing was carried on for the next ten days off the New Jersey and New York coasts. Strong winds on October 10 and 11 halted fishing operations, and shelter was found at Cape May, New Jersey. From October 12 to 17 a series of trammel-net and long-line sets were made, starting at Cape May, New Jersey, in the south, and continuing along the coast north to Block Island, Rhode Island. Long-line operations were unsuccessful in catching tuna. Trammel nets caught small quantities of menhaden, bonito, frigate mackerel, and bluefish. Three little tuna (Euthynnus alleteratus) were caught by surface troll lines in the waters near Ambrosé Channel Lightship, New York. During the latter part of October, fishing was continued off Cape Cod, using long lines. Adverse weather drastically curtailed fishing time and the sets made produced no tuna. This last cruise was completed on October 30 when the vessel returned to Port- land.» Fishing equipment was stored and the charter of the vessel terminated. Since the start of fishing operations on June 3, the Marjorie Parker made eight cruises and completed over 100 sets of long-line, 25 gill-net and trammel- net sets, and operated surface-trolling gear for over 1,000 hours. A detailed re- port on this year's project will be issued in the near future. oo November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 19 North Pacific Exploratory Fishery Program DEEP-WATER TRAWLING EXPLORED BY "JOHN N. COBB" (Cruise No. 13): After com- pleting the second in a series of surveys to investigate deep-water trawling pos- sibilities off the coasts of Oregon and Washington, the Service's Branch of Com- mercial Fisheries exploratory fishing vessel John N. Cobb returned to Seattle on October 3. The vessel's operations were limited to the offshore waters lying between Cape Lookout and Yaquina Head, Oregon, and between Destruction Island and Cape Elizabeth, Washington. A total of 48 otter-trawl drags was made at depths from 100 to 400 fathoms during the six-week cruise. Standard commercial western ot- ter-trawl nets of 400-mesh size were used. Fishing results revealed that Pacific ocean perch, Dover sole, and sable- fish were available in varying quantities at depths between 100 and 240 fathoms. Pacific ocean perch was the most abundant variety found on the trip. One-hour drags, yielding 1,000 pounds or more of this species, were made off both the Washington and Oregon coasts. Drags made at depths from 100 to 325 fathoms west of Grays Harbor, Washington, revealed the bottom to be rocky and unsuitable for trawling. Several days’ were spent investigating the trawling possibilities of the sea mount 280 miles west of Willapa Bay, Washington (discovered by the John N. Cobb in 1950), but no trawlable bottom was located. Fey Fg tee 2036 "JOHN N. COBB" TO INVESTIGATE COMMERCIAL HERRING FISHING POSSIBILITIES IN SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA (Exploratory Cruise Cruise No. 1k): Commercial herring fishing pos- sibilities during the late fall and ear. early winter in Southeastern Alaska will be investigated by the Service's exploratory fishing vessel John N. Cobb. This will be a joint investigation by the Service's Branch of Commercial Fisheries and the Branch of Fishery Biology and the Alaskan Herring Industry. The Fish and Wild- life Service will furnish the exploratory vessel, the crew, and the scientific personnel; the Industry will furnish the herring purse seine and other necessary fishing equipment. The chief purpose of the trip will be to ascertain whether major herring stocks in Southeastern Alaska,which might be available for commercial utilization, move inshore during the months of November and December. Herring will also be tagged in order to trace their migrations. Biological activities will be di- rected and carried out by the Branch of Fishery Biology. The Branch of Commercial Fisheries will be responsible for the exploratory fishing and technological phases. Plans were formulated jointly by representatives of the two Branches and the Alas-— kan Herring Industry. The John N. Cobb will fish with a standard Alaska herring seine. An experi- enced Alaska | herring ing fishing captain will supervise fishing operations on this trip. The vessel left Seattle on November 4 on Exploratory Cruise No. 14 and is ex- pected to return to that port on December 20, 1952. 20 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investigations EXPERIMENTAL TUNA-FISHING OPERATION BY "CAVALIERI" SUCCESSFUL:. The Cavalieri (a California tuna vessel under charter to the Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investiga- tions of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service) returned to Honolulu September 26 from a six-weeks' cruise to equatorial waters with a capacity load of approximate- ly 50 tons of tuna and 3 tons of marlin and shark. The venture was the first at- tempt at exploitation on a commercial basis of the rich yellowfin tuna grounds which have been discovered in the equatorial region south of Hawaii by the Serv- ice's research vessels. It was also the first demonstration that the technique of long-lining, or "flag-lining" as it is known in Hawaii, can be successfully em- ployed by fishing vessels of the West Coast purse-seiner type for catching large, deep-swimming tuna in commercial quantities. Only moderately good fishing was found during the first part of the cruise, but very rich catches were made in the vicinity of 3° N. latitude, 152° W. longi- tude in the last few days of the voyage. S Wholesale and Retail Prices WHOLESALE PRICES, SEPTEMBER 1952: Prices for edible fishery products during September were substantially higher than the previous month and for the same month of 1951. Lighter production and a seasonal increase in demand were responsible for the increase in prices. The edible fish and shellfish (fresh, frozen, and canned) wholesale index for September was 108.1 percent of the 1947-49 average (see table 1)--8.3 percent higher than in August and 5.0 percent above Sep- tember 1951, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ofthe Depertment of Labor reports. All components of the drawn, dressed, or whole finfish subgroup, except lake trout, showed a substantial increase in price from August to September. Most fresh-water fish prices rose be- cause of the Hebraic holidsys which occurred in September. Because there was only a small amount of fresh halibut on the market and the demand was good, prices for this item at New York City jumped 69.3 percent. Fresh drawn large offshore ex- vessel haddock prices at Boston rose 15.7 percent. Fresh king salmon prices went up 8.3 percent at New York City. Compared with September 1951, lake trout at Chi- cago sold substantially lower and fresh king salmon at New York City sold slightly lower, but all other items appearing under this subgroup sold at prices substan- tially higher. Drawn, dressed, or whole finfish prices this September were 27.0 percent above the previous month and 15.3 percent above the same month a year ear- lier. Processed fresh fish and shellfish prices in September were 5.9 percent higher than in September 1951 and went up 4.6 percent from August to September this year. Higher prices for fresh haddock fillets and fresh headless shrimp accounted for the increase. Both of these products wholesaled at prices considerably higher than in September 1951. Fresh shucked oyster prices remained steady and opened the new season at the same prices that prevailed in September 1951. November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 21 The frozen processed fish and shellfish products included in the index, ex- cept flounder fillets, sold this September at prices somewhat higher than the previous month and the same month a year earlier. Flounder fillet prices remain- ed steady at August levels, but were 15.5 percent lower than in September 1951. The September index for frozen fish and shellfish was up 5.3 percent from August and 4.4 percent higher than in September 1951. Table 1 - Wholesale Average Prices and Revised Indexes for Edible Fish and Sphee tot September 1952, with Comparative Data Pricing and Item Specification ie, 158 49 = 100) FISH AND SHELLFISH (Fresh, Frozen and Canned) . Fresh and Frozen Fishery Products: .........+- eile 5 ie Drawn, Dressed, or Whole Finfish: ....... aia Haddock, large, offshore, dram, fresh .... Halibut, Western 20/80 lbs., dressed, fresh Or LFOZON wecrereseescccccesecccscee Salmon, king, lge. & mad., dressed, fresh OF LLOZEN secsseecesccscescscccescecscees . Whitefish, mostly Lake Superior, drawn» (orassad)peSrash sis cascicisicecisiselsiciicmsccicice Whitefish, mostly Lake Erie pound or gill met, round, fresh ...ccececssecscceereees . Lake trout, domestic mostly No. 1 drawn Seransal) Stresh cleaner cenenecisciescscecen Yellow pike, mostly Michigan (Lakes & Huron), round, fresh ......... . Michigan Processed, Fresh (Fish and shelifieh): . Shrimp, ites (26- 30 count)! Recaiaes fresh OF frOZON .ce.eeecccccccccccccecs eee Standards .... Processed, Frozen (Fish and Shellfish): ..... Fillets: Flounder (yellowtail), skinless, 10-1b. package .c.ccccccrcsccece B Haddock, small, 10-1b.cello-pack Ocean perch (rosefish), 10-lb. Cello-pack ..cerecccccccccccevce lge. (26-30 count) Canned Fishery Products: .....essseeeeeeeeees “Salmon, pink, No. 1 tall (16.0z.), 48 CANS PEF CASE cocccccccccccccccccccscces b Tuna, light meat, Eolaal soe No. $ tuna (7 oz.), 48 cans per case .....eseeee Sardines (pilchards), California, tomato pack No. 1 oval (150z.), 48cans percase.. perainess) Maine, keyless oil, No. REPRESENT AVERAGE PRICES FOR ONE DAY (MONDAY OR TUESDAY, |F AVAILABLE) DURING WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 15, TO COMPUTE THE INDEXES SINCE THE PRICES USED FOR THAT PURPOSE ARE CARRIED OUT TO TWO DECIMAL PLACES, - PRICES ARE NOT THE ACTUAL ONES USED Canned fishery products prices this September were 5.3 percent lower thanin the same month of 1951 and dropped 5.2 percent from August to September this year. During the latter period, prices for canned Maine sardines rose 8.4 percent, but this increase was more than offset by a drop of 10.1 percent in canned pink salm- on prices. Tuna and California sardine (pilchard) prices remained unchanged at August levels. Compared with September 1951, this year's prices were lower by 1.3 percent for canned pink salmon and 25.7 percent for canned Maine sardines, but prices were up for canned tuna (13.7 percent) and for canned California sar- dines (38.8 percent). RETAIL PRICES, SEPTEMBER 1952: Retail prices of all foods purchased by mod- erate-income urban families dropped in mid-September for the first time since last winter. On September 15 these prices were 1.0 percent lower than on August 15, but still 2.6 percent higher than in mid-September 1951. The retail food indexon September 15, 1952, was 233.2 percent of the 1935-39 average (see table 2). Prices of all finfish (fresh, frozen, and canned) continued to decline as they have each month since last March. In mid-September all finfish retailed at 0.1 percent less than the previous month and 3.9 percent below the same month a year earlier. The finfish index (339.3 percent of the 1935-39 average) on September 15 was the lowest since November 15, 1950. 22 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 Table 2 - Adjusted Retail Prices Indexes for Foods and Finfish, September 15, 1952, with Comparative Data All finfish (fresh, frozen, and canned) Fresh and frozen MyMeL Gooo0bG06C Canned Salmon: pink Retail prices for fresh and frozen finfish from August 15 to September 15 increased 0.3 percent and were 0.5 percent higher than on September 15, 1951. Canned pink salmon prices continued to decline and were 1.0 percent lower than in mid-August and 11.7 percent less than in mid-September 1951. able 3 - Average Retail Prices and Price Ranges of Individual Finfish Products, September 1 Product j 6 2 |Sept. 15, 1952] Aug. 15, 1952 £ £ PRICED IN 46 CITIES OUT OF 56. PRICED IN 47 CITIES OUT OF 56. Frozen ocean perch fillets retailed at an average price of 45.6 cents and frozen haddock fillets at an average of 50.4 cents per pound in mid-September this year. During the same period a year earlier, retail prices for frozen ocean perch fillets averaged 46.3 cents and frozen haddock fillets averaged 50.7 cents per pound. On September 15, canned pink salmon retailed at an average of 54.9 cents per 16-oz. can, compared with 62.2 cents per can in mid-September a year ago. TRELAND ATTEMPTS TO REVIVE OYSTER INDUSTRY A recent experiment on a coral bed in a bay on the west coast of the Republic of Ireland may lead to the revival of the oyster industry, states the September 1952 World Fish Trade. The oyster industry 40 years ago pro- vided a living for seaside dwellers. Between 200,900 and 300,000 French oysters were brought to Clew Bay, where they have been under observation. If they should thrive, it is likely that the beds around the Irish coast will be restocked and expanded. November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 23 International FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION INDO-PACIFIC FISHERIES COUNCIL AGREEMENT ACCEPTED BY JAPAN: The Government of Japan has accepted the Agreement for the Establishment of the Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council. Notification of this action (dated September 24, 1952) was received by the Food and Agriculture Organization on October 3, 1952. * OK OK OK OF REPORT ON FIRST MEETING OF THE MEDITERRANEAN FISHERIES COUNCIL: The first meeting of the General Fisheries Council for the Mediterranean was held at Rhodes in the Dodecanese Islands, July 21-24, 1952. In recent years, many Mediterranean countries have considerably developed their marine fisheries and fish culture, and increased their production. Discussed at the meeting was the further develop— ment of production with the use of new fishing methods and improved gear, thedis-— covery of new fishing grounds, research experimentation, expert advice, and tech- nical training through the provision of scholarships and the establishment of training centers. The meeting was attended by delegates from France, Greece, Israel, Italy, United Kingdom, and Yugoslavia, and observers from Monaco, the United Nations, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, and the International Commission for the Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea. It was agreed that the Council's program of work would include such topics as exploration of new fishing grounds, research on tuna and sardines (new gear and methods), factors hampering the fisheries (pollution of waters, maintenance of boats and gear), fisheries biology problems, establishment of statistics and collection of information, and vocational training. Besides the election of a chairman and two vice-chairmen, three technical committees were established by the Council--exploration, production, and utiliza- tion. In addition to these Committees, working groups will be created in each country for the study of specific questions. NOTE: SEE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW, AUGUST 1952, PAGE 27. NORTHWEST ATLANTIC FISHERIES COMMISSION REPORT OF SECOND ANNUAL MEETING: The second annual meeting of the Interna- tional Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries was held at St. Andrews, N. B., Canada, June 30, 1952, to July 9, 1952. Commissioners and Advisors from Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States were present. Represented by observers were France and Portugal as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the Internation- 2h COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 12 al Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Italy was not represented. The first plenary session was preceded by meetings of the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics, the first of whichwas convened on June 30; and of the Standing Committee on Finance and Administration, which met for the first time on July 2. In all, the Annual Meeting consisted of 6 plenary ses- sions, 6 sessions of the Committée on Research and Sta- tistics, 3 sessions of the Committee on Finance and Ad- ministration, a meeting of each of the five panels, and several Biological Seminars. The United States delegation consisted of the three United States Commissioners assisted by ‘Thomas the ares States SBE Committee, and Dr. pe A. Wal- —————————— — ———————————— FIGURE 1 INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE NORTHWEST ATLANTIC FISHERIES ywendion area = Rice of ford, Chief, Branch of Fishery Biolo- BY 5 and Herbert W. Graham, Chief, North Atlantic Fisheries Inves- tigation--the latter two are employed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Executive Secretary ad- vised the meeting that Spain had deposited an instrument of ratification with the United States on January 17, 1952, and Norway on July 2, 1952. It was also indicated that France, Ita- ly, and Portugal had completed the domestic action directed to- wards becoming voting members of the Commission, but had not yet deposited instruments of ratifi- cation with the United States. The Executive Secretary re- viewed present Panel membership which stands as follows: Panel I - Denmark, Norway, Spain, United Kingdom. Panel II — Canada only. Panel III - Canada, Spain, United Kingdom. Panel IV — Canada, Spain, United States. Panel. V - Canada, United States. In accordance with Article 4 (2) of the Convention, the United States requested member- November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 25 ship on Panel I which includes the Grand Banks of Newfoundland; France indicated that it would, upon ratification of the Convention, wish to join Panels I, II, III, and IV; Portugal indicated that it would join Panels I, III, and IV when it had ratified the Convention. The eligibility of these Governments for member- ship in the Panels indicated will come under review. Unable to reach general agreement on the two sites in Canada (St. Johns, Newfoundland, and Halifax, Nova Scotia) under consideration as permanent head- quarters for the Commission, the Commission voted to postpone final decision on a permanent site until its third annual meeting. In the meantime, a committee composed of the Chairman, the Commissioner from Iceland, and the Commissioner from Spain, were to consider a possible permanent site. At Canada's invitation, the Commission will maintain its headquarters for the time being at St. Andrews, N. B. With this postponement of a decision, the entire question is reopened and consideration will be given to sites in the United States as well as in Canada. Regarding the question that the Commission be brought within the framework of a specialized agency of the United Nations, the Commissioners were in general agreement with the position outlined by the United States Commissioners at the meeting with their Advisory Committee in Boston on May 15, 1952. Following some discussion, the Commission resolved "...that having regard to the terms of Arti- cle 10 (2) of the International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, the International Commission for the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries remain an in- dependent body at all events for the present, it being understood, however, that close cooperation be maintained by the International Commission for the North- west Atlantic Fisheries with the ICES and the FAO." The Commissioners decided that the Commission will publish an annual report similar in format to the Chairman's Report of the First Meeting of the Commission. This report will include the Secretary's Report of the year's activities, summa- ries of statistics for the Convention area, and, as an appendix, the Chairman's Report of the previous annual meeting. Publications of special scientific arti- cles will be considered at a later date. During the second annual meeting of the Commission, the Standing Committee on Research and Statistics held six sessions, the first convening on June 30, at which it discussed major technical matters concerning statistics and research, As a result of these discussions, the Committee made to the Commission a number of recommendations concerning (1) the standardization of statistical procedures and nomenclature; (2) collection of information on the number of fishing vessels of various types and sizes which operate in the Convention area; (3) the develop- ment of a standard for collection of information which might be used as a basis for development of a standard unit of fishing effort; (4) the adoption of statis- tical subareas in the Convention area; (5) the formation of a special subcommit- tee to consider an over-all research program for the Convention area. Of partic- ular importance to the United States was the Committee's recommendation that the minimum mesh regulation adopted by Panel V for the haddock fishery in Subarea 5 be approved by the Commission with the minimum mesh size of 43 inches instead of 3 3/4 inches. This last recommendation was accepted by the Commission at its sixth plenary session. The Commission accepted the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Fi- nance and Administration that the third annual meeting of the Commission should be held at New Haven, Connecticut, in the United States during the last two weeks of May 1953. Dr. J. L. Kask, one of the United States Commissioners and Assistant Director of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was elected Chairman for the balance of the 26 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 the unexpired term of Dr. Hilary J. Deason, former United States Commissioner. This term ends at the close of the next annual meeting of the Commission. BASIC STATISTICAL REQUIREMENTS: The basic requirements for statistics were considered at the second annual meeting by the Commission. Greater refinement in the submission of statistics to the Commission was recommended. It was agreed that fishingeffort statistics should include such information as the number of vessels of each type and size, and the number of days spent by vessels of each category on the fishing grounds. Statis-— tics on landings could then be related to fishing effort OWNERS data. It was further agreed DATE BUILT that Governments be requested . . TO! g to provide abrief commentary eS i on the economic orother fac- W, D/F ECHO SOUNDER TYPE tors that influenced the catch RVI MoM, NORMAIENGHETTINM CRE when submittingtheir statis— RUE DR COALSCT rete eee, DIESEL .... PETROL .... PETROL=PARAFFIN .. tics annually to the Commis- PARTICULARS OF MOTOR-ENGINE sion. NOTE: STRIKE OUT WHAT DOES NOT APPLY In order to facilitate FIG. 2 - SAMPLE OF FORM USED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR the compilation of the statis- EACH FIRST-CLASS FISHING VESSEL FOR KEEPING A REGISTER tics for submission by Govern- OF FISHING CRAFT. SUCH A REGISTER 1S REQUIRED TO SUP- ments to the Commission, the PLEMENT STATISTICS OBTAINED FROM TRIP RECORDS. use of a prescribed form was suggested as a framework for reporting statistics. The Commission has been directed to compile and publish its statistics in metric tons and round fresh weight (weight of entire fish as they come from the water). Statistics will record weight as landed and the Commission requires in- formation concerning the relation of landing statistics to the weight of fishas they come from the water. The Commission was directed to work toward the compilation of statistics on a monthly basis. If statistics are readily available by month or by season, a separate report is to be submitted providing statistics in such greater detail. At its second annual meeting, the Commission adopted divisions of the Con- vention Subareas as a tentative framework for the compilation of statistics. If statistics can be compiled accurately according to this proposal, a separate re- port is to be submitted providing statistics in this greater detail. The Commission requests information from each Government on the number of vessels of various types and sizes. In order that an annual summary of the ves— sels fishing in the Convention Area may be presented, the Commission suggested that a register of fishing craft should be kept at each Government fisheries of- fice. The register might include one index card for each vessel, on which such details as name of vessel, gross tonnage, fishing gear, etc., would be recorded. A sample form for keeping such a register is shown in figure 2. WHALING WHALE OIL PRICES, 1952/53: The British and South African Antarctic whaling companies have agreed to sell to the British Ministry of Food their entire out- put of whale oil in 1952/53, according to the Financial Times of October 15, 1952, reports the American Embassy at London. November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 27 The price is to be determined by a formula but will not be less than £70 (about US$195) along tonand not more than £78 (US$217) for No. 1 whale oil. Last year about this time the Ministry bought the output of two expeditions (those in which public investment interest is concentrated) at £110 (US$307) per ton, and subsequently purchased oil from the other United Kingdom expeditions at considerably lower prices than had been offered to them in the first instance (as low as 490--US$251--per ton). The price range in the latest bulk sales by British whaling fleets is rough- ly in line with recent market levels. At the peak of the post-Korean boom whale oil sold as high as $172 (US$480) per ton, though the quantity changing hands at this level was small. FEWER WHALING EXPEDITIONS FOR 1952/53 SEASON: There will be three fewer whaling expeditions operating in the Antarctic this season, since three Norwegian factoryships have dropped out. It is likely, however, that the maximum catch allowed by international reg- ulation will again be achieved, and oil output may even be slightly higher owing to more whales being caught later on in the Antarctic summer, when they are fat-— ter. The floating factory Balaena, belonging to a British whaling company, was scheduled to leave Norway for the Antarctic towards the end of October. In com- mon with those of the other British (and South African) expeditions, its entire 1952-53 season output has been sold forward to the Ministry of Food, (Ne = ¥- Pe ee ae Angola (Portuguese West Africa) FISH MEAL PRODUCTION AND EXPORTS, 1951: Production of fish meal in Angola in 1951 totaled 19,750 metric tons, an increase of 35 percent over the 14,665 tons produced in 1950, according to a recent American consular dispatch. The Fisheries Syndicate at Luanda estimates that exports of fish meal in 1951 were approximately equal to the total production. The United States was the largest purchaser, taking 17,590 tons. In addition, 945 tons of guano were produced, compared to 1,035 tons in1950. aor Argentine Republic WHALE AND SEAL OIL, 1951/52 SEASON: One Argentine land-based operator pro- duced about 110,000 metric tons of whale and seal oil during the 1951/52 season. Since there is no consumption of whale and seal oil in Argentina, negotiations are reported for sale of the entire quantity in Western Europe at a price equiv- alent to L62 per metric ton (US$157per short ton) for grade one, reports the Mon- day, October 27 issue of the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Crops and Markets. Bah 28 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 11,No. 11 Australia CANNED FISH MARKETS SOUGHT IN UNITED KINGDOM: Canned Tuna: There is an unlimited market for Australian canned tuna in the United Kingdom, providedthat quality is maintained at the high standard set in 1949 and the price is right. This was ascertained by the Commonwealth Director of Fisheries while in London in June, reports the September 1952 Australian Fisheries Newsletter. The Direc- tor discussed with an executive of one of the world's largest manufacturing and trading organizations the possibility of Australia supplying canned tuna to the United Kingdom. Samples of Australian canned tuna were provided by an Austral- ian canner, and the quality was considered very good. An order for 10,000cases (96 4-oz. cans per case) was placed by the large British firm. An additional order for 10,000 cases was placed by another British importer, but the Austral- ian canner could supply only 1,000 cases’ since they had sold all of last season's pack. It was hoped that the fishermen would fish for tuna in the coming season. The price to be paid to fishermen was announced as 7d. per pound (about US$#130 per short ton) for all tuna except striped tuna which will be purchased at 6d. per pound (about US#101 per short ton). Canned Salmon: This same Australian canner shipped 500 cases (8-12- and 16- oz. cans) of Australian salmon to British East Africa and Mauritius. Although it was a small quantity, it was hoped it would be the opening of a worthwhile mar- kit. This firm also exported small quantities of canned mullet and barracuda. Before World War II the people of the United Kingdom were the world's larg= est consumers of red salmon, accounting for 43,000 metric tons per year, but since the end of the War only about 3,700 metric tons per year have been consum- ed. Canada UNDERWATER TELEVISION FOR FISHERIES INVESTIGATIONS BEING TESTED: Tests to determine the usefulness of television equipment for underwater fisheries inves— tigations are now being carried out for the first time in North America by lim- nologists of the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Canadian Resources Minister an- nounced on October 2. This electronic device is being used in Banff National Park to investigate some of the biological features of Lake Minnewanka. Underwater television in Canada has been realized through the construction genius of W. T. Torrington of the National Research Council of Canada. Completed recently, this equipment represents three years of intensive research at the Ra- dio and Electronics Laboratories near Ottawa. Canada is one of the few countries in the world to possess such a working unit that can "see" in depths of water without the risk attendant on using divers. The new apparatus consists of an underwater television camera mounted in a large steel cylinder leading (by means of an electrical cable) to the viewing apparatus or "scope" situated in a boat on the surface. A 30-foot converted R.C.A.F. patrol boat, displacing about 74 gross tons, is used for this work. Fully maneuverable, the large steel cylinder can move forward, backward, swing left or right, and tilt up or down. It is supplied with a bank of four spot— lights for illuminating the area in front of the camera and is practically weight— less when it is in the water. The camera is fitted with various lenses so that a wide field can be observed or a close-up view of a smaller part of the lake November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 29 bottom can be more closely studied. The movements, viewing, and lighting of the camera are all controlled by the operator whe sits comfortably in the boat on the lake surface and is able to seethe bottom of the lake as if he was actually stand- ind on it. So far tests have been conducted with : —= this uniquedevice downto depths of 100 feet z = of water. Two limnologistsof the Canadian Wildlife Service, Department of Resources and Development, who are making the bio- logical observations with this unit, have been able to see in great detail the struc- ture of the lake bottom. They have exam- ined the extent of natural shelters for fish and have observed and recorded the presence of various forms of natural food for game fish, seen swimming and moving in front of the camera. Actual specimens of the fish populationhave been seen as they appear in their natural habitat and as they swim in searchof foodor a place to spawn. The tests in Banff National Park will continue for some timeand the limnologists hope to be able to settlemany other prob- lems concerning the management of game fish by the time the first tests with underwater television are completed. PEAN FISHING EQUIPMENT: Fishing equip- “0; x fee isd Beal tentinrely new to Newfoundland,» will» :ARTIST S CONCEPTION OF EQUIPMENT FOR UNDERS soon be brought fromEurope by a large St. John's firm, according to a September 19 dispatch by the American Consulate at St, John's. This equipment will include herring trawls, mid-water trawls, a nylon trawl (completely new to this province), as well as some German electric and hy- draulic equipment for Danish seines and long-lining. A Norwegian and a British skipper have been brought to Newfoundland to demonstrate the uses for this equip- ment. H% HK KH NEW NEWFOUNDLAND FILLETING PLANT HAS TRIAL "RUNS:" The newest of Newfound- land's fresh-fish processing plants at Gaultois has started trial "runs," taking fish from fishermen of that area, according to a September 19 report from the American Consulate at St. John's. These "runs" are being watched by the plant's manager and representatives from a Boston, Mass., firm to oversee the installation of the machinery. It is hoped the new plant eventually will have an annual capac— ity of 5,000,000 pounds of round fish. The processing has started under favorable conditions, according to reports. One fishing dragger from St. John's is employed by the firm and another has been launched at Clarenville and should be in service soon. Machinery at this new fil- 30 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 leting plant is entirely modern, with a special conveyor taking fish direct from shipside to all processing machinery arranged on one level. This new plant, own= ed by a Newfoundland firm will market its fillets through a Boston fishery firm. An official opening of the plant is planned for some time in October. KRK HK ager of a large St. John's fish-proc- . essing firm recently returned from } NEWFOUNDLAND FIRM TO OPEN FISH-FREEZING PLANT IN GERMANY: The general man- Europe withthe announcement that his Lois eae : s ° 2 _———) organization is startinga company in fo © 20 40 6 680 Germany to operate a small freezing plant for handlingcertain species of fi ae fish not found in Newfoundland waters. re iota Roe A = =§=ATLANTIC Fish processed in this German plant | ee eo will be marketed in Cleveland, Ohio, through a subsidiary of the Newfound- land firm. Operation of the plant § will begin this fall, states the Amer- ican Consulate at St.John'sina Sep- tember 19 dispatch. HHH HA NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIFS, 1951: The 1951 catch of fishery products in Newfoundland was estimated at about f 610 million pounds, compared with 550 million pounds in 1950, according to the July 1952 issue of Canadian Fish- ery Markets (Market Bulletin No. 6). Landings of cod and related species totaled 432 million pounds, about the same as in the previous year. There were large increases for herring and ocean perch. Salted cod production, estimat— ed at 93 million pounds, was more than 2 million pounds under that of the preced- ing year. Greater catches by inshore fishermen and Labrador stationers were more than offset by a reduction in the deep-sea and Labrador floater fishery. (in millions of pounds)......-. Cod and allied species . ; 5 19.2 Ocean perch (rosefish) .. : 4.5 ILAIALEN. Gooocoo0cCCODOD00000000000000 Phot ailtetetetelotetateleletelotoneleteleleleretetete NOTE: THE EXPANSION OF FRESH AND FROZEN FILLET PRODUCTION BETWEEN 5047 AND See WAS Se TO THE DIVERSION FROM SALTED COD PRODUCTION AND, PARTICULARLY IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WAS EN- COURAGED BY HEAVIER CATCHES OF OCEAN PERCH, PLAICE, AND OTHER FLATFISH WHICH ARE MARKETED AS FILLETS. There was an increase of nearly 3 million pounds in the production of ocean perch (rosefish) fillets, but haddock fillet production fell from 7.2 million pounds in 1950 to 2.0 million pounds in 1951, due to lighter landings. Total freezings of fish in Newfoundland amounted to 41.1 million pounds, slightly lower than in 1950. HEHE November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 31 NEWFOUNDLAND SALT=FISH PRICES ESTABLISHED: Salt-fish prices to fishermen (by grades) have been announced at St. John's, while exporters in other districts are still working on a temporary basis, states a September 19 dispatch from the American Consulate at St. John's. Earlier in September the Fishermen's Federa- tion announced that some St. John's exporters had paid the following prices (per quintal--112 pounds): large merchantable C#13.50; small madeira C$12.00; small thirds C$10.50; tomcod C#11.00; West Indian large C$7.50; small C$6.50. Accord— ing to recent reports, these prices are now being paid generally in St. John's for fish landed there. Bonavista Peninsula exporters are now buying fish at 1951 prices (including the C$1.50 bonuses) as the lowest prices they will offer. Final prices have yet to be decided, and may not be set until 1953. These minimum prices, generally paid when a fisherman wants a cash advance on his fish, are as follows (per quin- tal--112 pounds): large merchantable C$13.25; small madeira C$12.25; smallthirds C$10.25; and tomcod C#10.00. Whether there will be any addition to these prices for the final ones depends on market conditions in the future. In July the Newfoundland Federation of Fishermen had announced that there would be no set prices for salt cod during 1952. The agreement was reached as a result of consultations’ between the Federation and the Fish Trades Association who recognized the impossibility of predicting market prices in advance. However, sales since thenhave established prices. It was evident in July that production this year would be at a low level due to the fact that so many fishermen have a- bandoned the industry to take up other occupations or to participate in the big- scale swing to fresh and salt—bulk sales. In view of the uncertainty of world conditions, including foreign exchange fluctuations, fish buyers did not care to run the risk of naming a firm price for fish in July when the commodity generally cannot be marketed until some months after purchase. One adverse factor is stated in the local press to be "the de- terioration of the American dollar." Despite the fall of the United States dollar from a premium level of 7 cents last year to a discount of 3 cents, with the ad- mitted possibility of a further decline between now and the date when Newfoundland salt cod reaches the markets, it is still held here to be the standard of inter- national exchange and the currency in which Newfoundland fish exporters must ac-— cept payment for sales to Europe. On the other hand, it is declared at St. John’s that with small stocks to be expected during 1952, and the 1951 carry-over already disposed of, sellers will be in a better position to name their own price, declares an American consular dispatch from St. John's dated July 23. BRITISH COLUMBIA SALMON PACK, 1952: The 1952 pack of canned salmon in Brit- ish Columbia up to October 25 amounted to 1,267,226 cases (48 l-pound cans each) as compared with packs of 1,910,603 cases, 1,426,388 cases, and 1,421,293 cases for the corresponding periods of 1951, 1950, and 1949, respectively. These are the most recent figures released by the Chief Supervisor of Fisheries in Vancouv— er, B. C., reports an October American Consular dispatch from Vancouver. Packers opened the season with an unsold pack of 698,000 cases from the pre- vious year and the knowledge that the British Ministry of Food would not order any canned salmon from British Columbia in 1952. In view of this and in order to compete in world markets, the canners were unwilling to pay last year's prices to the fishermen and cut the price on chum salmon by two cents and the price on pink salmon by four cents a pound. In protest, the union of fishermen and shore work— ers issued a "no fish" order on July 20, 1952, which remained in effect for four 32 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 days. On September 7, the union ordered a stoppage of seiners and gill-netters because prices for chum salmon were considered inadequate. While some 1,200na- tive Indians resumed fishing some 16 days later, union members were still idle. Packers, in view of the loss of i Commonwealth markets, have been ship-— mM ping substantial quantities of chum and pink salmon to the United States, Prices, f.o.b. Vancouver, for these species were C#12.50 and C$#15.00 a case (48 1-lb. tall cans), respective- ly--a decrease of C#4.00 per case as compared with last year. Despite this reduction in price, Great Britain, which formerly purchased from C$#6,000,000 to C$9,000,000 worth of salmon from PART OF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA SALMON TROLLING this Province annually, has been un- pa able to place a single order this year. In view of the loss of export markets, it was estimated in mid-September that by the end of this season the packers will have a carry-over of some 750,000 cases (31,230,000 pounds). To alleviate this condition, political pressure is being exerted to obtain a Federal subsidy similar to that accorded farmers on pork. BRITISH COLUMBIA HERRING FISHERY OUTLOOK: A drop of nearly 50 percent in the price of herring oil has British Columbia fishing operators wondering whether it would be worthwhile sending the fishing fleet out in October when the season usually opens. Herring oil is the mainstay of this fishery and the current price of 7+ cents (Canadian funds) per pound does not compare with the price of 12 cents last year when the industry processed approximately 3,749,200 Imperial gal- lons (4,499,040 U.S. gallons). A big carry-over, the world-widedecline in fish— oil prices, and the loss on sales in the United States because of the premium on the Canadian dollar, puts the herring industry in the marginal class. While fish— meal prices have remained fairly stable--a ton of herring yields half meal and half oil--a profitable outlet for oil is essential to make the whole operation practical. Because of rising costs (nets that formerly cost C$5,000 now cost C$25,000), fishermen will probably resist any attempt to lower the price fortheir catch. It is therefore to be expected that unless there is a significant improve—- ment in oil prices and a substantial reduction in the carry-over, production this season will be much lower than the 195,000 tons of herring processed last year. the proposal of a German corporation to establish a factory in Chile which would produce 3,000 metric tons of fish meal and 800 to 900 tons of fish oil annually, states the October 4 issue of Foreign Trade of the Canadian Department of Trade and Commerce. The new industrywould have a capital equivalent of Ch. $16million (US$826,000) in cash and the value of imported machinery. A number of Chilean factories are November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 33 already producing fish meal and oil, but their total production of about 5,000 tons is not sufficient for domestic consumption. The Danish Minister of Fisheries and the Permanent Undersecretary of the Fisheries Ministry plan to leave for the United States on October 10 for a 10-day visit, during which time they will discuss with Danish Ambassador de Kauffmann the assignment of a Fish- eries Attache to the Danish Embassy in Washington. The Danes are not yet certain where they will station the new attache, who will be accredited not only to the United States but also to Canada and the Central American republics. It is felt now that his office will be either in New York or Chicago, states a September 24 American Embassy dispatch from Copenhagen. These plans have resulted from recent increases in fish exports to the United States. Their value during January-July 1952 were more than double that of the similar 1951 period (US$1,289,000 as compared with US$503,000). These exportsare expected to increase further under a new dollar premium plan. Not only are Dan- ish fisheries interested in the establishment of the new post but also the Green- landic fishing industries. Press stories, appearing on September 21, about the Government's plans stated that the Minister of Fisheries would talk to American food editors and would take the opportunity to draw attention to Danish and Green- landic fishery products. FISHING REGULATIONS FOR FOREIGN FLAG VESSELS: Executive Decree No. 00160 dated January 29, 1952, prohibited foreign flag fishing vessels from fishing in Ecuadoran continental territorial waters. Executive Decree No. 1376 dated July 15, 1952, amended the earlier Decree to exempt foreign flag fishing vessels work- ing for companies which have valid contracts with the Ecuadoran Government. The Decree of July 15 refers only to companies which have contracts with the Govern- ment, so presumably they could be either national or foreign, reports an October 7 dispatch from the American Embassy at Quito. However, this Decree was put through at the request of a national company which is owned by United States in- terests. It is on the basis of Decree No. 1376 and also Article 9 of the com- pany's contract of February 6 (published in the Registro Oficial of the same date) with the Ecuadoran Government that foreign flag vessels are permitted to fish for this company in Ecuadoran continental waters. However, according to Article 9 of the company's contract with the Government, this privilege expires February 6, 1953. HHH ER FISHING PERMITS FOR GALAPAGOS ISLANDS AREA: United States fishing vessels operating off the west coast of Central or South America may obtain fishing per- mits for the Galapagos Islands area without returning to California, according to the Ecuadoran Undersecretary of Economy's interpretation of the Ecuadoran fishing decree (Executive Order No. 00160) of January 29, 1952. This interpretation was contained in a September 19, 1952, memorandum to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Economy recommended that fishing boats be permitted to radiotheir 3h COMMERCTAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 agent or the Ecuadoran Consul in San Diego to request a written fishing permit which would then be air mailed by their agent to any port requested by the cap— tain of the vessel. This procedure is permissible only for boats which have pre— viously been registered with the Ecuadoran Consulate and paid the registry fee for the current year, state October 7 dispatches from the American Embassy in Ecuador. This recommendation has been accepted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ecuadoran Consulate in San Diego has been so advised. However, there appears to be some misunderstanding between the two Ministers as to the interpretation of this new regulation. The chief of the Consular and Commercial Section of theMin- istry of Foreign Affairs advised an officer of the Embassy that the boat's agent in San Diego must mail the written permit to the Ecuadoran Consulate in Panama, where the boat can pick it up. Whereas, the acting chief of the Fisheries Depart— ment of the Ministry of Economy states that the permit can be mailed to any ad= dress, private or public, in any port. This point has not been clarified. Until ait is, the interpretation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should be considered to be controlling; i.e., that the boat's agent in San Diego must mail the written permit to the Ecuadoran Consulate in Panama, where the boat can pick it up. The Ministry of Economy is drawing up amendments to Ecuador's fishing laws which will incorporate in the laws the above interpretation, and will also per—= mit bait fishing in the Gulf of Guayaquil or probably anywhere south of 2 degrees latitude. However, it is not planned to take any final action on these amend— ments until after Congress adjourns early in November. It has been reported that the President may then call a special session to consider specific measures. KS German Federal Republic FURTHER TESTS ON ELECTRICAL FISHING: Electrical fishing tests carried out Oe O_O in Kielerfjord last April under the direc- | FEDERAL REPUBLIC ii) : ? OF GERMANY 7 mone see |} tion of Dr. F. F. Meyer, biologist, arenow coat 2 being followed hy new tests at the same place, according to the German correspondent jae of Fiskaren, a Norwegian trade paper. This HN time a model of an electric trawl, construct- ed by an engineer (Mr. Saverkrub), is involv- ed. The trials are being: carried out by the Federal German Government Institute for Coast- al and Inland Waters in Hamburg. Results of the tests are not yet available. Germany (Russian Zone) EAST GERMAN FORTS CLOSED TO WEST GERMAN FISHING VESSELS: On May 1, 1952, East German authorities closed all their ports to West German fishing vessels, according to a Sep- tember 15 American Consular dispatch from Bremerhaven. This ended the unofficial in- ea € terzonal trade that had previously existed November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 35 * when West German fishing vessels from Schleswig-Holstein landed their catch in East German ports (principally Sassnitz) and used the proceeds to buy nets and fuel there. It is reported that asmany as rm == m 100 West German cutters, representing one- i rh Ren ear third of the entire Schleswig-Holstein cut- “INP ss e ter fleet, have been seen lyinginthe port || ‘AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY CALIFORNIA - PILCHARDS 1B CUMULATIVE DATA 1951/52 SEASON, 1400 AUG.-JAN. Hi 1950/51 SEASON, AUG .- JAN. JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. JAN. FEB. MAR. APR.MAY JUNE ALASKA - SALMON CUMULATIVE DATA TOTAL 1952 SEASON - 3,530.1*|/2800 TOTAi_1951 SEASON - 3,473.6 PRELIMINARY $ x JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY. JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. STANDARD CASES Variety No.Cans Can Designation Net. Wg?. SARDINES 100 1/4 drawn 3/4 oz. SHRIMP 48 _ 5 oz. TUNA 48 No. 1/2 tuna 7 oz. PILCHARDS 48 No. 1 oval 15 oz. MACKEREL 48 No. 300 15 oz. SALMON 48 l_pound tall 16 oz. November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 53 PRICES , IMPORTS and BY-PRODUCTS BOSTON - WEIGHTED AVERAGE PRICE ON NEW ENGLAND FISH EXCHANGE IN @ PER POUND % DATA 9 MQS. AXG. 1952 - 8.09 9 1951 - 7.93 ans "1951 - 8.37 JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY. JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT, NOV. DEC. In Millions of U.S. - IMPORTS OF FRESH & FROZEN FILLETS OF GROUND FISH, INCLUDING ROSEFISH CUMULATIVE DATA 9 mgs. 1952 - 79. 9 , 1951 - 64, 12 1951 = 87. In Millions of U.S.- IMPORTS OF CANNED TUNA AND TUNA-LIKE FISH « 1952 1951 - 1951 oO JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY. JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. U.S. & ALASKA - PRODUCTION OF FISH MEAL IN THOUSANDS OF TONS oo < || CUMULATIVE DATA } 9 MQS. 1952 - 160.9 34 9 |, 195) - 155.7 H12 1951 - 189.0 JAN. FT®. MAR. APR. MAY. JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. MAINE - IMPORTS OF FRESH SEA HERRING IN MILLIONS OF POUNDS CUMULATIVE DATA JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY. JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT, NOV. DEC. Pounds U.S:- IMPORTS OF FRESH AND FROZEN SHRIMP FROM MEXICO f CUMULATIVE DATA 1952 = 23.0 A IDSlereaet 12 1951 - 39.6 9 mgs. 9 npn @© 2 w on @ JAN. FEB, MAR. APR. MAY. JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. Pounds U.S-IMPORTS OF CANNED SARDINES ( include in oil and not in oil ) CUMULATIVE DATA 9 mgs. 1952 - 9) 1951) = n2 1951_- JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY. JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT, NOV. DEC. U.S. & ALASKA - PRODUCTION OF FISH OIL IN MILLIONS OF GALLONS «.) “CUMULATIVE DATA Se ee eas 5 JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY. JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC 54 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 oe 5 L) STI tet EOD Ale me Lh SS Fs 2 * = aw Recent publications of interest to the commercial fishing industry are listed FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE PUBLICATIONS THESE PROCESSED PUBLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FREE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, WASH= TYPES OF PUBLICATIONS ARE DES!IGNATED: AS FOLLOWS: CFS = CURRENT FISHERY STATISTICS OF THE UNITED STATES AND IN AND PRODUCERS “OF FISHERY PRODUCTS AND BYPRODUCTS. SEP.- SEPARATES (REPRINTS) FROM COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW. below. DIVISION OF INFORMATION, U. S. INGTON 25, D. C. ALASKA. FL = FISHERY LEAFLETS. SL = STATISTICAL SECTION LISTS OF DEALERS Number Title CFS-774 - Mississippi Landings, May 1952, 2 p. CFS-781 - South Atlantic and Gulf Fisheries, 1950, Annual Summary, 11 p. : CFS-7835 - Mississippi Landings, June 1952, 2 p. CFS-784 - Texas Landings, July 1952, 4 p. CFS-785 = Fish Meal and Oil, July 1952, 2 p. CFS-787 = Florida Landings, June 1952, 6 p. CFS-788 - Massachusetts Landings, 1951, Annual Summary, 16 p. CFS-789 - New Jersey Landings, March 1952, 2 p. CFS-790 - New Jersey Landings, April 1952, 2 De CFS-791 - New Jersey Landings, May 1952, 2 p. CFS-792 - New Jersey Landings, June 1952, 2D. CFS-793 - Frozen Fish Report, September 1952, 8 p. CFS-794 - Mississippi Landings, July 1952, 2 p. CFS-795 - Massachusetts Landings, June 1952, 14 p. CFS-796 - Maine Landings, July 1952, 4p. CFS-797 - Texas Landings, August 1952, 4 p. CFS-798 - Fish Meal and Oil, August 1952, 2 p. CFS-799 - Florida Landings, July 1952, 8 p. CFS-800 - New England Fisheries, 1950, Annual. Summary, 8 p. Wholesale Dealers in Fishe Number Title CFS-801 - Massachusetts Landings, July 1952, 7 p. FL -336n- Quarterly Outlook for Marketing Fishery Products, October-December 1952, 32 p. FL -406 - Exploratory Shrimp Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, 1950-51, 36 p. FL -408 - Fish and Shellfish Preferences of House- hold Consumers - 1951, Part II - Region- al Summary, 67 p. Products: SL - 1 = Maine (revised), 6 p. SL - 13 - North Carolina (revised), 7 p. SL - 30 = Pennsylvania, 1 p. SL - 34 - Wisconsin, 2 p. Sep. 323 - Hard-Clam Fishery of the Atlantic Coast Sep. 324 - Project Reviews: Freezing Fish at Sea, Defrosting, Filleting, & Refreezing the Fillets--Review for the Period Dec. 1950- Sept. 1952 Sep. 325 - Electrical-Fishing Experiments in Salt- Water Reported Successful THE FOLLOWING SERVICE PUBLICATION !S FOR SALE AND |S aan and Fur- 1948, by ~ Seton H. Thompson, Statistical Bieeee No. lo. 25, 63 Dap illus., printed, 20 cents, 1952. This re- port was compiled from detailed information sub- mitted by field representatives of the Fish and Wildlife Service's Branch of Alaska Fisheries, and from sworn statistical returns submitted by all fishery operators in Alaska in compliance with law. Detailedreports and statistical tables concerning the operation and yieldof the various fishery industries are presented, with added data on certain related matters, particularly the con- dition of the fishery resources. Under the sec- tion on fishery industries, the following sub- jects are covered: administration; management; and general statistics on salmon, herring, hali- but, shellfish, and miscellaneous fishery prod— ucts. The secondsectionon the Pribilof Islands fur-seal industry covers administration, fur- seal population studies, and general statistics on the fur seals taken in 1948. November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 55 MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE AGENCIES ISSUING THEM, CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING PUBLICATIONS THAT FOL- LOW SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE RESPECTIVE AGENCIES OR PUBLISHERS MENTIONED. to Aug. 31, 1951-—-Together with Supplementary Material and Reports), 127 p., illus., processed, limited distribution, The Texas Game and Fish Commission, Marine Laboratory, Rockport, Texas. The following reports are included: "Fish Trap Investigation," by Ernest G. Simmons; "Baffin Bay Survey," by Joseph P. Breuer; "The Life His- tories of the Sea Trout, Cynoscion nebulosus, and the Redfish, Sciaenops ocellatus--Sexual Develop- ment," by Dewey W. Miles; "Shrimp Investigation," by E. D. McRae, Jr.; "Progress Report on the Shrimp Investigation," by E. D. McRae, Jr.; and "The Cedar Bayou Fish Trap," by Ernest G. Simmons. The Book of Fishes, edited by John Oliver La Gorce, 340 p., illus,, printed, $6.50 postpaid in U. S. and possessions (elsewhere $6.75 in U. S. funds), National Geographic Society, Dept. FBJ, Washing- ton 6, D. C., 1952. "Fascinating" is the single word best suited to describe this revised and enlarged review of the more important food and game fishes of our marine and inland waters. Commercial fishermen, sport fishermen, non-fish- ermen--all will find enjoyment in_reading its in- teresting text and examining its beautiful illus- trations. In its 340 pages, 236 species of fish and other aquatic organisms are described infac- tual terms and pictured in 159 full-color pages, which include 116 color paintings and 24 color photographs. An additional 65 color and 170 black-and-white photographs are interspersed throughout almost equally graphic descriptive material. Fifteen chapters havé been contributed by ex- perts in widely diverse fields. John Oliver La Gorce leads off with "America's Rich Harvest of the Sea," a long chapter crammed with observa- tions on the fishing industry and the fish that contribute to its well being. In this and inthe following chapters most of the important species are shown in their natural habitat, either in color paintings or color photographs. Popularly written sketches usually accompany each illustra- tion. A later chapter by the same author de- scribes his experiences with the huge manta ray in "Devilfishing in the Gulf Stream." Ina brief chapter, Claude Haskins Townsend discusses "Our Heritage of the Fresh Waters." "Fishing in Pacific Coast Streams" is handled by Leonard P. Schultz, and a colorful chapter on "Angling in the United States" by Luis Marden. The latter also illustrated the chapter on "Marineland, Florida's Giant Fish Bowl" by Gilbert Grosvenor La Gorce. "Some Curious Inhabitants of the Gulf Stream" are mentioned by John T. Nichols. Paul A, Zahl's contribution is entitled "Man-of-War Fleet Attacks Bimini." "Certain Citizens of the Warm Seas," one of the longer chapters, has been revised by Louis L. Mowbray. It is illustrated with many striking color paintings and photo- graphs of warm-water species. Dory fishing on the Grand Banks is pictured and described byAlan Villiers in "Portugal's Captains Courageous." Sportsmen will enjoy Van Campen Heilner's experi- ences in "The Lordly Tarpon--Angler's Delight," and beachcombers the short chapter on "Sea Crea- tures of Our Atlantic Shores" by Roy Waldo Miner. DATA ON PRICES, IF READILY AVAILABLE, ARE SHOWN. Annual Report of the Marine Laboratory, (Sept. 1, 1950 Underwater exploration is reported upon in adja- cent chapters, "Men Who GoDown tothe Sea-In Aqua Lungs" by Commandant Jacques-Yves Cousteau of the French Navy, and "Goggle Fishing in Califor- nia Waters" by David Hellyer. The final chapter is Hilary B. Moore's"Strange Babiesof the Sea"-- an absorbing report on plankton, beautifully il- lustrated with paintings in color. The volume concludes with a 15-page detailed index. Thus, in addition to a factual and absorbing text, and scores of interesting and unusual pictures, it is well equipped to serve as an excellent refer- ence source on the library shelf. --A. W. Anderson (Canada) 1948 Landings of Fresh Groundfish by Off- shore Vessels at Nova Scotia Ports, by W. R. No. 2, 10 p., illus., processed, Fisheries Re- search Board of Canada, Atlantic Biological Sta- tion, St. Andrews, N. B., August 1952. This sta- tistical circular presents data for fresh ground- fish landings by offshore vessels at Nova Scotia ports for 1948. It is the second of a series of circulars which, when brought up to date, will be published annually. Statistics of catch by species and size are recorded by months in rela- tion to fishing method. Catch statistics for part of the offshore fleet are listed by quar- ters in relation to area fished. Special refer- ence is made to haddock in this circular. Graphs record long-term fluctuations in the catch and charts denote the areas where major landings of haddock were caught during the years 1946-48. (Canada) "Statistics of the Fisheries of Canada, 1930-1950," reprint from The Canadian Fisheries Annual, 1952, pp. 3-20. Markets and Economics Service, Department of Fisheries, Ottawa, Canada. Brings together pertinent historical statistical series tor Canada on the catch, value, and out- put of the main fishery products and statistics of trade in fishery products. The material is arranged by areas and by provinces. Figuresfor Newfoundland are shown separately from the his- torical series for “anada, because it was only recently that Newfoundland became a provinceand, therefore, in certain respects the data are not altogether comparable with Canadian statistics throughout the period. Canadian Fishery Markets (Outlook for 1952: Review for 1951), Market Bulletin No. 6, 46 p., illus., processed. Department of Fisheries, Ottawa, Canada, July 1952. A brief summary of the cur- rent market outlook is followed by reviews of production and marketing in 1951 and a surveyof some of the general factors which have a bearing on the market situation in 1952; the economic situation in the world and in Canada, in partic- ular; the world food situation; and fish produc- tion in foreign countries. Included is a sta- tistical appendix. ish Columbia Natural Resources Conference, Vic- 56 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 toria, B.C.,1951.) Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Nanaimo, B.C. The author states "It has perhaps unfortunately come to be the common impression that in the de- velopment and utilization of the potentialities of our rivers and streams for fisheries and power a choice must be made between the two rival in- terests." This publication endeavors to point out that by proper planning, close coordination, and a mutual regard for the circumstances and conditions under which each interest must oper- ate, both fisheries and power can flourish. The following subjects are discussed: "Homing" tend- ency of Pacific salmon; catch to escapement ra- tio; spawning potential; natural propagation; treatment of obstructions; effect of power dam installation; power dams as obstructions; fish ladders over low dams; importance of collecting devices; high dam problems; influence of theres- ervoir area on adult migration and spawning; quality of water in reservoir; effect on seaward migration of young salmon; descent of migrating salmon; alternative or replacement ‘salmon pro- duction projects; collection and removal of adult salmon to other streams; artificial propagation; and extension of salmon-producing areas. Fisheries Mission to El Salvador (Agreement between the United States of America and El Salvador), in English and Spanish, Treaties and Other In- ternational Acts Series 2337, publication 4442, 8 po, printed, 5 cents. Department of State, Washington 25, D. C., July 19, 1951. (For sale by Superintendent of Documents, Washington,25, D. C.). Text of an agreement between the United States and El Salvador, effected by exchange of notes signed at San Salvador on July 19, 1951, and entered into force on the same date. "The Fitness of Nylon Thread for the Manufacture of Fishingtackle," by Gosta Molin, reprint from Institute of Fresh-Water Research Report No. 31, Drottningholm, Sweden, pp. 113-18, 1950. An ac- count of the results of experiments begun in 1947 by the Swedish Institute of Fresh-Water Re- search on the suitability of the various kinds of nylon for the manufacture of different kinds of tackle. The experiments included the follow- ing tests: the strength of solid-drawn and spun nylon thread in dry, wet, and knotted condition; comparative strength tests with cotton yarn; rot- ting tests; the sensibility of nylon to boiling; and manufacture and test fishing with various kinds of nylon tackle. These experiments proved that nylon thread has good qualities whichmakes it suitable for fishing, above all its efficacy and its constancy against rot. A disadvantage is the fact that the knots tend to slip, which makes it impossible to use nylon thread with good results for fixed or movable tackle. Freshwater Fishery Biology, by Karl F. Lagler, 360p., illus., printed, $5.75. Wm.C. BrownCo., Dubuque, Iowa, 1952. When the Chairman of the Department of Fisheries of a great university brings forth a textbook on fishery biology in fresh waters, professional fishery people are filled withgreat expectations, for such a text is greatly needed. One is put on his guard, however, by thepublish- er's statement on the dust-jacket flap, citing the book as "The first broadly comprehensive volume dealing with the principles and methods of modern fishery research and management on in- land waters," including much of interest and value to"serious anglers, commercial fishermen, and fish culturists of all lands." In 25 chapters and 5 appendices, Dr. Lagler presents a great variety of subjects, including fish taxonomy, fish anatomy, fish embryology, fish pathology, and general limnology, ecology, and natural history. The treatment of these sub— jects varies from an elementary outline of the biological subject matter (anatomy, embryology, pathology, life history stages) to no subject matter at all but a general or sometimes detailed instruction on method of study (making and re- cording observations on natural history and ecol- ogy, food habits, calculating rate of growth, estimating fish populations, stream and lakesur- veys, installing stream and lake improvement de- vices). There follow brief chapters on fresh- water commercial fisheries and recreational fish- eries, the appendices, and an index. The most notable parts of the book are the ex- cellent summaries of techniques for field and laboratory studies and the very useful guide to the scattered fishery literature. The bibliogra- phies are classified according to subject matter and become a part of nearly every chapter. Dr. Lagler leaves to other authors and to other times the task of setting landmarks for the course of development of fishery biology. His book is a study guide, rather than a textbook--a set of sharp, shiny tools for fishery research, but neatly packed without instructions how or when to use them, A serious fault is his failure to point out the subordinate role of gadgetry, manual operations, and mathematical manipulation or analysis in the fundamental processes of scien-= tific inquiry. The synoptic treatment of some of the 25 chap— ters is the result of embracing too wide a field, selecting some material of little interest tothe biologist, ana condensing much of it below the point of usefulness (Chapters 1-6, 13, 2h, and 25; Appendix A). Some of the brief chapters become the subject of courses of study for a quarter term at one of our distinguished schools of fish- eries. Roughly, half of the subject matter of the book covers the curriculum in this field of fisheries for the junior and senior years, There is no short cut to technical competence. Despite the possible misuses of the book which disturb your reviewer, it is true that nearly everyone in the wide audience addressed willfind something of interest and use in the well-classi- fied bibliographies, the tables, and mathematical formulae, and the numerous clear and informative illustrations. The publishers have done a qual- -ity job of bookmaking at a reasonable price (con= sidering the present value of the dollar). --Elmer Higgins (Groundfish) Summary of Information Obtained During the Investigation on Groundfish Fillets (A Report on Escape-Clause Investigation Under Section 7of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1951), 191 p., processed. U. S. Tariff Commission, Washing- ton, D. C., September 1952. This report, prepared by the staff of the Tariff Commission, is a sum— mary of the information collected in the "Escape Clause" investigation on groundfish fillets con- November 1952 ducted under provisions of Section7 of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1951. It includesa history of the investigation, a description of the product and its tariff history, facts rela- ting to the trade and industry at home andabroad, and pertinent considerations in the production, marketing, distribution, amd consumption of groundfish fillets. It contains 58 tables of de- tailed supporting data, useful in analyzing the many intricate factors involved in the operation of this industry. It is the most recent, as well as the most complete summary of information available on groundfish fillets. --A. M. Sandberg Groundfish Fillets Report on Escape-Clause Investi- gation Under Section 7 of the Trade Agreements Extension Act of 1951, 38 p., processed. United States Tariff Commission, Washington, D. C.,y September 1952. Reports the findings and con- clusions of the Tariff Commission in the "Escape Clause" investigation for groundfish fillets (cod, haddock, hake, pollock, cusk, and ocean perch, fresh or frozen, filleted, skinned, boned, sliced, or divided into portions). The Commis— sion found (Commissioners Brossard and Gregg dissenting) that groundfish fillets are not being imported into the United States in suchincreased quantities as a result of a concession granted in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Tradeso as to cause or threaten serious injury to the domestic industry producing like or directly com- petitive products. Accordingly, in the judge- ment of the Commission, no sufficient reason ex- isted for a recommendation to the President for the withdrawal or modification of the concession. The Commission's report includes statements of the majority and minority views and a summary of information supporting these views. The ma- jority report, among its considerations, states that United States consumption of groundfish fil- lets has continued to increase, that there also has been no discernable diminution, thus far, in the rate of increase, and that it was presumed that the increase will continue. The total of 236 million pounds required by United States consumers in 1951 was more than double the con- sumption in 1939. The upward trend of United States consumption of groundfish filletshas been accompanied by upward trends in both domestic production and imports. Imports have increased to a greater degree than production and thus supplied an increasing share of the total con- sumption. Notwithstanding in the increase in imports of groundfish fillets from 93 million pounds to 874 million pounds in 1951, domestio production was at a much higher level in postwar than in prewar years. Domestic production was the highest on record in 1951. It was pointed out, however, that the upward trend of total landings of all groundfish species was largely accounted for by the increased catch of ocean perch. The domestic groundfish fishing and fil- leting industry had suffered no decline but, on the contrary, shared significantly in the great progress which the filleting business has made during the past 20 years. It was further stated that most, if not all, of the factors whichmight. be taken as measuring improvement or deterior- ation in the condition of a particular industry indicated that conditions had substantially im- proved since prewar years. Although in the past COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 57 two or three years the position of the domestic industry had been in some respects not quite as satisfactory as was its highly favorable posi- tion during World War II and immediate postwar years, the Commission reported that the industry could not be said to have experienced in recent years, or to be now experiencing, serious injury. A discussion of the factors of production, prices, incomes, wages, and employment is also given. --A. M. Sandberg "The Louisiana Crab Fishery," by James Nelson Gowan- loch, article, Louisiana Conservationist, May- June 1952, pp. 6-9, illus., printed. Louisiana Department of WildLife and Fisheries, New Orleans, La. An account of certain crab-fishing methods used in the United States, but unknown in Louisi- ana, which methods not only are more efficient and capture larger quantities of crabs of legal size, but also have the merit of conserving both the crab stock and inflicting the least possible damage on the crab environment. Three categories of crab-catching equipment are described: first, a crab pot; second, a more or less automatic method of running a trotline; and third, the use of a "crab scraper" to harvest soft shell crabs. (Maryland) Annual Report, 1951, by R. V. Truitt, Educational Series No. 29, 35 p., illus., printed. (Reprinted from Eighth Annual Report, Maryland Board of Natural Resources, 1951.) Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, Department of Researchand Education, Solomons Island, Md., December 1951. The organization and functions of the Department of Research and Education are described. While much of the program of the Department and its Chesapeake Biological Laboratory is concernedwith researches on conservation problems in which the applied side is stressed, there has been a sus— tained effort to promote abstract study; that is, to gain knowledge regardless of possible immedi- ate use in the furtherance of resource management. Progress reports are presented on the following: hydrographic program; economic and biological in- vestigations of the blue crab; investigations on the composition of oyster populations, rate of setting, growth, condition of the meats, mortal- ity, and presence of oyster enemies and competi- tors on the natural bars of the State of Maryland; pond rearing of shad; and a comparative surveyof the Potomac, Patuxent, and Susquehanna Rivers. The Maryland Crab Industry, 1950, by David G. Cargo and Lewis Eugene Cronin, Publication No. 92, 23 pe, illus., printed. Chesapeake Biological Lab- oratory, Department of Research and Education, Board of Natural Resources, Solomons Island, Md., December 1951. The most complete figures avail- able on Maryland's crab industry for 1950 are presented in tiis booklet. The amount and value of crabs have been recorded by months, gear, and area. Also included are records on crabs imported for processing and sale by Maryland packers. A brief description is presented of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus, Rathbun), its spawning and larval stages, feeding habits, regeneration of lost legs, movement, mating, life span, and con- servation practices. "Nylon contra Cotton," by Gosta Molin, reprint from Institute of Fresh-Water Research, Report No. 32, Drottninzholm, Sweden, pp. 59-65, 1951. This is the second of two accounts describing the results 58 COMMERCIAL FISHERIAS REVIEW of investigations conducted at the Swedish In- stitute of Fresh-Water Research on the fitness of nylon thread for the manufacture of fishing tackle and experiments with cotton yarn to deter- mine the differences in strength and serviceable ness under various conditions. Experiments with fishing nets made of spun nylon have evidently given satisfactory results and catches have gen- erally been at least twice as large as when sim- ilar cotton nets were used. Experiments with nets made of drawn nylon thread have beencarried on in different lakes and streams in Sweden and the results of these tests have been excellent. when comparing the results obtained from nets made of cotton, spun nylon, and drawn nylon, they were in the ratio of 1, 2, and 7, respec- tively. One difficulty found with the drawn ny- lon nets is that no machines are as yetavailable for tying the net knots, and for this reason the nets must be made by hand. The experiments to date show that the possibilities of fishing with drawn nylon nets are undoubtedly most promising and results have been far above expectations. The Ocean River, by Henry Chapin and F. G. Walton Smith, 325 p., illus., printed. Charles Scrib- ner's Sons, New York, N. Y., 1952. The loreand legend of the Atlantic area, the early history its development, and a scientific account of the natural forces and life in the giganticwater mass of the Atlantic Ocean--all these are skill- fully combined in this book by two authors with an intimate knowledge of the subject. TheOcean River is the story of the Gulf Stream. This life-giving ocean current stirs the curiosityof all who know of its existence, For those who are not acquainted with the complexities or the direct effects of the stream on the regions in which it flows, this book will be a revelation. The authors hew to an easy style which pro- vides the average reader with a fascinating and educational account of the Atlantic Ocean cur- rents. It is a story of the daring explorers Cabot, Cabral, Columbus, and othersthat ventured into the great Atlantic knowing little of the Ocean River except that the beer in the hold of the vessels turned bad and ferrented because of the warmth below deck caused by the sudden rise of temperature as the ship entered the River. Successive chapters explain the nature of the "engine of the air," the maintenance of marine life in the sea, the codfish frontier, and the fierce competition in exploiting the valuable oceanic resources at that time in history whenEuropeans were first looking westward. There is a final chapter on the Atlantic and the ultimate rela- tionship to Western man. The authors have docu- mented the information exceptionally well. The book carries an extensive bibliography whichwill be of exceptional interest «to those who may wish to know more about the fascinating subjectof the ocean and the oceanic river. --R. T. Whiteleather Planning a Wholesale Frozen Food Distribution Plant, by James A. Mixon and J. Stanford Larson, Market- ing Research Report No. 18, 66 p., illus., print- ed, 35 cents. Production and Marketing Adminis— tration, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Wash- ington, D. C., June 1952. (For sale by Super- intendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C.) This report is intended to aid wholesalers in Vol. 14, No. ll planning improved distribution plant facilities. In selecting facilities in which to operate, the wholesaler has at least three choices: (1) obtain space and set up operations in a public refriger- ated warehouse; (2) construct his own facilities; or (3) get together with other frozen food whole- salers in a specially-designed warehouse that might be termed a "frozen food market." These possibilities are discussed in this report to- gether with a comparison of methods and facil- ities for assembling orders, suggestions for planning the plant layout, and considerations for selecting and using materials—handling equip- ment. Primary consideration is given to methods and facilities involved in wholesale plant oper- ations. Preliminary Observations on Spawning Potential in the Striped Bass (ROCCUS SAXATILIS Walbaum), by H. W. Jackson and R. E. Tiller, Fublication No. 93, 16 p., illus., printed. Chesapeake Biolopi- cal Laboratory, Department of Research and Edu- cation, Board of Natural Resources, Solomons Is- land, Md., May 1952. Describes a study basedon analysis of 58 ovaries from striped bass caught in Chesapeake Bay and two ovaries from fishtaken off the coast of New York. The following obser- vations are presented: striped bass first spawn in Chesapeake Bay during their fourth or fifth year, at a length ranging from 45 to 55 cm., at which time they weigh from 4 to 6 pounds; once established, spawning was observed in all year classes up to the fourteenth year; and indication of curtailed spawning was observed in one-third of all specimens over 10 years of age from the Chesapeake Bay; the production of large eggs in- crease with age and size, ranging from approxi- mately 65,000 in a four-year old to 4,500,000 in a thirteen- or fourteen-year old; high correla- tions exist between age, length, weight, and the number of large eggs produced; microscopic exam- ination showed no difference between large eggs of young and old fish. There is, however, no basis for speculation on comparative viability. ence on the Conservation and Utilization of Re- sources (17 August-6 September 1949, Lake Success, New York), Volume VII, Wildlife and FishResources, 1950 II B &, 259 p., printed in English, US$2.50. Department of Economic Affairs, United Nations, New York, 1951. This is the seventh volume of the Proceedings of the United Nations Scientific Conference on the Conservation and Utilization of Resources, which brought together over 700 scientists from 50 countries to considermore than 500 scientific papers. This particular volume contains wildlife and fish resources papers pre- sented on the following subjects: Changes in Abundance of Fish Populations; Developing Fishery Resources; Fisheries Statistics and Technological Development; Management and Cultivation of Fresh- Water Fish; Research in the Conservation and Uti- lization of Marine Resources; Game and Fur Con- servation; and Management of Wildlife Resources. 28 p., printed. Pacific Biological Station, Fish-= eries Research Board of Canada, Nanaimo, R. Co This pamphlet reviews the value and importanceof British Columbia's commercial fishery. Described are the objectives and functions of the agencies involved in the administration of the imvortant fishery resources of British Columbia and in the November 1952 scientific research field. Among the subjects discussed are: utilization of products, admin- istration and management, biological and techno- logical research, and education in the utiliza- tion of fishery products. Statistical data are also given on the landed and marketed values of fishery products in the year 1948 in British Columbia, and the number and value of fishing vessels, boats, and gear used in the 1948 opera- tions. Resources for Freedom (Summary of Volume I--Presi- dent's Materials Policy Commission Report), 83 pe, printed, 25 cents. President's Materials Policy Commission, Washington, D. C., June 1952. (For sale by Superintendent of Documents, Wash- ington 25, D. C.) This summary outlines the ma~ terials problem. Subsections deal with: domes- tic resources; energy needs; technology of materi- als; materials and security; foreign resources; preparing for future policy. In these subsec- tions most, but not all, of the Commission's rec- ommendations will be found. Throughout the sum- mary cross-references are made to Volume I which should in all cases be consulted as the official document of the Commission. This summary is pro- vided for quick reference, and is accordingly in- dexed, Schedule A Statistical Classification of Commodities Imported into the United States (with Rates of Duty and Tariff Paragraphs and Code Classifica- tion for Countries /Schedule C/, United States Cus- toms Districts and Ports /Schedule D/,and Flagof Vessel Registry /Schedule J/), August 1, 1950, edition corrected to May 1, 1952, 320 p,, printed, $3.00 to domestic and $4.00 to foreign subscrib- ers. Bureau of the Census, U. S. Department of Commerce, Washington 25, D. C. (Copies sold by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington,D.C., and by Field Offices of the Department of Commerce and Collectors of Customs.) This is a corrected reprint of the August 1, 1950, edition of Sched- ule A, which is the statistical classification of commodities imported into the United States used in compiling the official United States im- port statistics. ‘It shows for each commodity description the commodity code numbers to be shown on import entries and withdrawal forms. In addi- tion, it shows the country, customs district, sub- group, economic class, unit of quantity, and flag of vessel classifications used in compiling the statistics. This is printed in looseleaf form and a subscription to the Schedule includes the cost of supplemental bulletins and pages to keep it up to date for at least a year from the time of issuance. Surveys through 1951 of the Distribution and Abun- dance of Young Sardines (SARDINOPS CAERULEA), by Julius B. Phillips and John Radovich, Fish Bulle- tin No. 87, 67 p., illus., printed. Bureau of Marine Fisheries, Department of Fish and Game, San Francisco, Calif., 1952. The sardine popula- tion along the Pacific Coast of North America is subject to large fluctuations in the survival of sardines from each season's spawning. This re- sults in some very abundant year classes, some very sparse, and some of intermediate strengths. The relative abundance of each year class can be measured in its second or third year when it is first taken in the commercial fishery, but it is COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 59 of material help to the industry and to the bio- logist to know the abundance of each year class as early as possible, The California Department of Fish and Game has attempted to measure such abundance by surveys along the coast in the late summer and fall months when a new year class of sardines is about six months old. This bulletin covers the following reports: "The Young Sar- dine Surveys of 1938, 1939, 1940, 1950, and 1951," by Julius B. Phillips and John Radovich; "Report on the Survey for Young Sardines, Sardinops caerulea, in California and Mexican Waters, 1938- 40," by Julius B. Phillips; and "Report on the Young Sardine, Sardinops caerulea, Survey in California and Mexican Waters, 1950 and 1951," by John Radovich. Things to Do in Conservation (Teacher's Guide to Activities and Source Material), by Byron L. Ashbaugh, Educational Series No. 28, 41 p.y illus., printed, 25 cents. Board of Natueal Re- sources, Department of Research and Education, Solomons Island, Md., December 1951. A list of suggested activities is set forth in this pub- lication to aid teachers in presenting the con-~ servation story to school children. Among the subjects covered is the study of fish, bluecrabs, and oysters. Also describes a fresh-water a- quarium which offers one of the easiest ways of keeping plants and animals in the classroom, (United Kingdom) Sea Fisheries Statistical Tables, 1951, 36 p. (mostly tables), printed, ls. 6d. net (about 21 cents U. S.), Ministry of Agricul- ture and Fisheries, London, England, 1952. (A- vailable from Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London.) Included in this leaflet are statis- tics on the quantity, total value, and average value of fish and shellfish production inEngland and Wales by species, region, and other catego— ries for 1951. Breakdowns by first-class Brit- ish vessels (steam trawlers), demersal landings, and pelagic landings are presented in the tables. Data on imports and exports are included. Also given are the number of fishermen, number and net tonnage of vessels, and number of first-class vessels by stations and type of gear. washington Commercial Fisheries 1951 Statistics, 46 po (almost entirely tables), printed. Washing- ton State Department of Fisheries, 1308 Smith Tower, Seattle, Washington, 1952. The tables in this publication contain data on the landings of fish, shellfish, and livers in various districts of Washington, by species and gear for eachmonth of 1951, and by species for each year from 1940 to 1951, inclusive. The number of each species of salmon caught in each district by various types of gear is shown for 1935 through 1951. Data on the pack of canned fish and shellfish are shown for 1951. In addition, there is included in the report historical data on the Washington and British Columbia packs of sockeye salmon, and the monthly salmon escapement over Booneville Dam, Data are likewise presented on the number of commercial fishing licenses issued by the De- partment from 1937 to 1951, inclusive, and the receipts from licenses, miscellaneous tax items, and fines for the years 1935 to 1951. --E. A. Power 60 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 14, No. 11 BERGEN, NORWAY, CENTER OF FISHERIES MUSEUM The Bergen Museum of Fisheries as it stands today is held to be one of the most modern of its kind in the world. Recently the Museum unveiled its | completely revamped basement display rooms, announced a November 6 release from the Norwegian Information Service. The equally interesting exhibits on the first floor were opened tothe public in August 1950, after being closed for ten years. About halfof the restoration cost--400,000 kroner (US$56 ,000) == was paid equally by the Bergen municipality and the State. The remainder was covered by private donations. Besides its function as a museum, the newly rearranged and refurbished basement rooms will also be used for lectures, especially in connection with | the advanced fisheries courses offered in Bergen. During the annual herring fisheries off the West Coast, illustrated lectures will be presented to visit- ing fishermen. Collections on both floors will also serve as visual-aid material for all grades of school children, as well as for students at the Bergen Commercial College. Unique features of the fisneries museum are eye-level displays in all street windows. Here, passersby may study all sorts of interesting things that have to do with the important Norwegian fishing industry. Highlighting various aspects of the main fisheries, the displays are changed with the fishing seasons. The new and old mseum collections combined comprise many thousands of items. Arranged in ultra-modern showcases and displays, they depict the history of Norwegian fisheries--their origin and development through the ages, as well as their present significance, techniques, methods, organiza- tion, import needs, and export markets. One of the most popular stands on the first floor shows the first known fishermen's settlement in Norway, dating back to the Stone Age. In the same room, a 28=- by 7-foot exhibit illustrates the location, extent, and depth of fishing banks off the Norwegian coast, as well as coastal lighthouses. Each fishing bank and lighthouse has its name plate along the edge of the stand and may be lit up by pressing a button. Other sections of the Bergen Fisheries Museum feature graphs tracing the trends of Norwegian fish exports. There are also samples of modern fish- ing gear, equipment and instruments, including radar and sonar, which Nor- wegian oceanographers and purse seine-gangs have found extremely effective in locating fish schools. November 1952 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 61 CONTENTS, CONTINUED PAGE PAGE FOREIGN (CONTD. ); FOREIGN (CONTD. ): CANADA (CONTD.): JAPAN (CONTD.): NEWFOUNDLAND FIRM TO TRY LATEST INTEREST |N DEVELOPMENT OF MARINE EUROPEAN FISHING EQUIPMENT esecececceese 29 RESOURCES cisicleisisisivicieisicleielsieie/eiuisisicicjeciece) 41 NEW NEWFOUNDLAND FILLETING PLANT HAS WHALING EXPEDITION TO OPERATE IN TRVAL SRUNSS: feiceinlewisicie/nic\bcis'ey ols o vleee's.05 29 ANTARCTIC FOR 1952/53 SEASON .eecose-s 42 NEWFOUNDLAND FIRM TO OPEN FISH=FREEZING ACCESS!|ON TO GATT TO BE GIVEN CONSIDER= PEANT UNSGERMANY, sclciclscsicsccccccecece 30 ATOM Meteteiniclelclatsisisieisiatsielc'e\s\eislelslelsielsieieieiviel 4:2 NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES, 1951 ...ceeeee2 30 MEXICO: NEWFOUNDLAND SALT-FISH PRICES MEX|CO=CUBAN FISHING AGREEMENT UNDER ESHIAG Sl SHED Malvisisisistainislaiaisieieivinatelsisic caievere) Sil INISCURBIGN seendadaccponccsocoocponsce ue BRITISH COLUMBIA SALMON-PACK, 1952 .... 31 NORWAY: BRITISH COLUMBSIA HERRING FISHERY OUT~ TUNAVEXPORTEDETONIMALY. sicccewcceecceses 43 HOOKS ists(sleielelsisicio(sinla\nluicle’eieielsielsia/sinc/e.cisieal | OS: FROZEN GROUNDFISH EXPORTS ...sccccesere 43 CHILE: WHALE MEAT EXPORTS