‘cme he 4 77* On By ll ) anon eas + oe) ree Ca |< 4 hang s ‘ wa os foe ben, r ll tacrsen: 4YUE3X [1 SBS COMMERCIAL PIOHMERIE S Ce ae ae GREAT LAKES ae. ‘ee a an sw a= Gee e=se a= oa aa ee oe" eee ee HI Hutt ee man i“! Vol.17, No.1! JANUARY 1955 FISH and WILDLIFE SERVICE - United States Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE DOUGLAS McKAY, SECRETARY UOHN L. FARLEY, DIRECTOR COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW A review of developments and news of the fishery industries prepared in the BRANCH OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES A. W. Anderson, Editor J. Pileggi and J. J. O'Brien, Assistant Editors Mailed free to members of the fishery and alliedindustries. Address correspondence and requests to the: Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, U. S. Department of the Interior, Washington 25, D. C. Publication of material from sources outside the Service is not an endorsement. The Service is not responsible for the accuracy of facts, views, or opinions contained in material from outside sources. Although the contents of this publicationhave not been copyrighted and maybe reprinted freely, refer- ence to the source will be appreciated. The printing of this publicationhas been approved by the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, Novem- ber 5, 1952. CONTENTS COVER: Great Lakes gill net and gill-net tug used in setting the net. This is most com- mon type of fishing by United States fishermen on the Great Lakes--more than 500 of these vessels operate on the Lakes. In 1952 United States fishermen operating gill- nets on the Great Lakes caught 40 percent of the total landings at Lake ports, or 33 million pounds of fish, valued at $12 million ex-vessel. After the nets are set, the vessel returns at intervals of one to six days to lift the nets, depending on water tem- peratures and weather conditions. Generally, the catch is landed the same day thenets are lifted, Page Outlines of a Long-Range Frozen Fish Program for the Armed Forces, by Stanley R, Peterson.........-+-- oO ab Japanese Fish-Netting Industry, by S. Ishida .. 1.1... . sees eee ete eee tee eter eter ee poboddg aOR 8 Roe we Page Page RESEARCH IN SERVICE LABORATORIES: ......- 11 TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS (Contd.): Some Factors Affecting the Color of Fish Sticks, Missouri: yao Olen Gb ooo co ao bob Gop DannO0O eit Fish and Shellfish Consumption, 1953....... 22 Preparation of a Smoked Salmon Caviar Spread, New York: by Clarence J, Carlson.......-+++++-s- 13 Hudson River Shad Catch up in 1954 ...... 3 22 TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS: .......- 6 16 Long Island Fishermen Try Gill-Net Fishing Additions to the Fleet of U. S. Fishing Vessels 5 16 foriGod eis eee ‘heen a i ay 23 California: North Atlantic Exploratory Fishery Program: Commercial Fish Catch in 1953 Hits 22-Year Shrimp Explorations in Gulf of Maine Com- OWI osc cvclnee tal atRotonsiezeneiecccatette 16 menced by Delaware (Cruise 32)...... ats 23 Spotting Survey Plane Observes Fewer Sardines Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investigations: off Southern California (Airplane Spotting F light John R. Manning Surveys Albacore Tuna Dis- BER) Sooo gdode Ra ORT COO Oe 17 tribution of Hawaii (Cruise 22) ......... 23 Abundance Survey of Sardines, Mackerel, and Albacore Tuna Research Off Hawaii Continued Anchovies Continued by Yellowfin (Cruise by Charles H, Gilbert (Cruise 17) ... 25 MAM oc aoc 600 Seale SE to ios 18 Automatic Device for Attaching Float and Hook Cans--Shipments for Fishery Products, January- Droppers to Steel Main Line Tested by Makua September 1954..........+-- pooouoDS 19 (Giese): coooono00cdc0e0a siees Greene 26 Connecticut: Saltonstall-Kennedy Act riches Projects: Connecticut River Shad Fishery, 1954 ...... 19 North Atlantic Exploratory Fishery Program Federal Purchases of Fishery Products ..... 19 INctivatedmmrpetercteyelenelcfel- holed Sei -iene Sustene 26 Great Lakes Fishery Investigations: Service to Produce ‘Another Shrimp ‘Fines 27 Chub Trawling and Gill-Net Tests Continued by Shrimp Production in South Atlantic and Gulf Cisco in Southern Lake Michigan (Cruise Ix) 20 States, 1953/54 Season...... 5G -oetve ler ener 27 Gulf Exploratory Fishery Program: U. S. Foreign Trade: Fishing Gear Study Methods Tested by Oregon Edible Fishery Products, September 1954.... 28 (Cruise 27) ...--2- ese ee etree ere ee 20 Exports of Fats and Oils Set New Record in Gulf States Marine mishesies Commission: 1953/54eereiapeloictoneker l= nkuealeteeenete 28 Fifth Annual Meeting atSan Antonio ....... 21 Water-Borne Fishery Products Tmports and Iowa: Exports, 1953 . 00.0. cee even eee nees 29 1955/56 Fresh-Water Mussel Season Set..... 21 Washington: Michigan: Puget Sound Canned Salmon Pack, 1954 ..... 30 State and Federal Long-Range Study of Lake Wholesale Prices, November 1954........-- 30 TRU Gao 6000 ie) ciety ons seopetraWotete lenelie 22 Haddock Fillet Promotion Campaign: Service Seeks Support of Food Trades ......- 31 Contents Continued Pages 88-89 e TD pirate January 1955 Washington 25, D.C. Vol.17,No.1 OUTLINES OF A LONG-RANGE FROZEN FISH PROGRAM FOR THE ARMED FORCES By Stanley R. Peterson* ABSTRACT Technological research devoted to the improvement of frozen fish has greatly advanced in recent years, In the interest of applying the results of these advances, the following article proposes a long-range program that begins with the harvest of the marine crop and carries through to those aspects of handling and distribution that are of concern to those who wish to make greater use of frozen fish in Armed Forces feeding. Frozen fish are a relatively commonplace civilian food item--at least one day per week--but appear to rate with the serviceman in the category with KP and teta- Fig, 1 - Handling seine-caught mackerel at sea, * Technologist, Animal Products Division, Food and Container Institute, Research and Development Division, Office of the Quartermaster General, Chicago, I1l. Note: Reprinted from the Second Quarter 1954 Activities Report on Food and Container Research and Development for the Armed Forces, vol, 6, no. 2, pp. 84-89, published by the Research and Development Associates, Food and Container Institute, Inc,, Chicago 9, Ill, 2 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wool, U5 IN@> I nus ''shots.'' This low response on the part of the serviceman consumer is by far the major factor in the neglect of fishery products by the Armed Forces. Of the to- tal Armed Forces procurement in pounds of perishable animal products, perishable sea foods represent only about 33%--extremely low for so desirable a product. It is true that fish is served in the messes at the rate of four times per month--usual- ly on Fridays--but only to the extent of some 30 pounds per 100 men. Obviously, there is considerable room for an expansion of use of this nutritious product. Why is there an "anti-fish'' attitude on the part of servicemen and what can be done about it? Some clue to an answer might be found in reports from Army instal- lations in Japan. Relatively good acceptability was indicated for fish obtained from Japanese waters, but domestic frozen fish shipped overseas for Armed Forces!’ con- sumption simply did not '"'go over.'' This fact probably points up some basic defect in handling--which is corroborated by overseas reports which continuously stress the need for better control over the "types" and the ''condition" of the fish servedin the messes. Careful control might well result in a greater acceptability of fishery products and in less wastage of these products at meals. As we all know, fish will show more definitely than most products the effect of abuse during the different stages of processing, shipping, storage, thawing, and preparing. And, it must not be forgotten that the original condition of the fish is of the utmost importance. Fish, as compared to meat, appears to have an added dis- advantage in that the serving of an inferior quality product on one or two occasions can discourage many persons from ever eating fish again. The flavor not only lin- gers; it becomes an embedded food dislike. What can be accomplished in order to improve the acceptability of frozen fish in the Armed Forces rations? First of all, it should be admitted that the industry supplies frozen fish to the Armed Forces in accordance with the Armed Forces per- formance requirements. Since the acceptance response of the servicemen to the serving of frozen fish is, as mentioned, relatively low, it is obvious that the Armed Forces requirements for the procurement of frozen fish should be reexamined. The basic revisions are not difficult to suggest: a product is required that will satisfac- torily withstand the conditions that inevitably prevail in military pipe lines of supply. It must be remembered that servicemen consumers are often located in areas under- equipped for handling perishables. Additional knowledge is needed to determine just what are the supply-line limitations. Progressive and practical requirements for Armed Forces procurement of frozen fish products must then be written with such limitations in mind, ; To improve specifications for fish and to develop a guide for availability, pro- curement, storage, shipment, thawing, and preparation of frozen fish, a frozenfish program would be highly useful. ELEMENTS OF THE PROGRAM In considering the outlines of an effective program the following tasks would seem to be of initial importance: a. Determine relative consumer preference of various species of fish caught at different periods of the fishing season, b. Determine storage life of acceptable species of fish when caught at different periods of the fishing season. c. Determine a feasible method for ascertaining freshness in frozen fish. That relative consumer preference for various species of fish differs in accord- ance with the different periods of the fishing seasonhas beendemonstrated. Tressler, January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 3 Lemon, Stansby, and Beard report that for both lean and fat fish there is a definite tendency toward seasonal variations in composition of fish. Definite examples can be cited for haddock, mackerel, and salmon. Haddock caught in late spring or early summer are not as thick or ''meaty"' as at other seasons; in fact, they have a tend- ency to be ''watery'' and lacking in flavor and taste appeal generally. Mackerel caught during the late spring are also lean and hardy as compared to those caught during the late summer and early fall. Fall-caught mackerel are considered to have the best flavor but unfortunately they also have a shorter storage life. There can be also a considerable difference in quality between early-run and late-run salmon, As Beard points out, ''There is just as much difference between the best grade of salmon and the poorest grade of salmon as there is between well- fattened young steer beef and cow or bull beef from an old animal," SEEKING ''THE BEST BY TEST" Elements of a test design (table 1) for obtaining the samples have been worked out, The design may best be understood by following through on haddock, as shown in column A of table 1, Samples of haddock would be obtained at three different pe- riods of the fishing season, Since haddock are caught throughout the year, as indi- Table 1 - Elements of.a Sampling Procedure Sa a Ie ES EE a a a a Designated Size of Periods for Main Spawning Fish for Obtaining Fishing Season Selected Samples Season Samples 1, Late Jan. March Late Feb. Haddock } All 2, Late May thru to Early 3-6 lbs, Year 3h Wate sept. Ma Ma 1, Early May 2. Late July Sept. 3. Mid-Sept. Oct. 4, IViiG-N Troll-Caught: 1, Late June 2. Mid-Sept. 3. Late Oct. Seine-Caught: June Sept. to 5 moe eee to 6-10 lbs Nov. : f Nov. Gill- Net Caught ul 1, Late Aug, 2, Late Sept. 3, Late Oct. 1/ Subject to seasonal fishing regulations for the various districts, 138) Woes Salmon, silver cated in column B, the plan would be to obtain the first samples in late January, as shown in column C--that is, prior to the peak of the fishing season, as indicated in column D, and prior to the spawning period of haddock which is late February to early May, as shown incolumn E, The second group of samples would be obtained in late May which, as indicated, is just after the period of spawning. The third se- lection of samples would be made in late September, at a period about midway be- tween the end of the previous spawning season for haddock and the beginning of the next spawning season. Column F represents the desired size of the fish in the round. The weights designated represent marketable-size haddock that are sexually mature, 4 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wolly 15 IN@, Ll The next example to be considered is mackerel. Mackerel is caught from April to November in New England waters but there are generally two distinct periods dur- ing the fishing season when it is most abundantly caught--(a) the late spring and ear- ly summer months, and (b) the fall, The latter period, September to November, is | Fig. 2 - ‘‘Brailing”’ the fish onto the deck, usually the period of greatest catch. Four sample lots of mackerel would be select- ed. The first samples would be obtained in early May, just prior to the spawning season, and the second group of samples would be selected in late July, or justafter the spawning period. A third group of samples would be obtained in mid-September, near the beginning of the main run of fish, and a fourth selection would be made in mid-November, near the end of the peak run of mackerel. For a third example, let us look at salmon. Since these fish die after spawn- ing, salmon are caught prior toor during their migration to the spawning grounds. Samples would be obtained from troll-caught ocean kings and silvers, and from troll-caught late-run kings and silvers. Other samples would be obtained from ear- ly- and late-run seine-, gill-, and trap-caught king, silver, pink, and fall salmon. With respect to silver, a species caught off the Washington coast and in Puget Sound, the samples would be obtained in late June from the troll catch. A second group of samples would be obtained from troll-caught silvers in September, or near the end of the summer run. A third group of samples would be selected from silvers caught in late October, or near the end of the trolling season. In Puget Sound dur- ing October silvers are mainly caught by gill nets and seines, and, since there isa January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 5 fall run of silver salmon, samples would be obtained from early-run gill-net and seine-caught silvers and late-run gill-net and seine-caught silvers. Since the peri - od of the silver salmon run varies somewhat according to the locality, the particu- lar source for acquiring samples would have to be taken into consideration in setting up the requirements, Fig, 3 - Diagram of salmon purse-seining operation--the net is set for fishing, If feasible, 1-, 3-, and 7-day old fish would be secured from all of the species to be tested at the different periods of the year. These fish would be processed in- to frozen fillets or steaks for relative consumer preference tests and also for tech- nological examination, As an example, 200 pounds of frozen fillets processed from 1-day-old haddock would be procured. A total of 150 pounds of these frozen fillets would be shipped to Fort Lee, Virginia, to determine relative consumer preference of this haddock. Tests would be conducted there not only to determine the relative consumer preference of each speci- eswhencaughtataparticularperi- ~~ : se ae od of the season, as indicated, but ea = eo BEF ene also for the varying degrees of ini- —omaeers “a tialfreshness. Consideration would : be giventhe regional preferences in selection of consumer respondents. Normally, the population of the coastal areasis accustomed to eat- ing fish caught in that area. It is, therefore, desirable thata cross- section of the Armed Forces be uti- lized in determining the relative con- sumer preference for the various species offish. The remaining 50 pounds would be shipped to the Insti- tute for technological examination; the greatest portion of the sample would be utilizedinastorage study. ee Determining the relative con- : : - ~ sumer preference for the 25 or 30 (gag ON Ge Ne species may enable procurement of fresh frozen fish the year around, thereby minimizing the storage problem and increasing the potential supply of acceptable fishto the Armed Forces. In addition, such a study would determine whether or not the lesser known species Fig, 4 - Preparing to unload fish from a purse seine. 6 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 are acceptable for Armed Forces use. Assurance of a constant supply to Armed Forces kitchens of high quality fish should result in a better serviceman acceptabili- ty of frozen fish and a greater utilization of these products by the Armed Forces. This means, of course, that thawing and preparation procedures are optimally ob- served, LWCANTTE BE SALD TOO ORWEN < en. Each month, approximately 25,000 young men are released from the Armed Forces to return to civilian life. These returning ex-servicemen represent a ver- itable cross section of the United States population since they originally came from all walks of life and all sections of the country. It cannot be emphasized too often Fig. 5 - North Atlantic otter trawling for groundfish, Otter boards hold mouth of net in open position during 15- to 3- hour trawling period. that these men represent a cross section of young civilian consumers. Many of these ex-servicemen's future likes and dislikes for food can well be molded during their period of training in the Armed Forces. This can be particularly true of fish, which is initially afflicted with certain consumer acceptability barriers attributable inmany instances to unsatisfactory past performance. A reflection of unsatisfactory past performance is contained in the term used for canned salmon, ''Goldfish,'' during World War II days. Although there is a considerable difference between the quality of canned salmon currently obtainable and the quality of canned salmon served to the doughboy of 1918, ''the flavor lingers." It will be necessary to determine the storage life of acceptable species of fish caught at different periods of the year. Assuming that study number one has demon- strated that several acceptable species of fish would be available at any time of the year, a storage program would only be necessary to determine overseas require- ments. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 7 Information is already available on the storage life of various species of fish, but specific data are not yet developed on fish handled and stored under Armed Forces conditions, In commercial storage, temperatures of 0 F. or lower are generally available, and the variation in storage tem- perature can be kept toa minimum, Packag- ing can also be adapted to control require- ments. With the Armed Forces storage, a constant 0° F. or lower cannot be assured, and there is likely to be variation in temper- atures, especially in transit and overseas. Packaging meets minimum specification re- Sir ee quirements only. For these reasons, it LEATHER should be evident why the frozen fish stor- age study must be conducted in accordance cca with simulated conditions encountered in the x . : . : <75 “STABILIZER distribution of frozen fish through military supply channels to remote areas of the world. * TROLLING LINE— In determining a feasible method for as- certaining freshness in frozen fish, advan- tage must be taken of various methods that have been devised to determine freshness of fish despite the fact that none of these meth- ods have been found successful for general application. A specific plan for initiating CRNRONEBALL this phase of the frozen fish investigation has sees not yet been established and suggestions are welcome from the industry. Also to be es- Fig, 6 - Diagram showing gear used in trolling for tablished are the reasons for the various certain species of salmon, physical and chemical changes that occur dur- ing the various phases of processing, storing, and preparing fish. It.is realized that the proposed frozen fish program is one of considerable scope. It would necessarily extend over a period of several years and to many regions since various species of fish found in Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coast waters would be of concern in this study, The critical review of this program by the industries will be sincerely appreciated. °Q WHALE BEEF DISH WINS BLUE RIBBON "Whale Beef a laKosmos" was the most popular dish prepared by six Nor- wegian chefs at an international culinary exhibition in Berne, Switzerland. One Oslo chef said that most cooks process whale meat too much before itis cooked. "I simply put some deep-frozen whale meat in the frying panand cook it much the same asordinary beef, not quite through, butalmost. Small onions and mushrooms were added. Guestscouldn't believe they were eating the meat of asea animal, andinsisted onseeing a piece of raw whale meat." --The Fishing News, July 2, 1954. 8 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 JAPANESE FISH-NETTING INDUSTRY By S. Ishidax The Japanese fish-netting industry originated at the end of the last century with the turning point of the Japanese-Chinese War, 1894-1895. Since that time the manufacture of fish netting in Japan has paralleled the gradual development of the Japanese fishing industry. As a home handcraft, the fish-netting industry has been in existence since an- cient times. But the turn of the last century saw a development towards the mech- anization of part of the industry. The partial development from a handcraft toa mechanized industry is attributed mainly to the change from flax to cotton netting. Because the military ordered the use of cotton for netting towards the latter part of the last century, the manufacture of netting by machinery became possible. Since flax, a hard fiber, is not amenable to machine operations, its use had held back the mechanization of the netting industry. Scarcity of raw materials and the extensive destruction of fishing gear during World War II caused the production of fish netting to drop off almost to zero during 1943-45 (table 1). At the end of the war the rehabilitation of the fishing industry was considered of primary importance to the reconstruction of Japan by the Army of Occupation, because it was the most obvious method of overcoming the severe food shortage that had developed. Although all spinning factories in Japan were suffering from the lack of cotton, 32 million pounds of raw cotton were allocated to the fish- netting industry at a subsidized price. The quantity of cotton allo- cated was twice the amount of raw material used in prewar years for netting, and the subsidized price of the cotton was considerably lower than the black-market price (re- ported at about 20 times the sub- sidized price). able I - Japanese Fish-Netting Production ; Ratio Index Prewar Avg. 24,857 100 Source; Fishing Materials, Japai1ese Export Library No. 21, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Japanese Govern- ment, The favored position of the fish-netting industry was an incentive for new firms to enter this profitable industry. Over 500 firms were making fish-nettingin 1950, 1/ and the production capacity a few years after the end of the war surpassed the pre- _ war level. However, the favorable position of the fish netting industry could not continue indefinitely. As soon as the shortage of fish nets after the war was met, decreased demand pointed up overproduction and overexpansion. In addition, government control over cotton yarn was gradually becoming less strict and the fish-netting industry was compelled to compete on the same basis as all other industries. Under these conditions, the fish-netting industry at the turning point in 1949 entered a peri- od of depression. The outlook for its recoveryis not very bright. * Part-time Professor, Department of Economics, Kanagawa University, and employed in Export Section of the Nippon Gyomo Sengu Kaisha, Ltd. (a fish-net firm), Tokyo, Japan, 1/Cotton Fishing Nets, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Japanese Governinent. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 9 The overexpansion of the industry is attributed to overinvestment because of the favored position of the industry right after the war. The postwar Japanese fish- ing industry, which lost important fishing areas off Kamtchatka, in the Yellow Sea, and in the East China Sea, requires less netting than in prewar days. However, fish- netting production was expanded to one~and-a-half of the prewar level. With the in- dustry no longer in the same favored position as just after the war, it was not able to compete successfully. The industry is still subject to competition from the home handcraft section, which still produces about two-thirds of all the netting in Japan. 2/ Therefore, firms manufacturing fish netting have not been able to show a reasonable profit. In order to realize the ratio between raw-material costs and labor and other manufacturing costs, the prewar ratio was 45 percent for raw material to 55 percent for labor and other costs. Recently, however, this ratio has been changed to 80 per- cent and 20 percent. 3/ A limiting characteristic of the industry is the low productivity and the small- ness of the individual firms. The productivity is low because a considerable quan- tity of the cotton fish nets as well as Manila hemp nets are now made by hand. On the other hand the firms using mechanized means for manufacturing nettings are very small. There are only a few firms whose capital investment exceeds US$30,000. As of April 30, 1954, there were 28 principal fish-netting manufacturing firms in Japan. Of these 2 were capitalized at US$444,000 and US$375,000 respec- tively, 1 at US$90,000, and2 at US$83,000 each. Of the remaining 23 firms, 3 were capitalized at US$28,000, 3 at US$17,000, 10 at US$12,000-14,000, and 7 at less than US$10,000. Another limiting characteristic of the industry is the fact that the demand for fish nets is limited to two seasons: spring and summer. Add to this the fact that the products produced are quite diversified, and it can readily be seen that there are a number of limiting factors which account for the industry's difficulties. For example, classifying nets by type of materials used in their manufacture, there are cotton, abaca, hemp, flax, linen, ramie, silk, coconut, and synthetic nets. Grouping nets by types of fishing, there are gill nets, casting nets, dip nets, seine nets, drift nets, Surrounding nets, fixed nets. Taking into consideration production techniques, there are reef-knotted nets, English-knotted nets, woven nets, moji nets, and knot- less nets. These can be further divided into several different types based on size of mesh and twine. To complicate the matter further, the specifications demanded by the fishing industry are subject to change depending upon natural conditions, such as the movement and growth of the fisheries, tide conditions, etc., in each fishing season. This does not make it possible to mass produce these nets or plan produc- tion systematically in advance. Low productivity, seasonal production, a wide diver - sification in products, and the continual change in specifications are factors which enhance inelasticity in the supply and demand relationship and the fundamental in- consistencies of the industry. With the situation of the industry as described, what measures has the industry taken to combat its problems ? Investment of capitalby the manufacturing firms has been in cotton yarn speculations and the buying up of stockpiles from smaller firms. Profit from speculative enterprises has been sought after more than profit from a legitimate manufacturing enterprise. But this has not been as effective as it originally was because the capital that the firms now have available for speculative purposes is too small. In addition, these firms have suffered from monetary restrictions and economic instability. 2/ Japan Textile Yearbook, 1953 3/ Cotton Fishing Nets, and other reports of Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 10 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 In order to stabilize production, foreign markets for fish netting have been sought (table 2). The export outlook, however, is not very bright. Russia and Red China, the largest importers of Japanese fish netting, have been lost. Half of the Japanese prewar produc- Table 2 - Japanese Exports of Cotton Fish Netting— tion of fish netting used F Percentage of Tota to be exported to these Suenty, pigs Production Exported | two countries. Other 1,000 Lbs. Percent countries which used to 854 Shh import fish netting from o3N4 3 Japan during and since 1,578 World War II have be- 982 come self-sufficient in 566 this commodity. In view 1,593 of the difficulty in re- 2,810 gaining their prewar markets, and because of overproduction, export prices for fish netting are about 30 percent be- low those for domestic nets. The comparatively lower -priced netting for 1/Source: Japanese Export Library No. 3Land from Japanese Customs House reports. export is possible be- cause itis manufactured during the period when the netting mills are ordinarily operating at a low-seasonal pro- ductionlevel. The principal activity of the millsis geared to the seasonal demand of the domestic fishery. These seasonalorders are obtained during the spring andfall. The netting for export is ordinarily produced in the period between the peak months of de- mand for the domestic fisheries. Consequently, the cost of export netting represents roughly the cost of keeping the plants operating at a minimum maintenance level during the off-season production periods. Hence, the reasonfor the lowcost of netting for export in comparison with the cost of netting for the domestic fisheries. Under such unfavorable conditions, what is the outlook for the industry? Cer- tain firms are becoming subsidiaries of big spinning or synthetic fiber makers, obtaining foreign capital for financ- : : p F F a Table 3 - Exports of Cotton Fish Netting ing their operations, obtaining the enon itedl states cooperation of small manufacturers Avg. F.O.B. Price for their specialties, and tending towards the organization of cartels. i, 000 Lbs. er Lb. war organization of ca OhIE ot 216 WANS There is also a trend towards modernization of the industry. Small makers are finding it difficult to use the new synthetic fibers for home handcraft production. Principal ob- stacles are financing and the need for mass production to offset the higher cost of the synthetic fibers compared to cotton twine. The increase in the use of synthetic fibers, just as the use of cotton did many years ago, is resulting in further mechanization of the fish-netting industry. However, inelasticity of de- mand and supply relationships, seasonal demand, low productivity, and the excess potential of the industry, and tight foreign markets are some of the problems that the industry must meet before it is able to revitalize itself. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 11 RESEARCH r IN SERVICE LABORATORIES YZ LLL oe SOME FACTORS AFFECTING THE COLOR OF FISH STICKS In the course of its booming growth, the young fish-stick industry has encoun- tered several problems. Not the least of thesehas beenthe attainment of the proper appetizing color for the cooked sticks--a large factor affecting their consumer ac- ceptance. The Boston laboratory has for some time been studying the problem of color of fish sticks as part of a general research project on the product. Preliminary tests indicated that the combination of at least four factors deter- mine the ultimate color of the cooked product. These are: 1. Temperature of the frying oil. 2. Cooking time. 3. Composition of the breading. 4, "Condition" of the frying oil. The first three factors are of prime importance and are interrelated in their coloring effect on the finished product. The fourth factor, owing to the trend toward continuous frying processes and toward concurrent oil clarification, has become of lesser importance. More refined experiments on the color of fish sticks requires the development of a system of color measurement. Existing systems were considered and found to be not readily adaptable. Scientifically, color is measured in terms of hue, bril- liance, and saturation. The preliminary studies had indicated that, in the case of fish sticks, hue and saturation were determined in large part by the composition of the breading, and that the cooking times and temperatures primarily affected the brilliance (or shades between black and white) of the product. An arbitrary but adequate system for comparisons of brilliance of color was developed for use in the laboratory. A specific number was assigned to each shade of fish-stick color obtained by varying the process of frying. A very pale product, differing little from an uncooked item, merited designation ''1.'' A very dark pro- duct, not quite burnt, merited a '10."' A moderately-dark product was given a "7,'' while a moderately-light product was rated at ''4.'' Lithographed pictures of fish sticks on commercial labels were used as guides for the range ''4"' to '7."' Samples of the fish sticks, experimentally prepared at various cooking times and oil temperatures were frozen and stored for a few days. The sticks were then heated at about 400° F. for 20 minutes and examined by a small panel of technolo- gists. The shades of colors rated as acceptable to one or more of the laboratory staff ranged from about ''3'' to ''8.'' The shade preferred by the members was about "6.'' Thus, their figures could be used to determine the effect of a variation in proc - essing upon the color shade of fish sticks. 12 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wol, U7, NOs i The effect of cooking time and oil temperature upon the shade of color of fish sticks is shown in table 1. As was expected, the higher the frying-oil temperature, the shorter was the cooking time necessary to attain a desired shade. For example, the shade-of-color "7," attained by cooking fish sticks for 150 seconds at an oil temperature of 360° F., was attained in 75 seconds in oilat 405° F. The studies showed the importance of close con- trol of cooking times and oil temperatures in the production of a uniform shade of fish-stickcolor. ‘ooking Time and Oil Temperature on the Shade (Brilliance of Color) of Fish Sticks = The breading compo- 1/ The color shade designations (1 to 10) were arbitrarily developed specifically sition primarily deter - for this experiment (and, possibly, a few succeeding experiments). A very pale > al ine Ih f th product, differing little from an uncooked item, merited designation ‘‘1,’’ A gotmake e 2 We © ec very dark product, not quite burnt, merited a ‘‘10.’’ A moderately-dark product finished stick. Breading was given a ‘‘7,’’ while a moderately-light-colored product was rated at ‘‘4.”” mixes based on cracker Pets pictures of ve ae on See perter as as guides meal caused a golden- or the range ‘‘4”’ to ‘‘7,’” The shades of color rated as acceptable to one or d more members of the laboratory staff ranged from about ‘*3”’ to ‘‘8.’” The yelllory hue on the final shade preferred by the average panel member was about ‘‘6,”’ cooked product . Mixes based on wheat cereals caused the formation of a golden-brown hue and the use of bread crumbs resulted in a reddish-brown hue. Fish sticks covered with cracker meal failed to deepenin shade noticeably during extended cookery. Those prepared from bread crumbs dark- ened in shade the fastest, while sticks prepared T with wheat cereal mixes darkened at a slower rate. Breading The effect of vari- Material Ratio 1/ ation of breading com- ; position on the color shade, attained by fish sticks fried in oils maintained at different temperatures and also 1/Proportions of bread crumbs added to standard breading materials. upon the cooking time 2/ Cooking time was 90 seconds, required, is shown in 3/ Cooking time was 75 seconds, table 2. As the ratio 4/ Cooking time was 45 seconds, of bread crumbs to Note: For definition of shade gradations, see note 1, table 1. wheat cereal base mix was increased, the shade of color obtained at a particular temperature and cooking time was deepened. Fish sticks prepared from a mixture of 1/3 bread crumbs added to 2/3 of a wheat cereal breading attained a color shade of ''6"' after cooking for 45 seconds in oil at 405° F. When the bread-crumb ratio was raised to 2/3, fish sticks fried under identical conditions merited a rating of ''8." The ''age"' of the frying oil has a noticeable affect upon the color shade of fish sticks. After frying in very fresh oils, a light color shade was noted. When the oil had been in use for a short time, the oil darkened slightly, and the color shade of oe foe sticks produced was also slightly darker than that of sticks cooked in the resh oil. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 13 In summary, the desired hue of color and uniform shade may be obtained in fish sticks. The producer, to obtain the definite hue and brilliance of color he desires, must consider (1) the composition of the breading, (2) the cooking times and oil tem- peratures, and (3) the "age" of the oil. Further, to insure a continuing uniformity of shade of color in his product, he must maintain close control over cooking times and oil temperatures. --J. Holston, Chemist Fishery Technological Laboratory Branch of Commercial Fisheries U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service East Boston, Mass. ef Sng ot PREPARATION OF A SMOKED SALMON CAVIAR SPREAD The development and evaluation of food products from Alaska fish were initia- ted two years ago at the Ketchikan Fishery Products Laboratory (1) to study fish- processing techniques in order that numerous inquiries might be answered and (2) to develop and evaluate new or improved products from Alaska fish in order to encourage off-season industries in the Territory. Many inquiries are from ''new- comers'' to Alaska who wish to utilize and preserve for home consumption the many species of fish and shellfish in Alaska's coastal waters. Other inquiries are from individuals and companies planning new enterprises or products. In some cases commercial procedures are not directly applicable, and in others information is lacking on the particular species of fish or on processing techniques. For these reasons experimental work is being carried out and information published on meth- ods suitable for both home and commercial purposes. Two reports, primarily for Alaskans, have been released.1/ Preliminary considerations for the production of fishery specialty products in Alaska were summarized recently by Landgraf.2 Experimental work is now in progress on the development of various smoked fish products and the preparation of precooked frozen products from Alaska fish and shellfish. Each report in the present series will summarize the studies on one or more phases of the project. This report deals with the preparation of a smoked salmon caviar spread. During the past few years various studies have been conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Service to find ways and means of utilizing more efficiently the 5 to 10 mil- lion pounds of salmon eggs which are available in Alaska during the salmon season. At present much of this valuable foodstuff is wasted. It was the purpose of this study to develop an economical method of utilizing this material for food. The prep- aration of a whole-grain caviar requires carefully-selected mature eggs. The most practical approach, considering the variation in raw material, was the preparation of a spread or paste using as simple a method as possible. It was thought also that a spread would have more possibilities for market development on a more extensive scale. Products from Alaska Herring, by R. G. Landgraf, Jr., and H, J. Craven, Technical Report No, 6, Fisheries Experimen- tal Commission, Fishery Products Laboratory, Ketchikan, Alaska. 2/ Technical Note No. 28 - ‘‘Possibilities for the Production of Fishery Specialty Products in Alaska’’, by R. G, Landgraf,Jr., ~ Commercial Fisheries Review, Vol. 15, No. 12, pp. 18-19 December 1953). 14 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 EXPERIMENTAL: Initial trials showed that either fresh or frozen salmoneggs of any Species could be used successfully in the preparation of a spread. Chum salm- on (Oncorhynchus keta) eggs which had been frozen and stored from 1 to 12 months were used in these tests. Chum salmon eggs are large and easy to obtain andhandle. It was apparent from early trials that if the final spread was to be smooth in texture, the eggs must be ground and strained to remove the shells and membrane. The strained-egg liquor was similar to tomato juice in appearance and consistency and was used as the main ingredient in all developmental work. Most fish pastes and spreads prepared for these experiments or now marketed follow the same general formula, differing principally in the main ingredient and de- gree of seasoning. In addition, spreads usually consist of a binder, a spreading agent (fat), water or other liquid, a filler (flour), and, in some cases, coloring ma- terials. In the case of salmon caviar spreads, it was found that these additives, withthe exception of certain seasonings, were not only unnecessary, but were detrimental to the final appearance, flavor, and texture of the product. Flour, in percentages ranging from 1 to 14, was added as a filler to the spreads; however, this caused the final product to have a pasty taste and texture. The use of a spreading agent (oleo- margarine, vegetable shortening, or cottonseed oil) resulted in an objectionable oily taste. The use of a binder (dried skim milk) was unnecessary, since it was found that the egg liquor became firm naturally when heated. Of the numerous seasonings used, the addition of salt, garlic salt, and pepper sauce proved to add the best flavor to the product. Preliminary smoking of the eggs also added a desirable flavor. Cooking trials of the spread in 24 -ounce jars were carried out at temperatures ranging from 130° to 240° F. It was found that samples cooked below 170 F. would not firm sufficiently, while those cooked over 200° F. became hard and rubbery. The optimum cooking temperature--that which gave the final product the most de- sirable consistency in the shortest possible time--was found to be 197 +2 F. Using this cooking temperature, the consistency of the final product was dependent entirely upon the length of the cook. The following procedure was used in the preparation of the experimental packs of smoked salmon caviar spreads. Skeins of chum-salmon eggs which had been frozen in 30-pound berry tins and stored at 0° F. from 1 to 12 months were allowed to thaw in air. The skeins were then removed from the tinand immersed in 95-degree salinometer brine (2.8 pounds salt per gallon of water) for 25 minutes. After being drained, the brined eggs were placed onsmoking trays which were covered with greased aluminum foil. The eggs were smoked for 25 hours at 115° to 120° F. The eggs were removed from the smokehouse and allowed to cool. They were then passed through a hand-operated, corn-mill-type grinder. The resultant slurry was strained through fine wire screen (16-mesh). The recovery of a strained smoked-egg liquor from raw frozen salmon eggs averaged 60 percent. This is the basic formula: 4.5 lb. (2,080 g.) smoked-egg liquor 0.23 lb. (104 g. or 5% by weight) salt 3 tsp. garlic salt 1 tsp. pepper sauce The salt, garlic salt, and pepper sauce were added to the egg liquor. The in- gredients were mixed together, then poured into 2% -ounce jars (1Z-inch diameter by 23-inch height). The lids, having rubber gaskets, were screwed on tightly, and the jars were immersed in a hot-water bath at 197° F. for 1 hour. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 15 The final product was a bright reddish-orange in color (similar to that of fresh salmon eggs), creamy, and smooth-textured. The product spread easily on crackers, and had a mild, smoky taste. It was easily blended with other foods, such as cream cheese, for variety or to reduce the high salt content. The proximate analysis of a typical sample of the smoked spread is given in table 1. KEEPING QUALITY: Normally a product of this type must be kept refrigerated to minimize the possibility of bacterial growth (such as Clostridium). The needfor continuous refrigeration would limit the sales value of the product. Experiments were con- ducted to improve the keeping quality so that the spread might be stored safely at room tem- perature for a year or longer. Table 1 - Proximate Composition of a Spread Prepared from Chum- Salmon Eggs DO Osc: OO OnOROa Cen no Products having a pHbelow 4.50rhaving |Moisture 1/............ a salt content above 8 percent will not, inmost cases, support the growth of Clostridium botu- linum. Attempts at lowering the pH of the prod- uct, whichisnormally 5.6, were made, using acetic, citric, andhydrochloride acid. When the pH of the spread was lowered to 4.4, using any of the above acids, the flavor of the final product wasimpaired, thatis, asour taste was quite noticeable. Hence, this method was discarded. 2) ere) sie) salem rai\a: «) eis; (of of e! Oil 27 ney OUORE Re R ; @arbohydratess// aac eee 6. Salta (asm Na Cue mmmnctetleisteve 8. ists (1950). zs 9/7 Analysis according to the method of Stansby and Lemon (1937) as modified by Voth (1946). 3/ By difference, To determine whether a spread having a high salt content would be acceptable, a series of trial packs was prepared having a total salt content of from 4to9 percent. A spread having a salt content as highas 9.5 percent was still considered to be acceptable by the Laboratory taste panel. Tocheck the possible hazard of botulism from the prod- uct, a pack of smoked salmon caviar spread (salt content and proximate composition-- table 1) inoculated with Clostridium botulinum was prepared. The inoculated pack was sent tothe National Canners Association Laboratory at Berkeley, California, 3/ for incu- bation and feeding tests. In a final report, the National Canners Association Laboratory concluded that this smoked-salmon-egg-spread, withasalt (sodium chloride) content greater than 8 percent, presents no hazard of botulism when stored at room temperature. Storage tests with this spread at room temperature for one year have shown that a strong flavor develops as the time in storage progresses. Although the off- flavor is not excessively offensive, it does detract from the quality of the product. Since antioxidants are used to protect other oily foodstuffs against oxidative rancidity, a test series was initiated recently in which 0.04 percent by weight of an antioxidant (18 percent butylated hydroxyanisole and 22 percent butylated hydro- xytoluene in a winterized cottonseed oil) was incorporated with the regular ingredi- ents. Sample jars of the antioxidant-treated and regular spreads were stored in an incubator at 37° C. and are being examined organoleptically at monthly intervals. The first monthly examination has indicated that neither the regular or antioxidant- treated spread has developed a pronounced off-flavor. The regular spread has de- veloped a somewhat stronger fishy off-odor than the anti-oxidant protected spread. 3/ Acknowledgment of assistance in this experiment is made to Charles T, Townsend, George K, Polk, Charles P, Collier, and RansomN, Getchell, Western Branch Laboratories, NationalCanners Association, Berkeley, California, who furnished the spore suspensions of Clostridium botulinum and who incubated the pack and conducted animal-feeding tests on the inoculated product at intervals. --Clarence J.Carlson, Fishery Products Technologist Fishery Products Laboratory, Ketchikan, Alaska (Operated by the Alaska Fisheries Experimental Commissionand the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service .) 16 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wo, Ut, INO, i ———S= = IRENDS == = AND EDEVELOPMENTS & Additions to the Fleet of U. S. Fishing Vessels First documents as fishing craft were issued to 38 vessels of 5 net tons and over during October 1954--18 less than in October 1953. Virginia led with 8 ves- sels, followed by Florida east coast with 7 vessels, and Louisiana with 5 vessels. Vessels Obtaining Their First Documents as Fishing Craft, October 1954 and Comparisons Section October January-O oes Total 1953 INewsiane lances eneienciene Middle Atlantic....... Chesalpealkew sie : NICOLAS Airplane spotting flight 54-3 Beechcraft 4758N ; on October 26, 1954, (PT. arquecco ————— emphasis onthe Pacific sardine. a raciric mackereL| | Wisibility was excellent from SS ana Suavereo the air over the entire area ex- cept for a portion of the coast near Ensenada where a forest \ fire caused haze over the water, Qe ane \ according toa November 8 bul- letin from the California De- partment of Fishand Game. ii The area surveyed included ie the inshore area from Monterey, is California, toSan Jose Pt., Baja Sy eetaa le ze) : California, and the area adjacent tothe channelislandsandSanta airplane spotting flight 54-3 Beech- Catalina Island, craft 4758N on October 25, 1954, This flight survey consisted of a series of four daily flights. Since some of the same area was surveyed on successive days, a tally of species for each day's flight was prepared. A total of 88 schools of fish were tal- lied over the four-day period, but only a portion of these schools could be identified with certainty. Schools of each species of fish have a characteristic shape and color when the school is near the surface, but when the schools are deeper in the water, identification as to species becomes difficult. By observing catches made by commercial fishermen SAN MIGUEL >, ISLAND es SANTA BARBARA STAL ROSA Cs xX STA. CRUZ ISLAND SANTA CATALINA Airplane spotting flight 54-3 Beech- craft 4758N on October 27, 1954, 18 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 in cooperation with aerial spotters it was possible to give an estimation of the species composition of all the schools observed. Of the 88 schools tallied it was estimated ———_ that at least 50 were sardines, 21 anchovies, Tareas surveveo 1115 Pacific mackerel, and 2 were unidentifiable. SANTA BARBARA VENTURA PT. HUENEME It was noteworthy to observe how rapidlya concentration of sardines would vary inabun- |cance withina certainarea over a period of onlya ifew days. The largest concentration of sardines sat! was off Long Beachand on October 25 and 26 fair numbers were sighted. Most allthe commercial Airplane spotting flight 54-3 Beechcraft fleet operated inthis area, and by October 27 only 4758N on October 28, 1954. anchovies were seeninthis area. Nosardines were seeninthe Port Hueneme area until October 28 when several small schools were sighted between Pt.Dume and Pt. Mugu. Allschools of fish were reported tobe ''wild" by the fishermen. Most of the coastal water mass was of deep blue oceanic type and only a nar- row band of "green" rich water was found near the beach. Most all the fish observ- ed were found within or near this band of ''green'' water. kk ok OK ABUNDANCE SURVEY OF SARDINES, MACKEREL, AND ANCHOVIES CONTIN- UED BY "YELLOWFIN" (Cruise 54-Y-10): The third of four cruises for 1954 by the California Department of Fishand Game's research vessel Yellowfin de- = ral Eanes See ARSE 7 signed toassess the relative abundance oo aS B PACIFIC MACKEREL of Pacific sardines, jack mackerel, Pa- LA ay x.-ROUTE OF CRUISE cific mackerel, andanchovies off the BO ae LOS ANGELES coast of Southern California, was com- jmosa,| CANAL CANS aN ISLAND ; CALIFORNIA pleted on November 4 at Los Angeles. The cruise began October 16 inthe area along the coast of Southern Cali- Re . fornia from Goleta Point to the Califor - sestano SD SANTA CATALINA nia-Mexico boundary, including the area i around Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Nicho- Se aca OR las, Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina and Rae San Clemente Islands, and Tanner and i Cortez Banks. 4 The Yellowfintraveleda total of 415 miles while scouting for fish, and 190 aa, i schools were observed visually or with SC TEORTES BANK the aid of the Sea Scanar--35 ofthese were m/v Yellowfin Cruise 54-Y-10, October 16-Nov. 4, 1954. estimated tobe Pacific mackerel, 15 sar- wee dine, 11 saury, and 129 were unknown. There is considerable evidence, however, toin- dicate that many of the unidentified schools were sardines. Most sardine schools were small (3-10 tons); however four large schools (50-300 tons) were observed in the vicin- ity of Santa Barbara Island. Smallschools of Pacific mackerel (upto 20 tons) were seen throughout the area surveyed. A total of 90 light stations were occupied. Sardines were sampled at 3 stations, an- chovies at 7, Pacific mackerelat 20, and jack mackerelat 3. Inadditiontothe samples collected, Pacific mackerel were observed but not collected at 6 stations, anchovies at 3, sardines at 1,and unidentified schools at 3. In addition, squid were noted at 22 light stations, sauries at 20, jack smelt at 6, grunion at 5, bay smelt, mola, and blue shark at 1 each. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 19 ene opments for Fishery Products, January-September 1954 Total shipments of metal cans for fish and sea food during January- September 1954 amounted to 81,651 short tons of steel (based on the amount of steel consumed in the manufacture of cans), compared to 83,258 short tons for the same period in 1953. Note; Statistics cover all commercial and captive plants known to be producing metal cans. Reported in base boxes of steel consumed in the manufacture of cans, the data for fishery products are converted to tons of steel by using the factor: 23.0 base boxes of steel equal one short ton of steel, Connecticut CONNECTICUT RIVER SHAD FISHERY, 1954: The 1954 catch of shad in the Connecticut River amounted to 291,427 pounds, consisting of 34,243 bucks in num- ber and 49,585 roes in number, according to the records of the Connecticut State Board of Fisheries and Game. There were 93 nets registered. A comparison with the Board's 1953 figures shows a 27-percent drop for both bucks and roes. The 1954 catch was 108,654 pounds less than in 1953 (15,218 bucks and 17,131 roes less than a year earlier.) The decline in catch has been attributed to two principal factors. First, the Connecticut River always gets its shad later than the Hudson River and Raritan Bay, and generally after the market has hit its peak prices. This was true in 1954; but also at the time the shad were present to any positive extent, the river waters were very high and this is considered to be an important reason for the drop in catch. Second, a good alewife run in the river caused many fishermen to concentrate on seining alewives, reports the Service's Fishery Marketing Specialist in the Con- necticut area. ~e 3 > — Federal Purchases of Fishery Products FRESH AND FROZEN FISHERY PRODUCTS PURCHASED BY DEPARTMENT eee Ee OF DEFENSE, OCTOBER 1954: Fresh and frozen fishery products purchased for Purchases 0. Fresh and Frozen Fishery Products by Department of the Army (October and the First Ten Months of 1954) VALU — Tost Graber Men October smn Sue eres ee a ae ee SS Lbs. Lbs. 976, 862|2,236,975 20, LER 762 23,643,186 860, 937/1, 1207193 8, 6447335 10,415,224 the military feeding of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force by the Army Quartermaster Corps in October 1954 amounted to 1,978,862 pounds, valued at $860,937 (see table). This was a decrease of 30.4 percent in quantity and 19.5 percent in value as compared with September purchases and lower by 11.5 and 23.2 percent, respectively, than in October 1953, ons \ Army Quartermaster Corps purchases of fresh and frozen fish during the first 10 months in 1954 totaled 20,963,762 pounds (valued at $8,644,835) 11.3 percent lower in quantity and 17.0 percent less in value as compared with the similar peri- od a year earlier. 20 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 Prices paid for fresh and frozen fishery products by the Quartermaster Corps in October averaged 43.5 cents per pound as compared with 37.1 cents in September and 49.9 cents per pound in October 1953. Great Lakes Fishery Investigations CHUB TRAWLING AND GILL-NET TESTS CONTINUED BY "CISCO" IN SOUTH- ERN LAKE MICHIGAN (Cruise IX): Experimental trawling for chubs by the Service's research vessel Cisco produced no new results on a 13-day cruise completed Novem- ber 1, A 45-minute tow between 14 and 25 fathoms of Grand Haven produced 350 pounds of yellow perch which is somewhat unusual for this depth. The cruise itin- erary included Grand Haven, Michigan, October 19-21; Racine, Wisconsin, October 22; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, October 23-30; Grand Haven, October 31-November 1. Transects were made across Lake Michigan from Holland to Racine, and from Milwaukee to Grand Haven. Three hydrographic stations were visited along each transect. Experimental gill nets were set on the bottom at 25 and 50 fathoms off Grand Haven, and at 25, 50, and 80 fathoms off Racine. A gill net was set obliquely from surface to bottom in 20 fathoms off Milwaukee. Trawling was done off Grand Haven, Milwaukee, and in the area between Racine and Milwaukee. Bathythermograph tests were made at 5-mile intervals along the transects and at all stations. A gill net set obliquely from surface to the bottom in 20 fathoms of water off Milwaukee took chubs at all depths. In oblique sets made during midsummer months, chubs were not taken in the upper 60 feet of water. In this set, 19 percent of the total catch was taken between the surface and 60 feet of depth and 38 percent of the catch was taken between 60 and 100 feet. Chubs have been thought to live in very close proximity with the bottom but in this set only 43 percent were taken within 20 feet of the bottom. Surface temperatures across the lake near the start of the cruise (October 22) ranged between 55 8°-58.6° F. andthe thermocline had an average depth of 110 feet. Near the end of the cruise (October 31) surface temperatures had fallen to from 52.3. to 55.4. F.and the thermocline had dropped to an average depth of 122 feet. Returns from the 1,100 drift bottles released during July-September are still coming in at a rate close to 100 per week despite the onset of unfavorable weather. Almost no returns are being made from an equal number of drift cards enclosed in plastic envelopes that were released simultaneously with the bottles. Gulf Exploratory Fishery Program FISHING GEAR STUDY METHODS TESTED BY ''OREGON " (Cruise 27): Tests on several types of equipment to determine their effectiveness as tools for the study of fishing gear were made by the Service's research units at CoralGables and Pascagoula, the Navy Bureau of Ships, the Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, and the Geological Survey. Underwater television cameras were used to observe the action of a midwater trawl as it was towed by the Oregon in the Gulf Stream off Miami. These observa- tions were recorded on motion picture films. Also, the diving team from the Oregon made its first dives to watch shrimp nets. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 21 On the return trip to Pascagoula two long-line sets were made southwest of Tortugas. Two large yellowfin tuna were taken on one set and three on the other. Several small white skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) were taken also. On this cruise the Oregon left Pascagoula on October 28 and was based at Miami Beach from October through November 13 for gear tests in the Gulf Stream off Miami and off the Bahamas. The Oregon left Miami Beach on Novem- ber 14 and made long-line sets for tuna southwest of Tortugas, Florida, returning to Pascagoula November 23, 1954. Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission FIFTH ANNUAL MEETING AT SAN ANTONIO: The Fifth Annual Meeting of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission was held October 21-22, 1954, at San Antonio, Texas. The principal subjects discussed at the meeting included: reports by representatives of member States on the progress of fishery projects under way and in the planning stage; the effect of purse seining in the Gulf menhaden fishery, and otter trawling in fishing for species for animal food and fish meal; the possi- bility of increased weather reporting in the Gulf; explorations for shrimp and tuna by the Fish and Wildlife Service's vessel Oregon; the biological survey in the Gulf by the Service's research vessel Alaska; the red tide problems off the Florida coast; and the proposed new Fish and Wildlife Service projects to be financed by funds provided by the Saltonstall-Kennedy Fisheries Act (P. L. 466), Among the resolutions adopted at the Meeting were: (1) An economic survey of the shrimp industry was recommended. (2) A weather-ship station in the Gulf of Mexico was recommended. (3) Extension of the shellfish certification program was recommended, (4) No action reference proposed change Maritime Administration General Order 59 to permit chartering of fishing vessels to aliens before receiving Administration approval. (5) Montgomery, Alabama, was chosen for the next regular meeting, March 17-18, 1955. Iowa mussel season has been set by the State Conservation Commission with no changes from the previous season's regulations, according to a November 25, 1954, bulletin from that agency. The entire lengths of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers will be open to mussel fishing from June 15, 1955, to June 15, 1956. Inland streams open to mussel fishing will be open from June 15, 1955,to No- vember 30, 1955. These include the Des Moines, Cedar, Iowa, Wapsipinicon, Turkey, and Shellrock Rivers. Certain portions of these rivers are closed, and commercial fishermen may consult last year's regulations to determine these areas. All other waters of the State are closed to the taking of mussels, 22 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Violen None All the mussels produced in Iowa are used in the production of mussel-shell products, principally buttons. Note; See Commercial Fisheries Review, August 1954, p. 38. @ Michigan STATE AND FEDERAL LONG-RANGE STUDY OF LAKE TROUT: Although sea lampreys have nearly wiped out lake trout populations in Lakes Michigan and Huron, Michigan's Department of Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are continuing hatchery and research work with an eye toward the future of the fish. There is hope that combined efforts of man and nature will control future lamprey depredations. If this occurs, conservationists want to be ready with additional research knowl- edge and ''brood stock" fish for inland and Great Lakes plantings. Specialists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are making a long-range study of the little- known fish. At the Conservation Department's Marquette hatchery, a pilot brood-stock experiment has been under way about six years. A number of the fish, raised from eggs hatched in 1948, have reached maturity and the important question of whether or not they will spawn in captivity is expected to be answered soon. Lake, or Mackinaw, trout experiments are also being conducted at Higgins Lake, Conservationists want to know if wild lake trout netted from this lake can be used to provide spawn should the remaining stock of lake trout in Lake Superior disappear as it has in Lakes Huron and Michigan. my ~ Missouri FISH AND SHELLFISH CONSUMPTION, 1953: Missourians ate about 97 million pounds of marine and fresh-water fish during 1953, according to reports from fish dealers received by the Missouri Conservation Commission. The most popular was whiting, with almost 5 million pounds sold during the year. Missouri commercial fishermen provide only a small part of the total fish con- sumed in that State. The local catch is only about 7 percent of the 2.6 million pounds of river fish handled by dealers. In addition, during 1953 Missourians consumed about 29,449 pounds of frogs, 80,296 pounds of shrimp, and 4,175 pounds of oysters. See ‘V4 e. New York HUDSON RIVER SHAD CATCH UPIN 1954: The 1954 Hudson River shad catch in New York waters amounted to 613,236 pounds, 34 percent more than the 456,858 pounds caught in 1953, according to preliminary figures supplied by the Service's Fishery Marketing Specialist in that area. Fishing was conducted under special shad gill-net permits issued by the State of New York. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 23 The breakdown of the 1954 catch is as follows: Stake nets: roe shad 160,133 pounds (39,987 fish); buck shad 64,893 pounds (22,193 fish). Total value to the fishermen: approximately $34,000. Drift gill nets: roe shad 244,500 pounds (66,162 fish); buck shad 143,710 pounds (58,932 fish), Total value to the fishermen: approximately $38,000, % OK OK OK OK —e Oe eee eee cod off Long Island with a nylon anchor gill net (54-inch mesh) was tried as an experiment by a crew of fishermen in November 1954, according to the Service's Fishery Marketing Specialist in that area. The thread of the net was very light. The venture proved successful and the fishermen are now building more gear. The cod caught, weighing from 4 to 20 pounds, were larger than the usual catch of the area. In addition, the gill nets caught roe shad, striped bass, and mackerel. The appearance of roe shad at this time of the year in these waters was most unusual, It is too early to predict the extent to which anchor gill nets will be used in the future for cod fishing off Long Island but it has possibilities. North Atlantic Exploratory Fishery Program SS Se ESE O_O (Cruise 32): Exploratory operations to evaluate commercial shrimp possibilities in the northern Gulf of Maine were commenced by the Service's Exploratory Fishing and Gear Development Section's research vessel Delaware, during a 12-day cruise completed at Boston, Mass., on November 21. A Series of 7 tows in waters varying in depth from 70-100 fathoms resulted in small catches of shrimp. During three of the tows the net caught on bottom obstructions and was badly damaged. Operations were carried out in the general area of 42 °55'-43 35' north latitude and 69 20'- 70 15' west longitude. In addition, standard commercial otter-trawl nets were operated for bottom species in the South Channel fishing grounds, and a total of 23 tows was made with this type gear. Approximately 6,000 pounds of mixed species, consisting of haddock, ocean perch, hake, whiting, and cod, were frozen or iced aboard the vessel and landed at the Service's East Boston Technological Laboratory for experimental studies. A standard Iceland otter trawl, with a 116-foot sweep rope and 76-foot headrope, and lined with 13-inch mesh netting in the cod end and top belly section, was used for the shrimp fishing. Substantial catches of small whiting, ocean perch, and dogfish were made inthis region. Due to the irregular nature of the bottom, a center section of rollers was used with the trawl on all of the tows. While results indicated the existence of shrimp concentrations in the general area at this season of the year, extensive exploration utilizing smaller boats equipped with standard shrimp trawls seems warranted to determine if commercial quantities of shrimp are present. Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investigations " JOHN R.. MANNING" SURVEYS ALBACORE TUNA DISTRIBUTION OFF HAWAII (Cruise 22): To determine the distribution and abundance of albacore in the area to 24 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 the north and northwest of Hawaii was the purpose of the cruise by the Service's research vessel John R. Manning from September 13 to November 9, 1954, The total catch for the 16 long-line stations fished was: 27 albacore, 22 big-eyed, 5 marlin, 1 broadbill swordfish, 30 dolphin, 180 sharks, 1 wahoo, and 59 Alepi- saurus. ae In addition to long lining, 5 lines were trolled for 2 hours at each fishing station. Albacore were taken on 160° W. longitude on those stations where albacore were caught on the long-line gear. The 7 troll-caught albacore were of the same size as those taken on the long-line, averaging 15.7 pounds. Of the 16 stations fished, 13 were on 160° W. and 3 on 175° W. longitude. At each station, 40 to 60 baskets of 13-hook gear were fished. One-half of the bas- kets were of 5-fathom float lines and the remainder were 15-fathom float lines. Based on chemical sounding tubes the average depth of the deepest fishing hooks onthe 5-fathom float-line gear was 394 feet, while that of the 15-fathom float-line gear averaged 413 feet. On 160° w. longitude the best albacore catches were made on the two northern~ most stations where 9 and 4 albacore were caught. Fishing farther north than 46 30' N. was prevented by a fuel shortage. Albacore were found farther south on 175° W. than on 160° W. longitude. Small catches were made on all 3 stations fished. The best catch of 9 albacore was made 38 40' N. latitude. There was a marked difference in the size of the long-line caught albacore | between 160° W. and 175° W. longitude. 1 On 160° W. the albacore were small ranging from 12-23 pounds and averag- ing 16.1 pounds, while those caught on 175° W. ranged from 6.5-69 pounds and averaged 28.2 pounds. A tuna-bait survey was conducted at Midway Island. Bait fish observed, by order of abundance, were Hawaiian silversides (iao), small round herring (piha), mountain bass (aholehole), and golden goatfish (weke). The amount ob- served during the 2 days of survey was in excess of 1,000 buckets (10,000 pounds). A total of 26 fish were tagged and released. The breakdown by species © LONG-LINE STATION was: 18 albacore, 6 big-eyed, 1 yellow- @ NIGHT-LIGHT STATION & TRAWL STATION fin, and 1 great blue shark. The modified 6-foot Isaacs-Kidd trawl was used successfully on 10 sta- tions; however, the small catches (in most instances not more than a hand- ful) indicate the trawl may not be catching tuna food present in the water layers sampled. Body measurements for racial studies were taken on 12 albacore, 10 big-eyed, 4 sharks, 3 marlins, and 1 broadbill swordfish (this small broadbill has been pre- served for the POFI collection). For food and feeding habits and spawning studies, 9 albacore stomachs and 6 tuna ovaries were preserved. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 25 Surface temperatures were recorded continuously and BT casts made at pre- arranged intervals. The thermograph was run continuously and showed a gradual de- crease in temperature (excepting a few minor fluctuations) up to approximately 43 45! N. latitude on 160° W. longitude. The, temperature then decreased rapidly from 64.5" F. at that position to 60.3° F. at 45 00' N. Subsurface temperatures as ob- tained with the bathythermograph showed a very sharp thermocline ranging in depth from 90-135 feet on the 160° W. longitude section and from 150-220 feet on the 175 W. longitude section. oOne large flock of petrels exceeding 300 in number was sighted at 40°12! ING 174 °56' W. longitude. Other bird flocks sighted in northern waters were small migrating flocks. The two night-light stations (Midway Island and 36°22' N., 174° 35' W.) with the Banner-King trap resulted in very small catches, the latter station having a catch of only one squid. Approximately 50 percent of the planned work was accomplished. Five storms of varying intensity forced substantial revisions of the cruise plan, and prevented allof the planned fishing on 170° E. longitude. During the most severe storm the winds blew from 60 to 70 knots and the seas were from 25 to 35 feet in height. Of 31 days spent north of 35° N. latitude (area of possible albacore fishing), 16 fishing days were lost due to bad weather. This program has been intensified with the allocation of funds provided by the Saltonstall-Kennedy Bill, P. L. 466 (83rd Congress). OK KK ALBACORE TUNA RESEARCH OFF HAWAII CONTINUED BY ''CHARLES H. GILBERT" (Cruise 17): Oceanographic observations, plankton sampling, and trol- ling for albacore tuna were done by the Service's research vessel Charles H. Gilbert as it continued the research on albacore tuna north of Hawaii. The cruise which lasted 50 days and was completed on November 7, was designed to: (1) make detailed observations of the chemical and physical characteristics of the subtropical convergence north and west of the Hawaiian Islands; (2) make standard 100-meter zooplankton hauls; (3) observe the abundance of surface tunas; (4) make routine meteorological observations; (5) obtain bottom profiles. Albacore were caught by surface trolling on each crossing of the zone of temperature discontinuity. The total catch was 48, fish ranging from 6-22 pounds 25 of which were taken during an hour at about 42° N. latitude, 172° E. longitude. Forty hydrographic stations were occupied, but 25 of the stations on the origi- nal cruise plan were omitted because of rough weather. Except for a small area north of 39° N. on 180 the vertical temperature structure was that which is typical of the higher latitudes in summer. The depth of the thermocline was about 100-120 feet and the temperature gradient at the top of the thermgcline was very steep, frequently dropping 5 -6 F.in as many feet. Along 180° longitude north of 39° N., the warm surface layer was starting to break down. The th rmocline varied greatly in depth and often represented a temperature drop of only 1-2 F. This condition may have been the result of mixing induced by the high winds resulting from a series of low pressure cells that passed over the area just prior to the cruise period. Standard 100 M zooplankton hauls with a 30XXX net were made at all hydro- graphic stations. The hauls were very slight over the southern part of the area, the uncorrected volumes being as low as 10 ml. The largest hauls were made in the vicinity of the temperature discontinuity where the average uncorrected volume was between 150 and 200 ml. with a maximum of 2,000 ml. at the station at 42°14! N,, 169°53' Ww. 26 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wolk, 5 IN@s 2 Synoptic weather observations were made. Radio conditions prevented the trans- mission of some observations over the U.S. Coast Guard to the Fleet Weather Cen- tral at Pearl Harbor. The EDO depth recorder failed completely after about 10 days of operation. eR KE STEEL MAIN LINE TESTED BY "MAKU" (Cruise 2) 2): A new automatic device for attaching float and hook droppers to the steel main line of long-line gear (''D"'-ring) was tested by the Hawaiian Fish and Game vessel Makua under the direction of a Fishery Methods and Equipment Specialist from the Service's Pacific Oceanic Fish- ery Investigations. The gear was fished for one day in the Waianae area, yielding a catch of two dolphin (mahimahi) and one yellowfin tuna. Field tests of the long- line gear were conducted one day of the two-day cruise (November 4-5) and a fish- ing station (lat. 21 24' N., long. 158 22' E.) was occupied on the second day. The gear tested was classified as ''D''-ring gear because of the arrangement for attach- ing droppers. One setting failure was noted out of 178 droppers attached. No serious difficulties were encountered either in setting or recovering gear. The ''D'-rings aligned themselves properly on the winch drum and it was not neces- sary to stop the winch to insure that they were straight. Setting and recovery times were slower than for cotton gear but this was due in part to inexperience of the crew in handling a new type of gear. Saltonstall-Kennedy Act Fishery Projects NORTH ATLANTIC EXPLORATORY FISHERY PROGRAM ACTIVATED: The 140-foot research vessel Delaware, which recently completed a technological study on freezing fish at sea, has been transferred to the Exploratory Fishing and Gear Development Section of the Service's Branch of Commercial Fisheries. A com- prehensive program of exploration and gear research is being developed for the New England area. This new project is being activated with funds made available by the Saltonstall-Kennedy legislation, P. L. 466, (83rd Congress). This program includes a systematic exploration of potential fishing grounds in waters beyond the depths presently fished by the fleet, midwater trawling experiments, and shrimp exploration, among other objectives. The Delaware will be operated on a year- round basis, and results of the program will be made immediately available to the fishing industry. The Delaware left East Boston on December 8 to explore potential shrimp fish- ing grounds in the Gulf of Maine. On return from this trip, new electronic naviga- tion aids and fish-finding equipment will be installed. Additional trawling cable will be installed to allow fishing todepthsof 400 fathoms. Other modifications will be made to equip the vessel for full-scale exploratory fishing. Robert C. Wilson has been appointed Chief of the North Atlantic Exploratory Fishery Program. He reported for duty at the East Boston headquarters on Decem- ber 6, 1954, and his experience in fisheries research qualifies him well for this position. A graduate of the University of Washington School of Fisheries, he has spent considerable time in and around the commercial fisheries of the Pacific Coast and Alaska. For four years, during World War II he was a deck officer in the Navy. His experience in fisheries research includes 73 years with the California Depart- ment of Fish and Game, during which time he was in charge of one of the State's large sea-going research vessels. Wilson has had experience in trawling, gill netting, long lining, trolling, and live-bait tuna fishing. EE January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 27 Service to Produce Another Shrimp Film The Fish and Wildlife Service on December 7, 1954, signed a contract with The Peelers Company of New Orleans for the production of a new educational film on shrimp. The Peelers Company, manufacturers of automatic shrimp peeling and de- veining machinery, will finance the film which will be in sound and color and have a running time of 13 or 14 minutes. Tentatively titled Shrimp Tips from New Orleans, this motion picture will have a New Orleans locale and willemphasize shrimp recipes that are characteristic of that part of the country. It will contain information of value not only to the housewife and home economist but alsotoall purchasers of shrimp, including institutional users. The new motion picture will not duplicate any of the materialshownin Shrimp Please, the Service film released in October depicting Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishing operations, canning, breading, drying, and freezing processes, as wellas methods of preparation. The decision to make another film on shrimp was reached because Shrimp Please stim- ulated so much interest inshrimp and produced so many requests for additional informa- tion on the purchasing, preparation, and serving of shrimp dishes. The Service's Branch of Commercial Fisheries willsupervise the production, Al- though work is due to begin shortly, almost a year willbe required tocomplete the film for distribution. The Fish and Wildlife Service will distribute the film through some 65 film libraries without charge. It will also be available for television use. Shrimp Production in South Atlantic and Gulf States, 1953/54 Season The catch of shrimp in the South Atlantic and Gulf States during the 1953/54 season (July 1-June 30) was larger than during the previous season, according to 353,605 748-356 8, 095,0 080 6,604,324 944, 684| 276,096 100,212 |10,951,920 8,886,419 891,902] 189,504 585,060 |10,353,105 8,642,186 741,814] 662,088 542,798 |15,612,660 10,021,777 455,574 | 234,360 492,922 | 9,419,260 94,752 ; | 380,020 | 6,472,515 3,807, 384 3,305,505 1,292,760 4,490,191 247,380 | 8,913,240 1,545,800 692,580 | 11,922,960 mews 4,494,653 Ere ves,ve7]| uy [04,030,580 [85,544,003 '1/ Data not available, 2/ Data for Georgia represent the sale of prepaid tax stamps instead of actual landings, Note: As reported by respective state agencies. Original data in barrels; converted to heads-on shrimp on basis of 210 pounds per barrel quivalent to 125 pounds heads-off shrimp). To convert to headless shrimp, multiply by .595, preliminary data compiled by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from reports re- ceived from the various state fishery agencies (see table). Higher production was reported in South Carolina, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Data were 28 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 not complete for North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama, but the increase in those states for which information is available is sufficient to indicate that the 1953/54 season was probably a new record. During the 1953/54 season the catch of shrimp on a heads-on basis by states was: Florida 53.8 million pounds; Louisiana and Mississippi 94.6 million pounds; and Texas 65.3 million pounds. U. S. Foreign Trade EDIBLE FISHERY PRODUCTS, SEPTEMBER 1954: United States imports of fresh, frozen, and processed edible fish and shellfish in September 1954 amounted United States Foreign Trade in,Edible Fishery Products, Sept. 1954 with Comparisons ept. ear fanan Septal 05S mma uae cara \Co aaa Seay ae ort | Ware Poa ae Imports: Fish & shellfish: fresh, frozen& processed 1/,. 60,285 59,345 724,656 193.2 Exports: Fish & shellfish: processed 1/only (excluding fresh ; and frozen) ... 5,416 il 5,616 2 58,920 14.4 1/ Includes pastes, sauces, clam chowder and juice, and other specialties. to 60.3 million pounds (valued at $15.3 million), according to a Department of Com- merce summary tabulation (see table). This was a decrease of 27 percent in quan- tity and 16 percent in value as compared with August imports of 83.1 million pounds (valued at $18.3 million). Compared with a year earlier, September 1954 imports were up 2 percent in quantity but down 4 percent in value. Exports of processed edible fish and shellfish (excluding fresh and frozen) in September 1954 totaled 5.4 million pounds (valued at$1.3 million)--an increase of 33 percent in quantity and 44 percent in value as compared with August exports of 4.1 million pounds (valued at $0.9 million). September 1954 exports were down 4 percent in quantity from a year ago but were 8 percent higher in value. OK kK expansion in the exported quantities of fish oils and other oils ished the total United States export volume of fats, oils, and oilseeds--in terms of oil equivalent--toa new high level in the 1953/54 marketing year ending last September 30. Exports of fish oils (includes hydrogenated fish oils and fish-liver oils) totaled 157,443,000 pounds in 1953/54, setting a new record, compared with 92,059,000 pounds in 1952/53. OK OK Ok January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 29 imports and inbound "'in-transit'' shipments in 1953 totaled 265,997 long tons (shipping weight) as compared with 250,602 tons in 1952 (table 1). (Fishand marine-animal oils, fish- liver oils, fish meal, and other miscellaneous products are not included.) There was anin- crease of 5 percent inshipments intoGreat Lakes ports and 6 percent in shipments into seaboard ports, according toan October 1954 bulletin from the Bureau of the Census. Water-borne fishery products exports and outbound ''in-transit’' shipments de- creased for seaboard ports in 1953 but increased substantially for Great Lakes ports Tota reat Lakes} Seaboard Ports Ports 107,404 101,344 34,179 3717 . 5. Water -Borne y ‘Shipments (Shipping Weight), 1953 and 1952 reat Lakes Ports Note: Fish and marine-animal oils, fish-liver oils, fish meal, and other miscellaneous products are not included, These data have been madeavailable by the Bureau of the Census in answer to a large number of recent requests for statistical information on the foreign water - borne trade handled by United States ports in the Great Lakes region. These requests are due to the United States participation in the St. Lawrence Seaway Project. To facilitate the analysis of this trade with that of the seaboard regions, some com- parative data for all coastal areas has been compiled. 30 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 Washington ee © © © © © 118,151 RediorIsockeyenm-msm-ar 114,638 Chinook or king . . 5,750 U,9700 Silver or coho 5 108,161 76,980 ob oODD DOD Abide 760 438,732 nee 126,372 i/ Converted to the equivalent of 48 1-pound cans, 2/ Preliminary, |3/ Puget Sound-caught fish only, In addition, the pack by Puget Sound canneries of salmon received from Alaska and British Columbia included: chinook 3,025 cases, chum 203,742 cases, pink 7,304 cases, silver 6,404 cases, sockeye 44,539 cases--total 265,014 cases, from the State of Washington Department of Fisheries (see table). This was a decline from the 696,115 standard cases packed in 1953, but the 1954 season was an off-year for pink salmon. There was anexcellent run of red or sockeye salmon and the pack for this species was almost 3 times greater than in 1953 and over 4 times higher than any of the previous 3years. The packs of the other salmon species were down Slightly in 1954. : Wholesale Prices, November 1954 Higher prices for fishery products in November 1954 were attributed to light production and improved demand. The month's over-all edible fish and shellfish (fresh, frozen, and canned) wholesale index was 102.8 percent of the 1947-49 aver- age (see table)--1.0 percent higher than October 1954, but 3.1 percent below a year earlier. 94,113 Because the groundfish catch in New England was light in November, the price for large offshore drawn haddock at Boston rose 21.2 percent above the previous month, but was still 9.2 percent lower than in November 1953. West Coast halibut and salmon prices at New York City in November were down 4.7 and 9.3 percent, respectively, from October, but were higher than a year earlier. Prices of white- fish and lake trout at Chicago were higher in November than the previous month, while whitefish and yellow pike prices at New York ef Sa = City were lower. All fresh-water fish prices were : : =F higher than the previous year, except yellow pike which was substantially lower. The November in- dex for the drawn, dressed, or whole finfish sub- group was 1.8 percent higher than October and 2.5 percent above November 1953. Fresh haddock fillet prices at Boston in No- a = TOL CeL aso vember were substantially above (47.8 percent) MCR ENGErE a October due to higher ex-vessel prices, but were still 18.4 percent below a year earlier. Novembershrimp production was good and prices remained unchanged. The November subgroup index for fresh processed fish and shellfish was 3.0 per- cent higher than in October but 6.6 percent lower than in November 1953. Lower prices for frozen shrimp and ocean perch fillets only partially offset higher haddock fillet prices and caused the index for the frozen processed fish and January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 31 shellfish subgroup to drop 0.9 percent from October to November. Flounder fillet prices were the same as in October. The November 1954 index for this subgroup Table 1 - Wholesale Average Prices and Indexes for Edible Fish and Shellfish, November 1954 and Comparisons Point of Avg. Prices1/ Indexes Group, Subgroup, and Item Specification Pricing Unit ($) (1947-49=100) Nov. Oct, Nov. Sept, 1954 | 1954 1954 ie 1954 ALL FISH & SHELLFISH (Fresh, Frozen, & Canned). . . 2... es. sec ec cee 102.8] 101.8} 113.9} 106.1 Fresh & Frozen Fishery Products; ........ 114.0 “Drawn, Dressed, or Whole Finfish:. .... 115.6 ~ Haddock, lge., eiaores drawn, Tresh . a Lake trout, domestic, No, 1, drawn, "fresh, Yellow pike, L. Michigan& Huron, rnd.,fresh . Processed, Fresh (Fish & Shellfish); ...........- Fillets, haddock, sml,, skins on, 20-1lb. tins Boston Shrimp, lge. (26-30 count), headless, fresh. , |New York Oysters, shucked, standards ...... . .|Norfolk Processed, Frozen (Fish & Shellfish: .......... 6 Fillets: Flounder Soelotet sia skinless, 1- lb, DiSexs yi fies tamrous . . .|Boston Haddock, sml,,skins on, i- bb. "pkg, . .|Boston Ocean perch, skins on, 1-lb. pkg. . . |Boston Shrimp, lge, (26-30 count), 5-lb. pkg. . . . .|Chicago Canned Fishery Products: . . ano oP aa Als SO Sietclbielatck. ise cabes tarcielis ~ Salmon, pink, No. 1 tall (16 0z.), "48 cans/cs. afte case rT. 70 | 19,70 104 104.4 104.4 93.9 Tuna, It, meat, chunk, No, 1/2 tuna (6-1/2 oz.), 48 cans/cs. . . . 6.0 Onc case{12.90 | 12.90 95.5| 95.5 Sardines, Maine, keyless si, Mae ‘1/4 drawn (3-1/4 02,), LOO) CANS/CS Terry of the Office of Foreign Activities in Washington. SECOND SEAWEED SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULED Following the suggestion made at the First International Seaweed Symposium in Edinburgh in 1952, the Norwegian Institute of Seaweed Research (Norsk institutt for tang-og tareforskning) announces a symposium in Trondheim, Norway, in July 1955, The symposium is planned for July 14-16, 1955. Meetings will be held at Norges Tekniske Hégskole (NTH), Trondheim. It is proposed to accept papers on the following main subjects: (1) chemistry of seaweeds, including methods used in the study of seaweed products; (2) technical subjects connected with harvesting and industrial exploitation of seaweeds; (3) ex- perimental studies of the nutritional value of seaweed products; (4) algological stud- ies on species which are used or may be expected to be used in industry. The papers should preferably be presented in English. No papers will be read by title. For information write to Second International Seaweed Symposium, c/o Profes- sor T, Braarud, Blindern, Oslo, Norway. INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION PROPOSALS FOR FISHERMEN'S WORKING CONDITIONS: A committee of 12 headquarters of the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva November 5, 1954, by proposing three draft international instruments: (1) a minimum age for fishermen, (2) medical examination, and (3) articles of agreement for work onfish- ing vessels. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 35 The Committee's recommendations were to be submitted to the ILO's Govern- ing Body which met in Rome November 16-19. All these proposals relate to mari- time fishing in salt waters. Under the draft instrument on minimum age, children under 15 years of age would not be employed on fishing vessels, and persons under 18 years would not be employed on coal-burning fishing vessels as trimmers or stokers. The second draft instrument proposes medical examinations for new fishermen and periodical examinations thereafter. The third instrument suggests draft articles of agreement stating clearly the conditions of employment for fishermen, including wages or share of catch, scale of provisions, capacity in which the fisherman is to be employed, and voyages to be undertaken, if this can be determined. In addition, the experts reached agreement on a set of principles recommended for inclusion in a possible international instrument on accident insurance for fisher- men, a November 5 release from the United Nations reports. MARINE OILS WORLD WHALE- ANDSPERM-OIL PRODUCTION AND TRADE, 1953: Total marine-oil exports in 1953 are estimated at 670,000 tons. This is slightly below 1952 exports and somewhat less than prewar, but substantially larger than in the early postwar years, Trade in whale and sperm oils was down last year but exports of fish oils increased by more than 40 percent from 1952 shipments. Sales by the United States and the Union of South Africa rose to record levels. Present indica- tions are that exports of each of the three marine oils in 1954 will be larger than previous year. Output of marine oils in 1953, estimated at 925,000 tons, is roughly 6 percent less than in 1952, and 12 percent below the 1935-39 average. The 1953 production, however, was half again as large as the 1945-49 volume. In 1953 both whole- and sperm-oil production were down from 1952, while fish-oil output rose slightly. World "exports" of whale and sperm oils, for statistical purposes, have been considered equivalent to production, as the bulk of the whale oil and much of the sperm oil is produced from pelagic (open sea) operations, chiefly in the Antarctic Ocean. A large part of this productionis transported direct from the whaling grounds to purchasing countries. The remainder usually is carried to the "home countries" of the whaling expeditions where it may be refined for domestic consumption or ex- port, or stored for future disposal, reports an October 11 Foreign Agriculture Cir- cular (FFO 19-54), a Department of Agriculture Publication. The smaller trade in whale oil in 1953 is a reflection of the smaller 1952/53 Antarctic outturn. The decline in sperm-oil exports, however, can be attributed largely to low prices and demand for this oil during the early part of the season. As early as April 2, 1954, the entire pelagic production of whale oil produced during the 1953/54 Antarctic season had been sold at prices ranging from $169-204 per short ton, Norway, by far the principal producer and exporter, disposed of her 1953/54 Antarctic production approximately as follows: for processing in Norway, 61,900 tons; exports, 122,900 tons. Of this total, Western Germany took 50, 850 tons, the United Kingdom and Sweden about 16, 800 tons each, Denmark about 13, 440 tons, and the balance went to Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. 36 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 Whale Oil: The world production of whale oil in 1953 is estimated at 420, 000 short tons, or about 40,000 tons less than in 1952 (see table 1). While output of whale oil in 1953 was half againas large as the 1945-49 average, it was substan- tially less than in the 1935-39 prewar period. Antarctic production of whale oil, Table 1 - World Whale Oil Estimated Production, by Major Producing Countries, 1946-53 Countr 1953+ 1952 | 1951 | 1950 | 1949 | 1948} 1947| 1946 Norway . 6400000000 Union of South “ABoiiea - C Soviet Union. . : I | 2B || SA Bh | ne 390 |_ 365 World Total }1/ Preliminary. 2/ Not available, which normally constitutes closeto 90 percent of the total output, reached about 400,000 tons in the past (1953/54) season, or 7 percent more than in 1952/53. In 1953/54 the catch of baleen whales closely approximated the permissible catch limit of 15, 500 blue-whale units (established by the International Whaling Commission) where- as in 1952/53 the total catch amounted to only 14, 867 units, or considerably short of the 16, 000-unit quota-allowed at that time. Sperm Oil: The world sperm-oil production in 1953 amounted to about 55,000 short tons, or more than one-third less than in the preceding year. The decline Table 2 - World Sperm Oil Estimated Production, by Major ee ee ecoducinp i Countaies mug eO=09 | Country ————~™~—«@YS 1.9532 [1.952 [1951 | 1950 | 1949 | 1948 | 1947 | 1946 ee oeome . (1,000 Short Tons) . 6 22° “99 12 22 1 iL “4 e 10 13 10 8 9 8 2 2 0 : 6 14 9 6 2 2 i 1 Ethermlandskaememene ene 2/ 3 2 1 1 il 2/ = IPamamaneneneare 2 2H} 14 - - - - - Union of South MEFICA P 5 18 10 5 10 9 7 4 Soviet Union 14 14 13 12 12 itil - 2 3 4 4 2 3 4 3 3 4 / 4 4 A 3 5 2 ‘ Bost: a = 25 21 - World Total ..... 1/ Preliminary. 3/ Mainly production of Azores and Madeira Islands, '2/ Less than 500 short tons. 4/ Not available. occurred mainly in Antarctic output and was due chiefly to large stocks and unat- tractive prices. Antarctic production of sperm oil was up about 20 percent in the 1953/54 season and total output this year should be larger than in 1953. HOOK OK OK OK January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 37 WORLD FISH-OIL PRODUCTION AND TRADE, 1953: Production: The esti- mated world production of fish oils in 1953 (including liver oils) is 450, 000 short Table 1 - World Fish Oil (Including Liver Oils) Estimated Production, by Major Producing Countries, 1953 With Comparisons ry 1/ Annual Country 1953— 1952 Average 1935-39 Sara (MOOONShontehons) sae ene World Total... 1/ Preliminary. 2/ Includes Newfoundland, 5/ Includes production of South-West Africa. / Average 1939-43, oa |4/ Includes Korea. C hoo 8 4 8 12 17 UmitediStates . 5... < « « alle ie tes te 78 63 Western Germany. .....-soe-s 36 24 : seer enione 20 2 aD 5 CALC ACCME ME aCe toe i ao ar 86 116 40 G66 oS OPO ODO 24 25 20 Japan oe ee ee epg ee tt ee 19 22 138 Winton south Africa. ayes.) sic ss 6 24 21 - MOLITOT:Siromteth o Kop ter vel .e) cll at vere ual sists 145 104 tons, 2 percent above 1952, but 6 percent less than prewar (see table 1). A sub- stantial drop in Norwegian production was offset by increased output in the United States, West Germany, and Iceland, reports a Foreign Agriculture Circular. Table 2 - United States Fish Oil Exports by Country of Destination, Average 1935-39, Annual 1950-53 Continent and Country 1/ Average of Destination nee pops Heo ten, | t90Os elngabesg Sern (Shiota loons) ames INorth America: British West Indies ATIAGCAw ems, tile feuiied oils 6 (se : @ubal se. s< ne atacthetierteuce INDEXA COMM rat heels ow ou et oir ©, es! ie: as 114 Othessewer <. totals ncersvelse cheptstts 1 B) 8 Oa nea ote. cf Bok owed teutetaxts HPOuUthAmeniGa ss. 6... Ac GO Europe: Belgium-Luxembourg ..... 764 France... ++ op + Mikes 7 Western Germany— ....-. 365155 EUS & SEA 5 og. CnC OmCn Oto. OO 28 INetherlandsSiets ces: cit) fasniel © te 8, 913 INGEN GG OG Ob OF ONCE O, Oe ono 1, 606 Switzerland! \) ste! oles vwctes! « 3,115 Osher is, see vs os) F 322 : 43 iy : | 35,349 | 300 | 0 Asia: ; Philippines, Republic of. . 5 860 546 744 540 66 (OMe ONS va Oh LO IO CMCR OMe C 5 2 i 25 24 5 37 ee er ee ; hook Sane ate WEON Lenser eGR as pipet O5:| ecethins 54, 233 | 23,079 124,920] 37, 987 1/ Preliminary, 2/ Prior to January 1952 reported as Germany. 38 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 While the over-all decline in Norwegian outturn occurred mainly in herring oil, the opposite was true for Western Germany where herring landings increased 22 percent from 1952. Menhaden oil was primarily responsible for the marked in- crease in United States production. Although South Africa's fishing industry reach- ed a new peak in fish-oil output in 1953, the very high rate of development maintain- ed by the industry in recent years showed signs of slackening. Table 3 - Fish Oil (Including Liver Oils) Exports from Specified Countries and Estimated World Total Average 1935-39 and 1945-49, Annual 1950-53 Se a Continent and Exporting 1 Annual Average Countr ea eee eee oe) | Bea E20 5; epee .(1,000:-Short Tons) . ; ee North America: Canada awa Veventontemroncer eins Winttiecl SWANS 6 5 6 4 6 5 oo Europe: IDEM G 556 6 6 0.0 O10.0 Western Germany .... . Iceland. . pp 6.0 00x one 6 iINGungiclleyCls— 6 56506060 INIGIAWERY o 90010 90.0 0 9>0 IPCPULIGEL 5 66.6 010 0 8 O00 WiitedsKan es domaiautercici Other: AWB, 5 6.5.6:0 0000 00 VEEM 6 65666 6000 Union of South IMDONCEY 5G 6 WiormldiavotalliGy ar rarmrcm 1/ Preliminary, 5/ Less than 5 years, 3/ Prewar Germany, 6/ Includes estimates for countries for which data are not 3/ May include some whale oil. available and for minor exporting countries. 4/ Not available, 1736 (0) |) tke}, 0) World Trade: World trade in fish oils in 1953 (including liver oils) is estimated at 195,000 short tons, one-half again as large as in the preceding year, and more than two-fifths above the prewar average. The United States was the largest export- er in 1953, followed by Norway, Iceland, Canada, and the Union of South Africa, United States fish-oil exports more than doubled in 1953, mainly due to sharply in- creased exports to Western Germany. The Netherlands, Switzerland, Canada, and Norway also took significant quantities of United States fish oil. NORTH PACIFIC FISHERIES COMMISSION MEETING AT VANCOUVER: The International North Pacific Fisheries Com- mission met in Vancouver, B. C., October 25-29, 1954, under the chairmanship of Stewart Bates, Canada's Deputy Minister of Fisheries, and attended by repre- sentatives of the three participating countries--the United States, Japan, and Can- ada, The new chairman is Iwao Fujita of Japan, who will take over from Dr. Bates in February 1955 and preside over the next annual meeting to be held in Tokyo, Oc- tober 31, 1955. The major accomplishment of the Commission at this meeting was the adoption of a research program, Research in salmon populations in the North Pacific and king crabs in the Eastern Bering Sea will be conducted jointly by scientific person- nel of the three countries. Proposals include the operation by Japan in 1955 of two government research vessels in the area of 175 W. longitude to catch specimens by various methods, to tag at least 2,000 fish, and to sample the water and planktonat different levels. The United States plans to operate 2 to 5 vessels in this area-- January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 39 tagging salmon, recording sea temperatures, etc. Canada proposes to make a spe- cial study on the anatomy of salmon in the hope of finding a way to distinguish stocks of various origins, and will also cooperate in the tagging program. Canada will al- so conduct studies in the North Pacific in physical oceanography and on the distri- bution of plankton, especially that eaten by sockeye, pink, and chum salmon, In 1955, while Mr. Fujita is chairman of the Commission, James Cameron of Pender Harbour, B. C., will be chairman of the Standing Committee on Biology and Research, and John L. Farley, Director of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, will be chairman of the Standing Committee on Finance and Administration, a re- sponsibility he already carries, Edward W. Allen of Seattle was chosen Commis- sion Vice-Chairman and Stewart Bates becomes Secretary. SOUTH AMERICA REPORT ON SOUTH PACIFIC CONFERENCE ON CONSERVATION OF MARI- TIME RESOURCES: The special meeting of the Permanent Commission on Exploi- tation and Conservation of the Maritime Resources of the South Pacific was held in Santiago, Chile, October 4-8, 1954, The three participating nations--Chile, Peru, and Ecuador--unanimously approved a number of resolutions which had been prepared by the three working commit- tees on juridical, administrative, and economic questions, In view of the fact that some elements of the resolutions exceed the competency of the Permanent Commission, it was decided to convoke on December 1,1954, in Lima a Second Conference of the Exploitation and Con- servation of the Maritime Resources of the South Pacific; the first Conference was held in Santiago in August 1952, CARI BBEA Among the resolutions adopted, which must now be submitted to the sev- eral Parliaments for approval and the subsequent enactment of implementing legislation, are the following: (1) Agreement on conditions which must be met for the issuance of licenses for fishing and whaling operations, Li- censes are to be issued by any of the three nations, by delegation from the Permanent Commission, to be valid for a period of one year, Each petitioner will be required to deposit a guarantee and submit dates of his proposed fishing activities. Z g fa ie) 6 S s oO <9 ry (2) Establishment of a legal system of sanctions to be employed against for- eign vessels which may be apprehended for unauthorized fishing or whaling oper- rations in the jurisdictional waters of the three countries. These sanctions may be (a) fines of from 1 to 5 times the commercial value of the catch, (b) denial of per- mission to fish in the territorial waters for a period of not less than 6 months or more than 3 years. In cases of repeated violations, the three-power tribunal may 40 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 raise the fine to an amount not to exceed the value of the offending vessel. The pro- ceeds of such penalties would be divided equally among the three nations, (3) Agreement of the three countries to act in the juridical defense of the prin- ciple of sovereignty over the territorial (including soil and subsoil) waters to a dis- tance of 200 nautical miles (it being understood that a nautical mile has an extent of a minute of the arc measured at the equator which equals 1, 852.8 meters). The three countries undertake to consult one another with respect to declarations or pro- tests of other nations. (4) Agreement on enforcement and control measures. Each country will under- take to exercise vigilance within its own area and may call on assistance from the other countries. Consuls of the three nations will be required to keep their govern- ments abreast of any information obtainable concerning proposed South Pacific fish- ing expeditions. (5) Recommendation to establish neutral maritime zones among the signatory powers. These zones would comprise an area 20 miles wide (10 miles on either side of the frontier lines) beginning 12 miles from the coast and running out the ex- tent. of the 200-mile limit. (6) Recommendation to governments to adopt legislation looking to the develop- ment and protection of fishing and whaling industries by such means as tax exemp- tions, extension of credit, etc. (7) Agreement to use the proceeds of fees collected for fishing licenses to set up marine biological stations and for corresponding technical and scientific research. It was resolved, moreover, to establish a Secretariat General and technical bureaus of the Permanent Commission. Each signatory will set up its own techni- cal bureau which will be attached to the Secretariat, The latter will have its seat for consecutive periods of one year in each capital, starting in Santiago. Mr. Julio Bourgeois of Chile was unanimously selected Secretary General. With reference to resolution No, 7, the Chilean Government newspaper, La Nacion, reported that while the conference was in progress the three governments planned to explore the proposition of setting up a joint whaling industry. In an address at the closing session, the Chilean Minister of Agriculture de- clared: "In all of these accords..., there is not a single measure which can be con- sidered discriminatory or exclusive, nor could there be such for, in order to ar- rive at them, there has been anticipated the loyal attitude of three nations which understand that they can obtain security for the conservation of their natural re- sources only by giving generously of themselves." He said that the licensing system for fishing and hunting operations means that the three countries have adopted the same criteria "of foresight and responsibility" for permitting access to the re- sources in question without endangering their perpetuation, and he concluded that "the liberality of the three countries in permitting the utilization of their marine resources never has been nor will be called into question unless a misinterpreta- tion should be placed on their safeguarding their sea inheritances which can be jeop- ardized by the excesses of niggardly and imprudent interests." The press, El Mercurio, undoubtedly reflecting the concensus in Chile on this question, editorialized on October 11 that the meeting was ''characterized by three happy notes: the perfect unanimity of viewpoints among the countries participating in it; their firm decision to maintain full sovereignty within the limits set forth; and finally the immediate adoption of several practical measures for the preservation of the maritime resources." It said, ''The accords now reached, in logical devel- January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 41 opment of the Declaration of 1952, offer juridically the interesting aspect of consti- tuting the principle of a new American International Law with respect to sovereign- ty over jurisdictional waters," El Salvador, Colombia, Mexico, and Costa Rica had representatives at the San- tiago meeting in the capacity of observers, KK KK THREE COUNTRIES TO EXPLOIT OFFSHORE FISHERIES RESOURCES WITH WHALING FLEET: Ecuador, Chile, and Peru will exploit their offshore fisheries resources by forming a whaling fleet, according to the Ecuadoran press (LaNacion October 10, 1954.) This decision, in addition to other agreements, was reached by the three countries at the Santiago fisheries conference held October 4-8 on their claims to jurisdiction 200 miles off their coastlines for the conservation of fisher- ies resources, an October 21 U. S. Embassy dispatch from Quito points out. TERRITORIAL WATERS MORE SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES SUPPORT 200-MILE CLAIMS: Both El Salvador and Paraguay will support the 200-mile territorial waters claims of Ecuador, Chile, and Peru, according to the Quito, Ecuador, press. The Minister of Foreign Relations of El Salvador was quoted as supporting the position taken for the conservation of fishery resources. The Paraguayan Minister of Education also announced support while in Quito attending the Inter-Ibero-American Education Con- ference, an October 28, 1954, U. S. Embassy dispatch from Quito reports. 7 OK OK Ke ECUADOR RATIFIES 200-MILE CONVENTION: At the close of its current ses- sion the Ecuadoran Congress ratified the Convention signed in 1952 by Ecuador, Peru, and Chile, which asserts the claims of the three countries to jurisdiction up to 200 miles off their shores for the purpose of conserving fisheries resources, a November 10, 1954, U. S. Embassy dispatch from Quito reports, Se I NORWAY PROTESTS SOUTH AMERICAN 200-MILE TERRITORIAL WATERS CLAIMS: A note protesting in strong terms against the declaration of Peru, Chile, and Ecuador that their territorial waters extend for 200 miles beyond their coast- lines has been delivered by Norway to the Governments concerned. A Norwegian- French whaling expedition has already been cancelled, and another fleet flying the Panamanian flag is unable to operate, Panama has already protested to Peru and Chile, declaring that their claims are "contrary to international law.'’ Meanwhile, the three South American countries have reached agreement on measures to protect their territories. Poachers will be liable to have their vessels and catches seized, reports the November 1954 World Fishing, a British fishery magazine. TRADE AGREEMENTS ICELANDIC-WEST GERMAN AGREEMENT INCLUDES FISHERY PRODUCTS: A trade agreement between Iceland and Western Germany, signed in Bonn on May 20 and effective from July 1, 1954, calls for the shipment of a considerable vol- ume of fishery products from Iceland, The agreement is effective for one year and will be extended automatically unless three months’ notice is given by one country concerned, a July 29 U. S. Legation dispatch from Reykjavik points out. Iceland's exports of fishery products to West Germany will be as follows: 42 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wo, Ud, IN@s5 i Value DM1,000 US$1, 000 SeUeCl newer 5 5 6 6 0 6 Oo Gu 16-0 1, 200 285 Fresh fish (including up to DM800, 000 of frozenfish) ... 7,500 1, 784 Canned fish and other fish — IOCWCUS 65600008 000 500 119 Fish meal and herring meal ete 5, 000 1,189 Salted fillets, salt fish, and diviledisaillitetiichhren casucuscmel tomronne 5, 000 1,189 Stocktish\ ey one 0°00 0.0 5, 000 1,189 Fish and herring oil, unrefined. ; 3, 000 713 Wihalexoilysunnetine dita vem cmemienen. 2, 000 476 No fishery products will be shipped from West Germany to Iceland. A special protocol is attached to the trade agreement to attempt to improve Iceland's sales of fresh fish on ice to Germany. In 1953 Iceland's quota for fresh fish on ice to Germany was IKr 30 million (US$1.8 million), only about one-third that amount was sold due to misunderstandings between Icelandic exporters and German importers, and low prices in Germany. Germany is particularly eager to receive Icelandic fresh fish on ice from Sep- tember to December because during these months about 60 percent of Germany's fleet is fishing for herring. To keep the German populace well supplied with fish and to prevent the price of fish rising unduly onthe German market, Germany wishes to assure a good supply of fishfromIceland. The earnings of foreign exchange are welcome toIceland and the sale abroad of fresh fish onice facilitates the hiring of fishermen on Icelandic trawlers since they can make purchases abroad with part of their earnings. The protocol provides for the following concessions requested of Iceland by Germany: (1) Trawlers selling fresh fish to Germany should be under the direction of one party inIceland. (2) Advance notice should be given of the arrival of an Ice- landic vessel with fresh fish and the vessel should be directed to the harbor best able to receive the fish, (3) Icelanders should take into consideration German rec- ommendations concerning quality and demand for fish species. (4) Transshipping of fish from one vessel to another, except for motorboat-caught fish, is prohibited. Iceland complained that its vessels did not receive the same treatment as German vessels concerning order of handling, discharging expenses, and auctioning dues. Germany agreed to try to give Icelandic vessels treatment equal to that for German vessels. The agreement also provides for the transshipment of Icelandic salted fillets, salt fish, and dried salt fish, with the permission of the Union of Icelandic Fish Pro- ducers, UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS TWO RESOLUTIONS PERTAINING TO FISH- ERIES: The United Nations General Assembly in mid-December 1954 adopted two resolutions pertaining to international fisheries that were recommended by Commit- tee VI, the Juridical Committee. One of the resolutions pertains to the Economic Development, Conservation and Regulation of Fisheries. Recognizing the impor- tance of having the conference of experts provided for in this resolution, the General Assembly acted promptly. The Secretariat has already gone to work and expert representatives of each of the nations interested met in New York. Other meetings were scheduled to lay the groundwork for the conference called at the Food and Ag- riculture Organization headquarters in Rome on April 18, 1955. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 43 The resolution pertaining to the Continental Shelf was adopted with certain a- mendments which, although not exactly as recommended by Committee VI, isfactory to a majority of the nations, including the United States. is sat- It calls for the International Law Commission to complete its work on the regime of the high seas, the regime of the territorial waters, and all related problems, in time for consid- eration of these problems as a whole at the 1956 General Assembly. The passage of these resolutions will give the International Law Commission an opportunity to study the whole topic of the Regime of the High Seas and the Conti- nental Shelf before it makes its report to the Eleventh General Assembly in 1956. ‘The Commission has requested the comments of governments on its drafts. At the last session of the General Assembly in 1953 both subjects were referred back to the International Law Commission with the suggestion that all aspects of the regime of the high seas should be reported on before any action is taken, The Unit- ed States and a number of other nations, feeling that some of the more difficult questions could be resolved more easily if some general agreement could be reach- ed on the continental shelf and fisheries questions, proposed that these two should be considered again at the current session (Ninth General Assembly). The General Assembly acted promptly on the resolution pertaining to the tech- nical aspects of the fisheries question sponsored by 10 nations, including the United States, which called for an international technical conference to study, make recom- mendations, and report on conservation and regulation of the fisheries. cipal parts of this resolution are: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF FISHERIES AND QUES- TION OF FISHERY CONSERVATION AND REGULATION-- Belgium, China, France, Greece, Iceland, Netherlands, Pan- ama, Turkey, United Kingdom of Great Britian and North- ern Ireland, and United States of America: draft resolution (as amended); Having regard to the fact that the technical studies relat- ing to the conservation, protection and regulation of fisher- ies and other resources of the sea are also closely linked to the solution of the problems mentioned in the preceding par- agraph; Requests the Secretary-General to convene an international technical conference at the Headquarters of the Food and Ag- riculture Organization on the 18th of April 1955 to study the problem of the international conservation of the living re- sources of the sea and to make appropriate scientific and technical recommendations which shall take into account the principles of this resolution and shall not prejudge the re- lated problems awaiting consideration by the General Assem- bly; Invites all States Members of the United Nations or of the specialized agencies to participate in the conference and to The prin- include arnong their representatives individual experts com- petent in the field of fishery conservation and regulation; Invites the interested specialized agencies and intergov- ernmental organizations concerned with problems of the in- ternational conservation of the living resources of the sea, to send observers to the conference, Requests the Secretary-General to arrange for the neces- sary staff and facilities which would be required for the con- ference, it being understood that the technical and secretar- ial services of Member Governments and of the Food andAg- riculture Organization shall be utilized as fully as practica- ble in the arrangements for such a conference; Requests the Secretary-General to circulate for informa- tion the report of the conference to the Governments of all States invited to participate in the conference; Decides to refer the report of that scientific and technical conference to the International Law Commission as a further technical contribution to be taken into account in its study of the questions to be dealt with in the final report which it is to prepare pursuant to resolution. ... The resolution pertaining to the continental shelf was adopted in Committee VI by a vote of 44, with 9 abstentions (including Australia, Bolivia, Syria, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and 4 of the Communist bloc countries). This resolution, as amended, calls for the International Law Commission to complete its work on the regime of the high seas, the regime of the territorial waters, and all related problems, intime for consideration of these problems as a whole at the 1956 General Assembly. United States Views inInternational Fishery Conservation and Regulation: James P. Nash, Alternate United States Representative, in Committee VI, on the question of fishery conservation and regulation made the following statement on December 3, 1954: 44 Mr, Chairman: Recent events have given renewed emphasis to many of the comments contained in the fisheries section of the re- port of the International Law Commission presented to the Eighth Session of the General Assembly, These events would seem to justify terms used by the Commission such as ‘‘a condition approaching anarchy,”’ and to indicate that in its choice of words the Commission may have even in- dulged in understatement when it said that the inadequacy of existing law on the subject results in conditions ‘‘productive of friction.” In the light of these events, my Government feels more than ever the urgency of United Nations consideration of the fishery question as the first step in resolving differences which are increasingly causing friction and ill feeling be- tween friendly nations. The longer the United Nations de= lays consideration and action on the question, the greater is the opportunity for the fishery question progressively to become more difficult, Differences which it may now be possible to reconcile may, if not dealt with promptly, grow to such proportions that they become major issues. In view of the overwhelming arguments as to the urgency of this question, I think it need not be emphasized further. However, I would like to refer to some of the other issues which have been raised in connection with immediate con- sideration of the fishery question by the United Nations. In its report to the Eighth Session of the General Assembly, the International Law Commission submitted its recommen- dations concerning fisheries. This was one of the several questions it was studying within the scope of the general top- ic of the ‘tregime of the high seas,’’ The latter topic has been under study by the International Law Commission since its first session in 1949, By its action in submitting a separate draft of articles on fisheries after four years of study, the International Law Commission clearly indicated that this question can be con- sidered separately from the other questions within the scope of the topic ‘regime of the high seas.’’ In its report, the International Law Commission also referred to the ‘‘general importance and recognized urgency of the subject matter of the articles in question,’’ and made the following comments: “Tt is generally recognized that the existing law on the subject, including the existing international agreements, provides no adequate protection of marine fauna against ex- termination, The resulting position constitutes, in the first instance, a danger to the food supply of the world, Also, in- sofar as it renders the coastal State or the States directly interested helpless against wasteful and predatory exploita- tion of fisheries by foreign nationals, it is productive of fric- tion and constitutes an inducement to States to take unilateral action, which at present is probably illegal, of self-protec- tion.” There may be some differences in opinion concerning these comments, but there can be little question that they apply in general to a large part of the world, The United States Government is of the opinion that the International Law Commission has made an excellent con- tribution to the formulation of the problems and principles concerned in the conservation of international fisheries, and that the Commission has progressed about as far as it can on the basis of legal considerations alone, It is, therefore, of the opinion that study of the technical and administrative aspects of international conservation and regulation of fish- COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 eries and the operation of international research and con- servation bodies now is highly desirable if not essential to effective treatment and solution of the problems, The re- sults of such study should be invaluable to the General As- sembly when further consideration is given to this matter. Through its experience in this field, involving 8 conven- tions dealing with 20 other countries, the United States has become convinced that technical and administrative consid- erations play an exceedingly important role in determining the principles and courses of action which will contribute Most to the successful handling of international fishery con- servation problems, It seems reasonable that the United Nations should give careful consideration to technical and administrative phases of the matter of fisheries regulation and control before it takes action on a set of principles such as those proposed by the International Law Commission, The United States Government is convinced that, as a practical matter, the question of fisheries can constructive- ly be considered separately from other questions concerned with the ‘‘regime of the high seas,”’ In fact, it seems highly probable that progressin solving fishery questions would facilitate progress in solving some of the other related ques- tions, The international fishery conservation experience of a number of states has been that solution of some of the less complex parts of the over-all problem has made possible progress in solution of the more complex, It appears highly desirable and fully practical to seek agreement upon principles of international fishery conser- vation upon the high seas, even though there now are con- siderable differences among nations regarding the proper extent of the territorial sea. This question is under study by the International Law Commission, In the meantime, under present concepts of the territorial sea, even according to the more extreme versions, there are broad areas of high seas; and there are populations of fish which frequent these areas during all or part of their life cycles. These fish populations support important and growing international fisheries, New techniques for locating and catching fish have greatly increased the efficiency of modern fishing oper- ations and have their effect upon fishery resources. Joint action by nations concerned is needed to provide for the continued maximum productivity of these resources. De- velopment of and agreement upon adequate and effective principles for the conservation of international fisheries need not and should not be held in abeyance pending settle- ment of the other issues, Progress in resolving this question, or phases of it, rath- er than handicapping efforts to reach agreement on related questions, should be helpful, If the United Nations can de- velop agreement on principles or procedures for safeguard- ing the continued productivity of high seas fishery resources in such a way as to give proper consideration to the inter- ests of all nations, it may prove less difficult to reconcile differences with regard to the necessary extent of the ter- ritorial sea. If we are first to limit and then to reduce the area of dis- agreement among friendly nations, which up to now has been widening, concerning the ‘*regime of the high seas,”’ it is essential that we find some area of agreement. We can then labor to expand this area until our differences diminish, and, we hope, in time vanish, Conservation may well provide this area of agreement, Mr, Chairman, a draft resolution, co-sponsored by Bel- gium, China, France, Greece, Iceland, Netherlands, Pana- ma, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States, has January 1955 been tabled, and is now before the Committee, This reso- lution provides for the convening of a conference to deal with problems of conservation and regulation of internation- al high-seas fisheries. We would like to see the proposed conference restrict its attention to the fishery questions dealt with by the International Law Commission and the problems related to the conservation of international fisher- ies, We would like to see the conference study the princi- ples proposed by the International Law Commission and par- ticularly consider their adequacy and practicability from the technical and administrative standpoint, It is not intended that the conference consider the subject of marketing or oth- er economic matters divorced from conservation, In any event, however, it is evident that exploration of the problems above outlined, by an ad hoc conference with appropriate rep- resentation of experts, is a necessary prerequisite to any further constructive step which the United Nations may take in this field, Note; See Commercial Fisheries Review, December 1954, pp. 45-47; June 1954, pp. 25-35, COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 45 My Government wishes to bring to the attention of this Committee and the General Assembly the fact that the Or- ganization of American States is planning to convoke a spe- cialized conference in 1955 for the broad purpose of study- ing as a whole the different aspects of the juridical and eco- nomic system governing the submarine shelf, oceanic wa- ters, and their natural resources, in the light of present- day scientific knowledge. The date for this conference has not yet been determined, Although the purpose of this con- ference covers matters far outside the subject of the Unit- ed Nations conference proposed in the draft resolution now before this Committee, it is desirable to avoid any conflict in the dates set for the two conferences since such conflict might provide a handicap to some countries in arranging for representation. My Government therefore, suggests that the Secretary General, in arranging for the proposed confer- ence, consult with appropriate representatives of the Organ- ization of American States for the purpose of setting confer- ence dates which do not conflict, bearing in mind that the United Nations conference is to be convened not later than July 1955. prices, reports the September 1954 Fisheries Newsletter, an Australian trade mag- azine. A Sydney firm has quoted the following prices (sterling) c.i.f. London: These prices place Australian tuna-in-oil on practically the same level as recent quota- tions for Norwegian, Peruvian, and other foreign packs. Ship- ment at these prices depends on the receipt of large orders (5,000- NCW GO) Be 6-oz. shredded light meat, IMO eure, ce 7-oz. fancy light meat, in brine . 7-oz. fancy light meat ° 15,000 48-can cases). The United Kingdom will take some Canadian salmon, but there should be plenty of demand for tuna at these new prices, the article points out. The intention to can tuna in brine is aninnovationin Australia, The Japanese export large quantities of this pack to the United States in order to take advantage of the lower United States import duty of 123 percent, Originally put up in 1-lb. and 4-lb. cans for the institutional and for tuna in oil. compared with 45 percent lunch-counter trade, tuna-in-brine is now being packed in 3-lb, consumer-size cans and has enjoyed ready sale. In 1953 Australian canned tuna in 33-o0z. cans was selling freely in the United Kingdom, but the small-size can was unpopular and complaints were received that the price was far too high. In fact the Australian 33-02. er than the 7-o0z. can offered by some other countries. can was just a little cheap- This tuna sold in the United Kingdom only because imports from non-Commonwealth countries were restricted. Early in 1954 British orders dried up. The 7-oz. cans and equipment are now available. More boats on the south coast of New South Wales are fitting up for tuna and with the experience of fishing for the southern bluefin species gained in the last few years, greatly increased de- 46 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW WOls U5 IN@, liveries to Eden and Narooma canneries are anticipated during the coming season. On the basis of this anticipated supply of fish, which will enable canning to be planned on more economical lines, the Sydney firm has worked out a very tight cost sched- ule to enable the product to stand on its own feet in the world market, To a canning company in Australia it must be comforting to feel that if anything goes wrong with markets for the canned product, the raw material bought from the fishermen can be disposed of in another way, the article states. During 1949-50, quantities of tuna frozen in the round were exported to the United States with a sat- isfactory margin of profit. Today, however, increased handling and shipping charges make it necessary to work out costs very close. There is probably a margin of profit if fishing boats land fish in Sydney, Butif fish is landed at Eden, it would cost 1$d. (13 U. S. cents) per pound to transport it to Sydney in a refrigerated vehicle, and that might be sufficient to cancel out the profit. Fishermen receive 8d. (8 U. S. cents) per pound (US$160 per ton for south- ern bluefin tuna at Eden. Freight from Sydney to San Francisco alone amounts to 4,26d. (44 U. S. cents) per pound and the many other handling and incidental charges bring the total cost of sending frozen tuna from Eden to California almost to 83d. (83 U. S. cents) per pound. There may be changes in freight rates or in prices paid by California canneries in the near future. In all events this market will need to be watched carefully in view of its importance as a backstop to the Australian tuna industry, the article points out. ok OK OK OK OK EXPLORATORY TUNA FISHING CONTINUED: Exploratory tuna fishing off the eastern Queensland coast of Australia was extended early in August for another month, according to the September 1954 Fisheries Newsletter, an Australian fish- eries magazine, This fishing is being carried out by the commercial vessels Fair- tuna and Fairventure by arrangement with the Commonwealth Government under the direction of the Director of Fisheries. Note: See Commercial Fisheries Review, October 1954, p. 55, OK OK OK magazine. The principal shrimp taken is the large banana shrimp (Peneus merguiensis). Previous production of this species has been mainly confined to the Logan, Mary, and Burnett Rivers where it is known as king shrimp. From the beginning of June to the first of August, the trawling fleet brought in about 200,000 pounds of this spe- cies, for which the average price received was between 3s, and 3s. 6d. (33-37 U.S. cents) per pound, The banana shrimp has been picked up in experimental trawls along the entire Queensland coast from the New South Wales border to the Gulf of Carpentaria. As the species is a tropical one, it is hoped that even bigger stocks are awaiting ex- ploitation farther north. OK Ok Ok January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 47 SHORE-BASED WEST-COAST WHALING SEASON SUCCESSFUL: Australia ended a highly successful west coast whaling season on September 15, 1954, when the last of the 3 companies operating in that area filledits catch-quota of 600 whales, according to the November 1 Foreign Crops and Markets, a Department of Agriculture publication. One shore station, located at Carnarvon, completed its season on August 31 with 600 whales taken in a record 85 days. A smaller company, with an in- creased quota of 120 whales, also finished late in August, Although whales were reported as somewhat thinner than in previous years, improved plant and handling facil- ities are expected to increase financial returns, All prod- ucts had been sold early in the season, and by late Septem- ber most of the whale oil and other export products had been shipped to Europe, Data regarding total production of whale oil by all 5 Australian shore stations are not yet available. In 1953, 4 Australian shore stations produced some 19,000 short tons of whale oil, nearly all of which was exported. In addition to the 3 whaling companies operating in Western Australia, 2 com- panies are located in New South Wales. According to one source, one of the latter 2 concerns was allotted a quota of 600 whales (a reduction of 100 from the 1953 quota) in 1954 and the other, established in 1954, a quota of 120 whales. Canada FISHERIES EXHIBIT IN NEW YORK CITY: A Canadian fisheries exhibit, de- signed to broaden the United States market for Canadian fisheries products, was formally opened to the public in October 1954 at the Canadian Showroom in Rocke- feller Center, New York City. The exhibit continued until November 20. The prod- ucts were presented in an appetizing, up-to-the-minute display, according to the October 1954 Trade News, a Canadian Government publication. The 30 Canadian firms who combined to put on the display showed fish to cater to nearly every taste. Canned lobster, kippered snacks, and sardines were dis- played with the more utilitarian cod, herring, and haddock; salmon, whitefish, lake trout, pickerel, and pike were included in the exhibit. Two special frozen-food re- frigerated units helped to solve the display problem, and the selling job begun by the attractive show was carried forward in literature designed to give prospective buy- ers further information. OK OK OK OK sored Fishermen's Indemnity Fund and a corresponding downward revision of the rate of indemnity has been announced by the Canadian Department of Fisheries. The new regulations will affect the lobster districts in southwest Nova Scotia and the Bay of Fundy area where the long lobster fishing seasons are in effect. The De- partment will also examine the insurance rates for the other districts where the short seasons prevail. The revisions have been made following a study of the experience gained during the first year of the Fund's operation during which the Canadian Government paid 48 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 out C$46, 110 in claims in the Martime area alone, while receiving only C$11, 722 in premiums. The new rates have been approved by Order-in-Council. The value category of lobster traps upon which the premium rates are determined have also beenadjusted, according to an October 28, 1954, release by the Department of Fisheries. Whereas they previously were calculated inC$2 increases, under the new regulations the value categories are inC$15 jumps which will offset to some extent the revision in rates. % OK OK OK STRIPED BASS INVADE BAY OF FUNDY: Forty square miles of the Bay of Fun- dy--that part known as the Annapolis Basin--suddenly in the summer and fall of 1954 swarmed with striped bass ranging from 5 to 20 pounds each in weight and averaging about 12 pounds. The invasion, which be- y ganearlyinJuly 1954, wasthe result of an irregular and unpredictable migration knownas"'feeding concentration,'' Fish Striped Bass (Roccus saxatilis) experts attribute the remarkable run to the | / presence in the Annapolis Basin and its tid- Sen wee CEU an " al river estuaries of enormous quantities OR Gy SES Ne ee De of herring on whichthe striped bass feed. The largest fish taken was a 35-pound- er in the mouth of the Round Hill Brook. Over 100 of the fish were taken in one day by anglers fishing from the main highway bridge over the Bear River. It is three years since a similar run of the striped bass was reported in the Bay of Fundy, according to the September Trade News, a Canadian Department of Fish- eries publication. ee: Chile California fish cannery, the second United States firm to invest in Chile under the new Chilean foreign investments program, has been approved by Decree 775 of the Ministry of Economy, dated September 1, 1954, and promulgated in the Diario Ofi- cial of October 1, 1954. Under the terms of the Decree, the firm is investing in a Chilean fishing com- pany, a completely Chilean-owned corporation which has been operating since 1945, The investment will be made in the form of five fishing boats, which have a total value of US$497,872. Three of the boats are already in Chile and the other twowere expected to arrive soon, Transfer to Chilean registry of the five vessels was inpro- gress, an October 8 U. S. Embassy dispatch from Santiago reports. The Chilean firm plans to produce frozen and canned fish for export, as wellas for the domestic market, and will also produce fish meal. The California company's investment will enjoy the guarantees with regard to repartriation of profits and capital and the freeze on taxes and controls provided by the foreign investments law (Decree-Law 437 of February 2, 1954). As an export industry, it will enjoy the advantage of being able to apply the exchange returns from its exports to the profit and capital transfers to which it is entitled. Since the fishing boats are not new, they are not entitled to free entry under the terms of the investments law, but do enjoy customs exemptions provided to stimulate the development of the Chilean fishing industry. Ss January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 49 Cuba FISHERIES TO BE DEVELOPED: The Cuban fishing industry is still in an ear- ly stage of development, and possibilities of expanding the industry are being care- fully studied, accordingto the October 16, 1954, Foreign Trade, a Canadian Govern- ment publication. The Cuban Government is faced with a restricted sugar produc- tion and has been studying ways of supplementing the lost income. With the end of an all-out sugar era, the unexploited wealth of the surrounding ocean is taking ona new importance. Present Status: Cuban waters teem with over 450 varieties of edible fish, but only a few types are used at present--particularly snapper, cherna, bonito, and al- bacore, plus spiny lobster and Moro crab. The annual industrial catch is about 40 million pounds of fresh fish, 2.5 million pounds of crabs and lobsters, and 2 mil- lion pounds of clams, oysters, inkfish, etc. The industry gives regular employment to some 9,000 fishermen and to 6, 000 persons engaged in packing, selling, and transporting the catch. Several thousand others find part-time employment in the supporting activities of sail-making, boat- making, etc. The number employed is relatively small compared with the sugar in- dustry which normally employs, ona part-time basis, over a half-million workers, Havana is the main center for the industry, with Batabano, about 25 miles south of the capital, considered next inimportance. Other ports are Caibarien, Manzanillo, and Cienfuegos, Fishing on a minor scale is also carried on from almost all the other little ports. It is estimated that there are 2, 500 fishing boats, most of them one-man sail- boats or rowboats, The major fishing fleet, based in Havana, has 57 boats of 100 feet or more and it is interesting to note that a number of these are old NovaScotian schooners. About 60 percent of the larger boats based at Havana have facilities for icing but the rest are of the old tank type known as "'viveros.'' Most fishing is done with hand lines; a few small hand nets and cast nets are inuse. There are no purse seines or other types of high-production gear and rigging. Marketing: The Cuban authorities appreciate the need for better organization in the fishing industry and are making proposals to improve the situation. An or- ganized industry would do much to lessen gradually the heavy fish imports now being made for local consumption. Cod imports from Canada and Norway alone average 25 million pounds a year and cost over 5 million pesos (US$5 million). A larger fish production would also help to relieve the annual meat shortage. At the present time Cuban per-capita consumption of beef is 60 pounds a year, of local fish 8.62 pounds, and of imported fish 7.73 pounds. Refrigeration Needed: Lack of adequate refrigeration facilities is one of the in- dustry's major problems, Although a few Havana firms do provide them, the space available is still inadequate, When, as frequently happens, the entire fishing fleet returns to Havana at the same time, the catch must be kept on board until the mar- ket can absorb it. This sometimes takes weeks and the whole catch may be spoiled, The present system of marketing tends to cut down the number of trips that any one boat can make each year. The larger boats fishing in the Gulf of Mexico and off Florida have found themselves in the awkward position of not knowing what they can sell or at what price when they return. Because of the refrigeration problem, fresh fish is only available around the coastal regions and, in a few instances, in some of the larger towns in the interior. 50 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 The average retail price for fresh fish in Havana is 673 U. S. cents a pound which automatically curtails consumption. Beef prices are fixed at 40 U. S. cents apound for grade one and 30 U. S. cents a pound for grade two. Both Norwegian and Cana- dian cod retail for under 50 cents a pound, Government Aid: In 1950 the International Bank for Reconstruction and Develop- ment in collaboration with the Cuban Government studied various phases of the econ- omy, including the fishing industry. The International Bank's report confirmed the belief that the industry could be developed and recommended the following steps: (1) identify the various species in Cuban waters; (2) determine the location and a- bundance of these species by actual sample counts; (3) study depletion, if suspect- ed, of the present commercial species; (4) study the growth rate, spawning time, spawning grounds, age and size atmaturity, andother characteristics of all impor- tant fish in Cuban waters, Several government agencies have begun to implement these recommendations. The Agricultural Section of the Cuban entity known as BAFAIC (Banco de Fomento Agricola e Industrial de Cuba) has instituted a department to work with the fishing industry and a Fishery Research Center has been established. National Fishery Institute Proposed: Recently the governmental advisory board proposed a bill to create a National Fishery Institute which would regulate the whole fishing industry. Some of the assignments proposed for the industry were: (1) to see that the fishermen get a fair remuneration for there work while protecting the consumer from paying exorbitant prices for this primary food product; (2) the es- tablishment of adequate refrigeration facilities, especially in Havana where 80 per- cent of domestic production enters; (3) the establishment of a distributing center in Havana; (4) the stimulation of fish sales in areas not previously reached; (5) the channeling of fresh and frozen fish to butcher shops, groceries, and other similar establishments. These proposals if effected, would do much to encourage the growth of the long- neglected fish industry. Canadian exports of cod to Cuba should not be overly af- fected, because the original purpose in reorganizing the industry was to give great- er employment as well as to increase fish consumption. The hope is to double fish consumption (now only a little over 16 pounds per-capita a year) by bringing prices within reach of the average consumer. KOK OK OK OK SPONGE FISHERY: Ever since 1882 sponge fishing on a commercial scale has been carried on in Cuban waters, though the industry has had its ups and downs. It reached a production peak in 1928, when sponges brought an average price of US$2 a pound and sales totaled over US$1 million. Up to 1939 the value of production was maintained at about US$600, 000-800, 000 a year. Disaster struck in 1939, when a strange unknown disease attacked the sponge beds and almost wiped them out, not only in Cuba but in the two other producing areas of North and South America--the Bahamas and Florida. The Bahamas sus- pended all sponge fishing operations (a suspension that still remains in effect) but Cuba resumed operations the following year, though on a much smaller scale. Scarcity and the outbreak of war sent prices soaring until they reached nearly US$20 a pound. Prices remained generally high until 1946, when they began to de- cline; currently they average about US$5 a pound. In 1954 production, it was esti- mated, reached about US$260, 000. Originally, Cuban waters yielded four main classes of sponges--wools, velvets, yellows, and grass--but the epidemic wiped out the velvets and yellows, thoughsmall January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 51 quantities of these are now reappearing. Before 1912 Europe bought substantial quantities of Cuban sponges but since then the bulk of production has gone to the United States market, Canada also buys sponges from Cuba and in 1953 imported about US$13, 000 worth. Chief competition for Cuba comes from certain Mediter- ranean countries, such as Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Greece, etc., andinrecent years from synthetic sponges, but these replace largely the grass or cheapest variety. Cuba manages to sell its entire production, however, at reasonably good prices, even discounting normal seasonal slacks. In peak years sponge fishing in Cuba emplcys some 100 vessels and about 1, 000 to 1,200 men; the fishermen work from auxiliary boats in waters of two to four fath- oms, using pole and hook, There are deeper beds but dive fishing has never been attempted as it is in Florida. Chief deterrent to increased production today is the inability of the industry to meet the competition for labor from the growing lobster, shrimp, and tuna-packing industry which gives fishermen an opportunity for higher earnings. in northern Denmark was poor in August 1954 but improved considerably in Septem- ber, according to Dansk Fiskeritidende (October 15}, a Danish fisheries periodical, Forty fishing cutters participated in the fishery and as of September 24, 1954, had landed 2, 654 tuna, averaging 407 pounds each--a total of over one million pounds. 12 Ecuador PRESS COMMENTS ON FISHING IN TERRITORIAL WATERS: The Quito, Ecua- dor, press (El Commercio, November 16, 1954) carried an editorial on the right of innocent passage for navigation on the high seas as contrasted to fishing activities in territorial waters, The editorial begins by stating that in maritime law there is an institution which cannot be altered without causing inconceivable dismay to world navigation: the right of innocent passage of vessels or inoffensive transit. The article then states that during the centuries it has not occurred to anyone to attempt to modify this institu- tion; the seas are free for all, However, El Commercio then takes the position that it is quite a different mat- ter in the case of fishing vessels; that their activities are of a very special nature and that such ships are not "in transit'’ but are dedicated to commercial operations within the area of maritime sovereignty. It says that such vessels do not simply pass or travel through territorial waters but that they go through such zones with definite purposes, namelytocatch fish. The article continues that it is, therefore, not possible to accept the argument that might be made by such vessels when caught within Ecuadoran waters that they were simply engaged in innocent passage, states a November 16 U. S, Embassy dispatch from Quito. 52 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wools Ut, IN@> i French Cameroons FISHERY PRODUCTS IMPORTS, 1953: A total of 2, 703 metric tons of canned fish and 2,473 tons of dried and saltedfish were imported into the French Cameroons during 1953, according to a consular dispatch (October 11) from Leopoldville. In 1952, 1,837 tons of canned and 2, 209 tons of dried and salted fish were imported. German Federal Republic FISHERY PRODUCTS EXPORTS TO UNITED STATES, JANUARY-JUNE 1954: West German exports of fishery products to the United States in the first six months of 1954 totaled 1, 786 metric tons, valued at DM2.6 million (US$615, 000), according to-an October 18, 1954, U. S. consular dispatch from Bremen (see table). Frozen German Federal Republic Fishery Products Exports to the United States, Januar June 1954 Item Frozen Fish: Metric Cod, ocean perch, coalfish (pollock) randshaddock asc cniccineincitts o QUWAGP WARIAINe WIN 4 6.6 656 6°56 00 0 0 Fillets of marine fish. .... BONO OoNo Ota ulcarcakelire 5 a6 Canned Fish (in airtight containers): Comlknsla (oolloels) 6 5556000 o ood 0 6 SENS ooo Go oo OOO DDO oO 0 0 IeIAICMING 5 56959 6 OO OOO ODO OOO Other (including mneehxereei) einer veton ee Me MO tally ciretuten neva suu mewn cue 9 65 9 6 Oo 6 Other: IsI@ierOees Bg ela Ae 6 a eo ovale o 6 oa 6 Greeincl INOW Gg 6 6 oo oo OOo oo Tees o 2,586.0 fish, including fillets, comprised 83 percent of the total volume, the remainder was mostly canned fish. Frozen fillets was the principal fishery item exported from West Germany to the United States in January-June 1954, followed by "other" canned fish (presumed to be mostly mackerel). Iceland LARGE OCEAN PERCH CATCHES ON. GREENLAND BANKS: Since the Icelan- dic trawlers recommenced fishing for ocean perch in August 1954, there have been 52 deliveries to Reykjavik, totaling 30.0 million pounds, according to reports in recent issues of Fiskets Gang, a Norwegian trade paper. The average catch has been 576, 000 pounds per vessel with the largest catch--768, 000 pounds--being land- ed by the trawler Juni. Practically all the ocean perch were taken on Greenland Banks. One of the trawlers conducted exploratory fishing for ocean perch in August 1954 on the East Greenland Banks about 28 hours sailing from Maalarrifi, Iceland, or about 340-360 nautical miles distant. It returned from the 9-day trip with about 628,425 pounds of good-quality ocean perch. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 53 Earlier reports stated that there should be some improvement in the economic position of the trawlers as the result of an agreement between the Icelandic Trawl- ers Association and the Freezers Sales Association to raise the raw fish ex-vessel price of ocean perch from 0.85 to 0.90 kroner per kilo (2,.4-2.5 U. S. cents per pound). Kk ok FISHERIES TRENDS, JULY-SEPTEMBER 1954: Iceland's fisheries economic development during the third quarter of 1954 was generally favorable, according to aU. S. Legation dispatch (October 15) from Reykjavik. The 1954 catch of ground- fish, particularly cod and ocean perch, was considerably larger than during the previous two years. Over half of the catch of groundfish was processed intofrozen fillets, reflecting the favorable market for this commodity. The herring catch in 1954 was very poor--only the 1952 catch was lighter in recent years--and Iceland is unable to fulfill its export agreements. The production of salted and dried fish in 1954 was less than last year, because of the relative attractiveness of the mar- ket for frozen fish filets. However, sales of both salted and dried fish are satis- factory. The trawler industry experienced economic difficulties in 1954, The Govern- ment alleviated the situation temporarily by granting a subsidy to trawler owners for the balance of 1954 from a fund created by a special automobile tax amounting to 100 percent on the price of most automobiles. Wage increases granted to trawl- er seamen improved the availability of seamen for trawlers, but the additional ex- pense to trawler owners cancels out part of the benefits from the special subsidy. The matter of the profitability of operation of both trawlers and motorboats was to receive careful reconsideration by the Government at the end of 1954 when the pres- ent subsidy systems for both trawlers and motorboats were scheduled to terminate, Iceland has been engaged on various fronts presenting and defending its views on fisheries limits--in a polemic between British and Icelandic newspapers, in the Council of Europe, in the Nordic Council, and in the United Nations. An interest- ing new development in these discussions was Iceland's publication of a white book concerning its fishery limits. % OK OK OK OF FIRMS USING NORWEGIAN HERRING STORING PROCESS: Some Icelandic companies are adopting a Norwegian innovation in the storage of herring for reduc- tion, an October 15, 1954, U. S. Legation dispatch from Reykjavik points out. Salt- ed preserved herring for reduction can be kept for a limited period. Also, the value of the meal produced is less as the salt percentage increases. The new preserva- tive made up of two parts of nitrium nitrate dissolved in three parts of water and 40 percent formaldehyde is reported to protect the herring for as long as two months, The State Herring Factories have announced in the fall of 1954 that the price of first-quality herring meal on the local market was 253 kronur per 100 kilograms (US$141 per short ton) f.0.b. port near the factory. Interest and fire insurance charges were to be added after September 15, 1954, ee aa India FISHERY PRODUCTS SUPPLY AND CONSUMPTION, 1954: Production of fish- ery products (mostly from coastal waters) in India during 1954 is estimated to be about one million long tons, reports an October 25, 1954, U. S. Embassy dispatch from New Delhi. Inland pond-fish production is being developed slowly. Imports 04 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol, 17, No. 1 of fishery products in 1953/54 (April-March) were valued at 18 million rupees (US$3.8 million)--quantity not available--while total exports amounted to 27, 000 long tons, valued at 42 million rupees (US$8. 8 million). In 1952/53 the total im- ports were valued at 15 million rupees (US$3.2 million); and exports totaled 24, 000 long tons, valued at 39 million rupees (US$8. 2 million). The annual consumption of fishery products in India during 1954 is estimatedat 6.0 pounds per capita. Japan OPERATING COSTS OF TUNA LONG-LINE VESSELS: A study has been made of a number of Japanese tuna long-line vessels to determine operating costs and oth- Table 1 - Cost Price Per Pound for Tuna Caught by Selected Japanese Tuna Long-Line Vessels (by Size) Size of Vessel Weight of Landings Cost Price US Gross Tons ost U. S. Cents Per Pound 300 162, 272 + 1, 447, 250 = 1612) 150 = 12.0 100 = 126 50 = 1833 1/ Includes owners’ expenses and crews’ share, er financial data. The data compiled were published in The Skipjack Fishery and the Tuna Fishery, by Yutaka Imamura, printed by the Dai Nippon Suisankai in Sep- tember 1953, and translated by a U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service employee station- ed at the Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investigations office in Honolulu. The study in- Baskets fished ... 350 300 250 Cruises per year .... 5 5 5 6 Length of cruise .... 50 50 43 (Catch per cruise .... 6 289,450 133, 536 82, 700 (Catch per year 1, 447, 250 667, 695 496, 200 Value of catchper cruise Value of catch Running Fishing Inportoratanchor , . Running Fishing Inportoratanchor .. In drydock Under repair cluded 11 vessels at Misaki, and 23 in Shizuoka Prefecture for the 150-ton class; 10 vessels at Misaki, 10 in Mie Prefecture, 12 in Miyagi Prefecture, and 8 in Shizuoka Prefecture for the 100-ton class; and 7 vessels in Kagoshima for the 50-ton class, The figures are averages for 1951-52 operations. The data on the vessel of the 300- ton class were supplied by the tuna-boat owners' association, January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 55 Tonnages of Japanese vessels are usually givenas gross tonnage, thatis, 000m of the total volume of the enclosed spaces, and it is presumed that such is the mean- 50-Ton (Wood 240 hp. Fishing gear replacement (4 percent of value of catch less handling charges). .... ueloil,. .. 2 ees se eeeece 6, 397 = = 2 24,917 (575 tons) 11, 700 (270 tons) 11, 440 (264 tons) 4, 160 (96 tons) fuel-oil cost). .... 2,564 1,204 1,174 428 ‘Bait @ 6 yen apiece (incl. 30 percent spares) .....- 3,223 (193,375 pes.) 3, 250 (195,000 pes.) | 3,088 (185,250 pes.) | 2, 850 (171, 000 pcs.) BeOS Miscellaneous. ..... AUOVAWL gon np a oo oastal bull trawlers. ... IMackerel purse seiners . . Whaling catcher boats. ... [Coastal b bull trawlers. . . January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 59 trawlers are under construction to augment the Republic of Korea's war-depleted fishing fleet and provide needed marine products, information received from United Nations Korean Reconstruction Agency (UNKRA) headquarters in Seoul revealed June 29, 1954, The trawlers, larger and more powerful than those now being used, will be capable of fishing the Bering Sea for cod and the East China Sea for alltypes of bottom fish. A contract for construction of the 75-foot vessels was awarded to a Hong Kong shipyard. They are designed for deep-sea fishing and will be built according to plans and specifications approved by the Korean Ministry of Commerce and Indus- try, the Korean Fisheries Control Committee, and UNKRA. The boats are the first to be purchased by UNKRA under its $1, 900, 000 pro- gram of fisheries rehabilitation, They are scheduled for delivery in six months, The Republic's fishing fleet now stands at about 50 percent of its pre-1945 strength and brings in about 270, 000 metric tons of fish yearly. Its 50-ton trawl- ers are limited in the range of their operations. The new vessels, powered by the latest British-made Crosley 180-horsepower Diesel engines, will provide the nu- cleus of a fleet of offshore vessels with a range of more than 1,000 miles, The boats will be equipped with winches and gear designed for two-boat (bull- trawler) fishing, and in appearance will combine the best features of Western and Eastern fishing craft. UNKRA experts have estimated that an additional 125,000 tons of fish yearly are needed to balance the Korean diet, which mainly relies on rice. The Agency's fisheries rehabilitation program has already brought into the country more than US$500, 000 in supplies such as fish nets, modern canning units, chemicals, lum - ber, and other equipment. The important Seoul fish market has been rebuilt and enlarged, and UNKRA has established a loan fund to aid small fishermen. Mexico FISHING TO BE LIMITED IN TERRITORIAL WATERS: The Mexican Chamber of Deputies is considering a law to limit commercial fishing rights in Mexican wa- ters to Mexican citizens and corporations. Foreigners caught trespassing would be liable to heavy fines, according to the November 1954 World Fishing, a Britishfish- ery magazine. Netherlands SS Se Ee has acquired the licensing rights of a new method for processing fresh lean seafish into a powder with high nutritive value, a November 2, 1954, U. S. Embassy dis- patch from The Hague reports. This powder is suitable not only for animals but al- so for human consumption. The finely ground fish emulsion is converted, according to this method, intoa dry substance which will keep for a considerable period, and which possesses an albumen content eight percent higher than that of ordinary fish meal, The process takes place on rollers heated by low pressure steam, and is completed in15 seconds. 60 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No.11 After this operation, the product is ready to be pulverized. Itis possible to improve the taste of this fish powder by adding a suitable flavoring agent. Apart from its use as a conditioning food the meal is also suitable as a basic product for the food industry. Norway TUNA CATCH HIGHER: The total tuna catch landed by Norwegian fishermenin the 1954 season amounted to 9, 348 metric tons by 433 seiners as against 7,775 in 1953, Ex-vessel values were Kr. 16.1 million (US$2.3 million) and Kr. 8 million (US$1.1 million), respectively, reports a November 4 bulletin from the Norwegian Information Service. Ex-vessel prices varied from 1,51-1.82 kroner per kilo (9.6-11.6 U. S. cents per pound), but were mostly in the 1,52-1.54 (9.7-9.8 U. S. cents)range. Bluefin- tuna livers brought from 3.25 to 3.47 per kilo (20.7-22.1 U. S. cents per pound). In contrast to 1953 and 1952, most of the tuna was landed in the more northerly provinces instead of in western Norway although, for thefirsttime, significant catch- es were made in the fjord below Oslo in southern Norway, according to reports in the October 27 issue of Fiskaren, a Norwegian trade paper. Most of the tuna went to Italy for 2.54 kroner per kilo (16.1 U. S. cents per pound). A total of 41 carloads of frozen tuna was shipped by railway from North Norway to Italy in the fall of 1954, reports a December 2 bulletin from the Norwe- gian Information Service. Japan has become interested in the Italian market and has exported frozen tuna to Italy at lower prices. 1 OR OK OX 3 HERRING PURSE-SEINE TESTS PROVE SUCCESSFUL: The recent summer Norwegian research vessel G, O, Sars. land and Jan Mayen included tests of purse seining for herring in the open sea. Ar- ticles in Fiskaren (September 22 and 29, 1954), a Norwegian trade publication, in quoting Dr. Finn DeVold (who was in charge of the cruise) and the accompanying January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 61 purse-seine expert, stated that the tests indicate that purse seininginthis area can be carried on profitably on a commercial scale, The catch may be used either for salting on the vessel or for transporting to Norway (a couple of days distant) for manufacture into herring meal and oil. ASDIC or similar scanning equipment must be used to locate the herring schools as the usual vertical echo-sounding apparatus is notadequate. After locatinga herring school withthe ASDIC on the G. O. Sars the seine boat was directedtothe school. The boat located the school on its own depth finder before setting the purse seine, The her- ring were mostly atadepthof10fathoms. A purse seine witha depth of 35-40 fathoms was recommended as most suitable. The herring were always found in waters of about 43° to46 F., suggesting the need for temperature-measuring equipment on the fishing vessels, Large schools of herring should be found off Iceland in July and off Jan Mayen in August. The fat content of the herring varied from about 17 percent in mid-July to 24 percent at the end of August, compared with only 7 to 13 percent for Norwegian winter herring. Presumably the Norwegian herring mealand oil factories could pay more, therefore, for the ocean herring than for the winter herring. Kk K KOK portance, meeting domestic demands and selling in export markets. The annual catch of herring is large and modern fishing methods have increased it considera- bly during the last five years. Had it not been for a parallel modernization and ex- pansion of the herring processing factories, much of the fish would have been wasted. As it is, during the season the factories, despite round-the-clock operations, are filled literally to overflowing with herring. Present annual production of herring oil totals 40,000 metric tons, or double the 1939 figure; production of herring meal has now reached about 180, 000 tons. This last figure is slightly less than the annual United States production and about 22 percent of present world production, Norway's domestic consumption of herring meal is some 60, 000 tons a year; the rest is exported. Chief purchasers in 1953 were the United States (18, 000 metric tons), Western Germany (16,000), the United Kingdom (26,000), and the Netherlands (9,000). Total value of oil and meal pro- duced annually is estimated at some Kr. 300 million(US$42 million); a record of Kr. 350 million (US$49 million) was reached in 1954. Between 70 and 80 percent of the total herring catch goes to the factories; there are now about 80 plants, all situated on the West Coast and stretching almost the length of the country, from north to south, There is also one floating factory for fishermen working far out from the coast, The plants are striving to make 100 percent use of the raw materials supplied and to help in this the central organization has established a special research insti- tute near Bergen, Here experiments are carried out not only on more efficient pro- duction but also on improving the quality of the finished products, The institute al- so provides an advisory service and its investigations cover both the chemical and - the biological fields. One of the main preoccupations at the moment is the search for a method of preserving the immense quantities of fresh herring delivered to the factories so that the fish can be used before deterioration sets in and arrangements made for a more convenient spread-out of the work involved, 7 RK OK OK 62 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol, 17, No. 1 FROZEN FILLET CONSUMPTION UP: The per-capita consumption of fish in Norway, according to an August 18, 1953, report, is about 88 pounds per year. Inland consumption of frozen fish fillets in Norway is increasing rapidly instep with the expansion of frozen food marketing facilities. According to the Ministry of Fisheries, most of the frozen fish is marketed in inland areas in southern Norway. Coastal cities and districts depend primarily on the supply of fresh fish. The Min- istry of Fisheries estimates the total amount of frozen fish fillets marketed during 1952 at 600 metric tons, and during 1953 at 2,000 tons. The forecast for 1954 is about 4,000 tons. The increase is expected to continue during 1955, a U. S. Em- bassy dispatch (November 16, 1954) points out. ; 7 OK OK KK WHALING EXPEDITION COSTS HIGH: To build and equip a modern whaling ex - pedition would cost about Kr. 100 million (US$14 million), estimates one Norwegian whaling operator. Annual operating expenses would amount to about Kr. 25 million (US$3.5 million), according to a November 11, 1954, bulletin from the Norwegian Information Service. Panama COMMISSIONERS TO INTER-AMERICAN TROPICAL TUNA COMMISSION: The following were appointed as Panamanian Commissioners to the Inter-American T rop- ical Tuna Convention by Decree No. 103, states a U. S. Embassy dispatch from Panama City: Domingo Diaz Q., Panamanian Consul General at Los Angeles, Cali- fornia; Walter Myers, Jr., Secretary, Panamanian Embassy at San Jose, Costa Rica; and Miguel A. Corro, Secretary for Commerce and Industries as representa- tive of the Panamanian Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce and Industries. . Peru SHRIMP FISHERY CENTERED AT CALETA CRUZ: The present center of the Peruvian shrimp fishing fleet is at Caleta Cruz, an October 15, 1954, U. S. For- eign Operations Administration dispatch from Lima points out. The number of ves- sels in the fleet varies from 25 to 35, and the craft range in size from 30 to 45 feet. Most of the vessels fish with 20-foot beam trawls; a few have 35-40 foot otter trawls. Fishing is carried on 24 hours a day in depths of 4 to 5 fathoms. The averagecatch is 125 pounds of 15-count (heads off) shrimp per day. Upon landing, the shrimp are iced and taken to Mancora for packaging and freezing in 5-pound packages. Portugal FISHERIES PRODUCTION GOOD IN 1954: Generally, Portuguese fisheries pro- duction was good in 1954, an October 28 U. S. Embassy dispatch from Lisbon states. Reliable sources expect that the Portuguese cod catch in the 1954/55 fishing season will be somewhat higher than the 65, 646 metric tons caught in 1953/54, The catch of this important Portuguese food staple has been rising steadily in recent years. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 63 The same sources state that the sardine catch was also unusually good in 1954 all along the Portuguese coast, especially in the Algarve, and that the canneries worked full time. Most of the sardines, however, were small and unsuitable for the boneless-and-skinless varieties usually exported to the United States. The mackerel catch was reported to be about the same as in 1953; while the an- chovy and tuna catches were poor. HOOK OK OK OK WHALING REGULATIONS: Regulations on the taking of whales in the waters of continental Portugal and the adjacent islands (including the Azores) were promul- gated by Decree No. 39,657 published in the Diario do Governo, May 19, 1954, at Lisbon, The regulations provide: A ten-year concession is necessary to pursue whaling in the waters stipulated, and covers the following species only: sperm whale (Physeter catodon Linnaeus) ; fin or razorback whale (Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus); blue whale or Sibbald's rorqual (Balaenoptera musculus Linnaeus); lesser rorqual (Balaenoptera acutorstra- ta Lacepede); sei whale or Rudolphi's rorqual (Balaenoptera borealis Lesson); hump- back whale (Megaptera nodosa Bonnaterre). The concessions, obtained from the Minister of the Navy, grant a whaling area within which only the holder has the right to engage in whaling, subject to legal and regulatory provisions. Concessions are renewable for another ten-year periodafter the first has expired. The sum of 100, 000 escudos (US$3, 450) must be deposited for the concession. A concessionaire is obligated to set up a whaling fleet, properly equipped to en- gage in whaling, by June 30 of the first year of the period of the concession. Only vessels of the type described in the Decree may be used, = Spain RECORD TUNA CATCHES IN BAY OF BISCAY: The run of striped tuna along the Bay of Biscay in Spain continued at record levels in the fall of 1954, reports an October 15 U. S. consular dispatchfrom Bilbao, According to one report from the important fishing town of Castro-Urdiales, the total 1954 catch may be the highest in history. Prices have remain- ed firm, averaging from 9 to 11 pesetas per kilo (36-45 U. S. cents per pound) wholesale. ze BISCAY OK OK OK % MINIMUM PRICE AND CATCH LIMITS FOR BAY OF BISCAY HORSE MACKEREL FISHERY: Inlate _ October 1954 a general meeting of Fish Syndicate heads, fishermen, and packers was held in Santander, Spain, to prepare for the coming horse mackerel (chicharro) season in the Bay of Biscay. Among other decisions were those setting a minimum wholesale price of 50 centimes per kilogram (about 1 U. S. cent per lb.). This measure, it was explained, would prevent a repetition of the previous year, when abundant catches resulted in such 64 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW WOls 75: IN©s | i low payments to the fishermen as to make it virtually uneconomical for them to go tosea. It wasalso decided to limit boats of the provinces of Biscay, Santander, and Guipuzcoa, because of their greater potential, to a maximum daily catch of 11,000 pounds as compared to 17, 600 pounds for Oviedo and 22,000 pounds for Lugo. Only one trip a day will be authorized, and it will be illegal for one boat to sell part of its catch on the high seas to another boat, according to a November 16 U. S. consu- lar dispatch from Bilbao. In addition to these measures, designed to increase economic benefits from the coming horse mackerel season, the meeting passed a number of other resolutions: (1) to recommend that the state-run Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) set up a factory to convert fish byproducts into fertilizer; (2) to petition the Institute Social de la Marina (State Maritime Lending Agency) to increase its loans for construction of fishing boats from 60 to 90 percent of the cost, as well as to liberalize its credit terms; (3) to request official permission to export fresh fish, once domestic needs are met; (4) to urge installation of additional radio transmitters and receivers to assist fishing boats in their work; (5) to form a confederation of the various fish syndicates of the provinces fronting on the Bay of Biscay, from La Coruna to Guipuz- coa, x Ok Ok OK OK VIGO FISHERIES TRENDS, AUGUST 1954: Production: In spite of the scarcity of sardines (the principal species), landings in the Vigo area of Spain during August increased over the previous month's, but were substantially lower than a year ear- intents While albacore constituted the bulk of the catch, substantial quantities of jurel (Tracharus tracharus) and alcrique (needlefish) helped maintain the volume during August. For the first time in months jurel was so abundant that large quantities were acquired by fish-oil and fish-meal processors at low prices. Alcrique, on the other hand, is in good demand by the canning industry since it is being packed for local markets as a substitute for sardines, a September 14, 1954, United States consular dispatch from Vigo points out. The medium-range fleet operating off Ireland and the Grand and Petit Soles con- tinued to operate under difficult conditions and according to many operators the high- er prices hardly compensated for the increased costs of operation. Canning: Fish canning plants in the Vigo district took advantage, for the sec- ond consecutive month, of the seasonal runs of albacore tuna and plants were fairly busy during the month. However, production is reported to have averaged only 20 to 22 percent of capacity. Canners claim that while the new exchange rate for canned fish is helpful, it is still insufficient to facilitate competition abroad and that unless the Government per- mits free trade or is disposed to subsidize exports, foreign markets will be gradu- ally disappearing. Purchases of fish by the canning plants in the Vigo area during August totaled 2,962,000 pounds as compared to 2, 341,000 pounds in the previous month and 4,213,000 pounds in August 1953. SOCIAL SECURITY FOR FISHERMEN: The recent government decision to in- clude the short-range fishermen (pesca de bajura) under Social Security Insurance has been the source of much criticism on the part of fishing vessel operators. These crews so far have not been getting a salary, but receive instead a percentage of the catch value. Owners claim that they are operating most of the vessels without profit and that insurance contributions are almost impossible under the present cir- cumstances, jr OO January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 65 Surinam SHRIMP FISHERY: The largest catches of shrimp are made during the long dry season, according to a recent survey of the Surinam fisheries. Surinam has two dry seasons, a long and a short one. The demand for fresh shrimp has never been very large in Surinam, so that practically the entire catch is dried, according to the August 1954 Monthly Information Bulletin of the Caribbean Commission. Shrimp fishing is dependent on the season, partly because of large concentra- tions in the river mouths and partly because of the sun-drying processing method. Investigations made, however, have indicated that almost all year round shrimpare found. These shrimp consist mainly of the smaller species, although they are some- times mixed with large ones. However, fishing offshore in periods other than the long dry season is not remunerative if all the shrimp have to be dried. During October and November 1953, a total of 22,000 pounds of dried shrimp were exported at a reasonable price, and it is hoped to increase the quantity for 1954 to full production capacity. As there is a guaranteed foreign market for con- siderable quantities at prices which give the fisherman a larger profit than former- ly, prospects in shrimp fishing are bright. Turkey FISHERY PRODUCTS SUPPLY AND DISPOSITION, 1953/54: The total produc- tion of fishery products in Turkey during 1953/54 (Juiy-June) amounted to 125, 400 metric tons, according to an October 27, 1954, U. S. Embassy dispatch from Anka- ra. This is considerably greater than the production in recent years--the 1952/53 production was 88,000 tons; 1951/52, 76,000 tons; and 1950/51, 79,000 tons. Turkish exports of fishery products in 1953/54 totaled 3,950 metric tons, and as there were no imports the available supply was 121,450 tons. This supply was disposed of as follows: food, 75,910 tons; industrial use, 22,000 tons; andas waste, 23,540 tons. The per-capita consumption of fishery products in Turkey during 1953/54 aver- aged 5.7 pounds per year. United Kingdom LARGE OCEAN PERCH FILLET ORDER FROM U, S. ARMY: A Grimsby, Eng- land, firm has received the largest ocean perch fillet order it has ever had from the U. S. Armed Forces for the troops in Britain, Germany, and other parts of Eu- rope, according to the September 25, 1954, Fish Trades Gazette, a British fishery magazine. The firm had received previous substantial orders from the United States authorities. LJ This is a new market for British ocean perch which has hitherto been practical- ly unwanted at Grimsby where it is known as "'reds.'' Trawlers have only taken them as part of their catches when fishing for cod. ''We still have one contract running and our commitments for the American Forces are higher now than they have ever been, '' stated a director of the firm. 66 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW WO, wt, IN@, i The firm's contract includes exports to the United States, but there was one dif- ficulty--that of finding a sufficient supply of ocean perch. When the Hull trawler Teslalanded an exceptionally large quantity (280, 000 pounds) of ocean perch at Grimsby recently, the firm bought them all for export. "On the present contracts we are holding it might almost be worth while fish- ing deliberately for ocean perch, '' said the firm director. He added that the ex-ves- sel price of ocean perch had been higher at Grimsby during the past 3 to 6 months than would have been the case had his firm not obtained these contracts, whichwere for quick-frozen ocean perch and cod fillets. Some of the fish would go to Germany and from there be distributed to United States units all over Europe, and some would go to United States units stationed in Britain. OK OK OK FACTORY TRAWLER "FAIRTRY" HAS ANOTHER GOOD TRIP OFF GRAND BANKS: So successful has been the second trip of the factory trawler Fairtry that the owners may build other vessels of the same type sooner than was expected, ac- cording to the October 29, 1954, issue of The Fishing News, a British fishery maga- zine. A representative of the firm said when the vessel began unloading at Imming- ham on October 28: ''We did not intend to develop any further for a considerable time but this trip has been so successful and we are so delighted that anything might happen," The Fairtry caught and processed 540 metric tons of fish off Greenland and Newfoundland in only 57 fishing days. This includes 240 tons of whole haddock, 175 tons of haddock fillets, 100 tons of cod fillets, and small amounts of halibut and oth- er varieties, On the maiden voyage the catch was 460 tons in 65 days of fishing. "We have been able to catch large amounts of fish every day and we have actual- ly been working for as long as 14 hours on some days,'"' said the spokesman. All the teething troubles of the first voyage have been overcome successfully and the Fairtry had been at sea continually without touching port. More machinery for handling smaller fish would be installed for the next trip. With regard to quality, the spokesman said that excellent reports have been re- ceived from consumers everywhere and the patients from one hospital had written the owners to say that ''they have never tasted anything quite so good."' He said that though fish frozen immediately on catching was always colored because the blood was still in it, the quality of taste was excellent and they hoped to overcome the coloring. 1 OOK OK OK FISH BEHAVIOR TO TRAWLS AND NET STUDIED: In order to discover the re- actions of white fish to trawls and seine nets, underwater experiments with models were carried out the summer of 1954 in Lunan Bay, states the September 24, 1954, issue of The Fishing News, a British fishing paper. The experiments were carried out by two members of the staff of the Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen, who were able to secure a number of underwater photographs. In October another member of the laboratory staff was due to carry out similar experiments in the Moray Firth, but it is doubtful if the lighting then would be good enough for underwater photography. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 67 The efforts to secure more information on the reactions of fish towards nets and the workings of nets underwater follow the success obtained two years ago with the seine net and flatfish. Frogmen, working with scientists, were then able to secure remarkable underwater pictures of the behavior of the fish and the net as it was towed along the sea bottom. The experiments now being carried out by the Aberdeen Laboratory's staff are to try to secure further information and photographic records on the various factors that influence the operation of the seine net, such as conditions of tide, nature of the sea bed, the number of warp coils used, and the effect that the warps may have of herding fish into the path of the net. In 1953 some experiments were carried out in Broad Bay, when attempts were made to discover the reactions of white fish to the seine net, but there were not suf- ficient white fish at a depth where frogmen could work and where light would enable photographs to be taken. OK OK KK WHITE FISH AUTHORITY VESSEL CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM: Good progress is being made towards the White Fish Authority's goal of a new fleet of 500 vessels in 10 years, according to a report from the retiring Chairman in late September 1954, The Authority's grants and loan policy was introduced in August 1953 tostim- ulate modernization of the fishing fleets. Since August 1953 grants have been made for the building of 35 new trawlers for near- and middle-water fishing amounting to £632,000 (US$1.8 million). In ad- dition, loans towards their building totaled £1,.5 million (US$4. 2 million), For 95 inshore vessels, grants amounted to £141, 000 (US$400, 000) and loans to £250, 000 (US$700, 000). For engines for 68 inshore vessels, grants amounted to £25, 000 (US$70, 000), and loans to £39, 000 (US$109, 000). Total sums advanced to September 1954 amounted to £798, 000 (US$2. 2 million) in grants, and £1, 789,000 (US$5 million) in loans. In each case not less than 15 ' percent of the cost of construction has been provided by the owner. OOK OK OK OK FIRM ORDERS TEN DIESEL TRAWLERS: An order for the building of 10 Diesel have been placed with a Selby shipbuilding firm by a Grimsby trawling company. The new vessels will be of the North Sea type but capable of westerly and Faroes fishing, a November 19, 1954, U. S. consular dispatchfrom Manchester reports, The Grims- by firm has a fleet of 23 trawlers ranging from 96 to 249 net tons each, The 10 trawlers are being built in close collaboration with the White Fish Au- thority and full use is being made of the Authority's grant and loan scheme, The White Fish Authority was set up at Knaresborough, Yorkshire, under the Sea Fish Industry Act of 1951, with the functions of reorganizing, developing, and regulating the white-fish industry. It is empowered to make grants for new fishing vessels of not more than 140 feet in length and in certain cases for new engines. This new building order tends to lessen the concern which arose following the news in October that another Grimsby firm has placed an order with a German ship- building firm for two modern deep-water trawlers fitted with exhaust turbine en- gines giving a speed of 14 knots. These two trawlers will be the first turbine-driven fishing vessels to be owned by a Grimsby firm. They also comprise the first order in the history of the town's trawling industry that has been placed abroad, 68 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol, 17, No. 1 It is said that although the German-built trawlers are each £10, 000-15, 000 (US$28, 000-42, 000) less than a British equivalent, the deciding factor in placing the order with the Geman yard was not so much cost as speed of delivery. The German firm's delivery date is reported to be more than a year earlier than any of the British yards. The first vessel should be delivered in July 1955 and the second in the following September. It is understood that these new ships will be used tore- place scrapped tonnage. 1 OK OOK OK OK "COLLEGE FOR FISHERMEN" PROPOSED: To encourage recruiting to the fishing industry, a new scheme for a ‘college for fishermen" has been proposed by Councillors for Waveney Ward, according to the October 15, 1954, issue of The Fishing News, a British fishery magazine. One Councillor has drawn up a draft scheme for a ''Ness Point College for Fish- ermen,'' and has had dicussions with representatives of the fishing industry, and with a Member of Parliament who is to discuss with those interested how to put the proposals into practice. "There is no other trade handling such a vast amount of modern machinery in- volving huge capital outlay which has not some collective scheme for training its employees, '' says the Councillor in a foreword to his draft scheme. Many lads inclined to take up fishing for a living have been "frightened and dis- heartened" after one or two trips to sea, he says. ''The solution is obviously amore gradual introduction to the conditions which must be arduous no matter how modern a ship may be,"' He suggests that a college be built "for this and other purposes" at Lowestoft. It would contain a complete trawler and drifter ashore with all essential working parts reproduced as near as possible under working conditions at sea. There would be an engine room with modern Diesel engine, auxiliary engines, and other parapher- nalia pertaining to fishing vessels; a bridge reproduced to scale with a screen in front on which films of harbors, channels, and buoys could be projected by a cam- era connected to the wheel; decks built to resemble actual trawler and drifter decks with winches, capstans, bollards, andfishing gear; and all modernmethods of navigation and fish-detecting devices. Training would include electricaland wireless cookery witha ship's cookhouse and classroom attached--rigging and workshops for teaching repairs which could be done at sea, avoiding a return to port for such repairs. mK Kk oe OK ok CONSUMPTION OF FISHERY PRODUCTS, 1953/54: The per-capital consump- 2S SS tion of fishery products in the United Kingdom during 1953/54 amounted to 20.8 United Kingdom Per-Capita Consumption of Fishery Products, (Edible Weight), 1953/54 with Comparisons 1953/54 | 1952/53 anned fish (imported) Total pounds (edible weight) as compared to 21.6 pounds in 1952/53 and the prewar aver- age of 26,2 pounds per person (see table). The lower consumption in 1953/54 was due to lighter landings and imports as well as a reduced demand because of the greater availability of other protein foods, an October 25 U. S. Embassy dispatch January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 69 from London points out. Consumption in 1954/55 should be affected by the deration- ing of meat, and the downward trend for fishery products may continue, This is es- pecially possible because retail fish prices are relatively high as compared with oth- er protein foods, a TELEVISION TO BE USED ABOARD WHALING FACTORYSHIP: The British whaling factoryship Balaena has had a miniature television camera built ina speci- ally-constructed hut on its stern and it will be used to transmit pictures on a closed circuit over 750 feet of cable to a monitor installed on the ship's bridge. The short season for whaling startedinDecember and during that time whales are caught stead- ily. Besides delivery of whales, other ships in the fleet of 19 may come alongside to get stores or replenish stocks, Control of these operations from the bridge has been tricky because there is nearly 500 feet between the bridge house, which is forward, and the forcastle. As whales and ships tie up at the stern, the problems of controlling the operations are difficult and it is hoped that the installation of the television camera will help to solve the problems, the September 18 issue of Fish Trades Gazette reports. Weis. 5. KR. LARGE HERRING CATCH IN NORTH PACIFIC: Large quantities of herring have been caught by Soviet fishermen in the Okhotsk Sea, far North Pacific, reports the Tass Soviet News Agency. Soviet scientists had found quantities of the fish in the northwest and central part of the area and near the Soviet island of Sakhalien, north of Japan, The trawlermen, who are being helped by Baltic fishermen experienced in North Atlantic fishing, say that they have caught as many herring in three months in 1954 as would represent a year's catch in the North Atlantic. Three expeditions are equipped with modern trawlers, floating factories, echo- meters, and aircraft. The area is known as the 'Icebag"' because of the ice floes and severe storms encountered there even in summer, according to The Fishing News (September 24, 1954), a British fishing paper. ELIMINATING "BLACK SPOT" ON ICED SHRIMP Itis stated that formation of ''black spot'' on iced shrimp can be in- hibited by dipping them immediately after heading and for a second time after 7 to 8 days ina 23-percent solution of NaHSO3. Traces, or small amounts of black spot, are reported to have been formed after 17 days as compared with untreated shrimp which developed black spots by the 10th or 12th day. Organoleptic tests do not seem to indicate any ad- verse effect on flavor or texture of shrimp by the NaHSO3 treatment. --Gulf and Carribean Fisheries Institute, Abstracts, 1953 70 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Federal Trade Commission TENTATIVE DRAFT OF TRADE PRACTICE RULES FOR FROZEN FOOD INDUSTRY: A "Tentative Draft of Trade Practice Rules for the Frozen Food Industry Proposed by Members of the Industry" was recently issued by the Federal Trade Commission. These rules will affect any person, firm, or organization engaged in the production and marketing of frozen fish and seafoods. However, the rules have not yet been considered or approved by the Commission, SOG FEDERAL © Wo, 17, INO. i rules will be approved by the Federal Trade Commission. The date of the hearing has not yet been fixed. The rules contained in Part I of the draft repeat the statutory language in Section 2(a) and (c) to (f) of the Clayton Act, as amended by the Robinson-Patman Act and otherwise. The rules listed are: Rule 1- Prohibited Discrimination in Price. Rule 2- Prohibited Brokerage and Commissions, etc. The rules generally refer to prohibi- tion of discrimination in price; and dis- crimination in brokerage, commissions, and in advertising allowances. But some rules refer to trade practices which are of special importance to the frozen fish and seafood industry. For example, the rules will prohibit any false or mislead- ing term of sale, misleading invoices, misleading selling method, misrepre- sentation in general, and misrepresent- ing products as conforming to standards. Copies of the Tentative Draft may be obtained from the Federal Trade Com- mission, Washington 25, D.C. Members of industry are also invited to submit briefs and statements to the Commission Examiner. A public hearing will be held before the trade practice Rule 3 = Prohibited Discrimination in Advertising or Promotional Allow- ances, Rule 4 - Prohibited Discrimination in Services or Facilities. Rule 5 = Prohibited Inducing or Re- ceiving Discrimination in Price. Part II of the draft contains rules based on Sections 5 and 12 of the Feder~ al Trade Commission Act. (Section 5 prohibits the use of all unfair methods of competition and of all unfair or de- ceptive acts or practices in commerce, and Section 12-a(1) prohibits the dissem- ination of ''any false advertisement by United States mails, or in commerce by any means, for the purpose of inducing, or which is likely to induce, directly or indirectly the purchase of food, drugs, January 1955 devices, or cosmetics.) The rules listed are: Rule 6 - Selling Below Cost. Rule 7 - False Use of the Term "'Bar~= gain'' Prohibited. Rule 8 - Prohibited Use of Fictitious Price. Rule 9 - Prohibited Use of Any False or Misleading Term of Sale. Rule 10 - Prohibited Use of Any False or Misleading Invoice, etc. Rule 11 - Prohibited Misrepresenta- tion of Available Product Supply. Rule 12 - Prohibited Use of Any Mis- leading or Deceptive Selling Method. Rule 13 - Prohibited Misrepresenta- tion in General. Rule 14 - Prohibited Defamation of Competitor. Rule 15 - Prohibited Enticing of Com- petitor's Employee. Rule 16 - Prohibited Substitution of Competitor's Product. Rule 17 - Prohibited Interference with Competitor's Contract. Rule 18 - Prohibited Coercion of Purchase, Rule 19 - Prohibited Use of Lottery Scheme. Rule 20 - Prohibited Forms of Trade Restraints (Unlawful Price Fixing, etc.) Rule 21 - Prohibited Use of Loss Leaders, Rule 22 - ''Push Money." Rule 23 - Misrepresenting products as Conforming to Standard. Rule 24 - Use of the Word "Free." Rule 25 - Procurement of Compet- itors' Confidential Information by Unfair Means and Wrongful Use Thereof, Part III of the draft contains this rule: Rule 26 - Prohibited Use of Unfair Exclusive Deals. COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW (fil Part IV contains this rule: Rule 27 - Prohibited Aiding or Abet- ting Use of Unfair Trade Practices. In addition the draft contains these Group II rules: Rule 1 - Contractual Obligations. Rule 2 - Proper Refrigeration. Rule 3 - Maintenance of Accurate Records, The draft also would set up an industry committee (Committee on Trade Prac- tices) to cooperate with the Federal Trade Commission and ''to perform such acts as may be legal and proper in the further- ance of fair competitive practices and in promoting the effectiveness of the rules." S Department of the Interior FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE ALASKA COMMERCIAL FISHING REGULATIONS FOR 1955: Changes in the regulations for the protection of the commercial fisheries of Alaska for 1955 appeared in the Jan- uary 20,1955, Federal Register, and will become effective February 19. The revised regulations do not change present regulations governing operation of set nets. This is because an amend- ment to the Alaska Fishery Law, now pending in Congress, is intended to clar- ify the status of set nets. A Federal Court decision in Alaska last summer held that set nets are fixed gear. The Fish and Wildlife Service historically has classified them as mov- able gear. One effect of the Court deci- sion was to subject set nets to a statutory requirement which specifies that units of fixed gear must not be less than 1,800 feet apart, laterally. As movable gear, set nets in the past have been operated from 300-600 feet apart. When the Fish and Wildlife Service reported that an 1,800-foot minimum 72 interval between set nets is not consid- ered essential to conservation require- ments, and that imposition of the drastic limitation would impose hardships on small fishermen, the Department order - ed action on new set-net regulations sus- pended pending action by Congress. If this new legislation, which the Depart- ment will support, is enacted prior to the 1955 fishing season, no immediate change in the set-net regulation will be necessary. The two-year pink salmon rehabilita- tion program involving severe curtail- COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wool. t/, INO, 1 vent needless destruction of female and small male crabs. Therefore, a closed season on king crabs from January 1 to May 31 was imposed in the Cook Inlet area, and closures during soft-shell stages will be imposed in the Kodiak area as determined by direct observa- tion. Biological data obtained in 1953 in- dicated that there was a relatively strong incoming year-class in the herring pop- ulations in southeastern Alaska. This permits the catch quota for 1955 to be increased to 100,000 barrels. © sreuas ment of the catch in southeastern Alaska and complete closure in Prince William Sound, which was launched in 1954, will continue in 1955. The Service reports that the resulting escapements were much better in 1954 than in 1952, the parent year of the two-year-cycle pinks. If survival is normal, an increase in the size of the runs should occur in 1956. In the Kodiak and Cook Inlet areas where the king-crab fishery is relatively new, protection during the molting and soft-shell periods is necessary topre- Other changes are as follows: In Bristol Bay the size of the fishing districts has been adjusted, reducing the Egegik district by about four miles, and increasing the Kvichak-Naknek dis- trict by the same distance. Personal-use fishing restrictions have been relaxed in the Nushagak district to permit fishing at Snag Point, and to allow fishing throughout the district each Wednesday, when commercial fishing is prohibited. January 1955 In the Alaska Peninsula area the closing date has been changed from July 31 to August 5 in the southwestern and southcentral districts where im- proved pink salmon runs are anticipated. A limited set-net fishery will be allowed in the southeastern district during the red salmon season, prior to July 5. To compensate in part for these relaxations, the weekly closed period has been length- ened from 60 to 72 hours prior to July 5. In the Kodiak area, red salmon runs have not been good for some time and the June openings in these districts have been eliminated. The area will open uniform] on July 11 for pink salmon, continuing until August 13, with a one-week closure from July 23-August 1. As in 1954, the closure of a week may be rescinded if the runs are strong. In the Cook Inlet area the usual odd- year closing dates of August 4 and Au- gust 8 are specified. The Cook Inlet red salmon pack in 1950 reached a total of 207,000 cases, which is far above normal, but the es- capements were poor and apparently this large pack was made partly at the expense of the brood stock. The 1955 run, which will be derived from the 1950 escapement, will be correspondingly smaller. Therefore, if the Alaska Fish- ery Law is amended prior to the opening season, some curtailment of the number of fishing days may be necessary. Changes have been made in the Chig- nik, Prince William Sound, and Copper River areas, and also in the Yakutat area and the various gill-net fisheries of southeastern Alaska. S Maritime Administration LOAN GUARANTEE TO SHRIMP VESSELS: The U.S. Maritime Administration has declared its readiness to extend loan guarantees (Mortgage insurance contracts) to modern shrimp vessels being constructed or reconstructed. The guarantee would run from 5 to 6 years as the case may warrant. The annual COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 73 costs would be not less than } percent and not more than } percent during con- struction or reconstruction, and not less - > Offshore shrimp trawlers at Pascagoula, Mississippi. than 3 and nor more than 1 percent after construction or reconstruction, respec- tively. It is understood that the Mari- time Administration in each case will examine the economic feasibility of the loan and investigate the business or fish- ing experience as well as the character of the applicant in question. The advantage of the loan guarantee of the Maritime Administration is the influ- ence on the financing of newly constructed or reconstructed shrimp vessels. At pres- ent loans onshrimp vessels regularly have to be repaid within three years or in 36- monthly installments. Inthe future it will be possible to obtain loans for five to six years or onthe basis of 60 to72 installments. Where installments inthe past ranas high as $1,250 monthly for a $45,000 loan, under the Maritime Administration loan guarantee of 5 to6 years installments willbe $650 to $750 monthly for the same amount of a loan. Application forms may be obtained from the U. S. Maritime Administration, Wash- ington 25, D.C. Le United States Court of Appeals FISH CANNERY OVERTIME EXEMPTION LIMITED: The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit has recently ruled, in an injunction suit by the Secretary of Labor against a Maine fish canner, that the overtime exemption for fish cannery employees is limited to only those em- ployees engaged in operations physically essential in the canning of fish. 74 The decision denied the applicability of the fish canning exemption in Section. 13(b) (4) of the wage-hour law to certain employees, including office workers, bus drivers, ''dead season'' maintenance em- ployees, and watchmen-firemen, whose activities were closely related and direc- tly essential to the canning of fish but which could not be said to be part of the actual canning operations. In its opinion, the Court of Appeals emphasized that the Section 13(b) (4) exemption for ''any employee employed in the canning of any kind of fish" is phrased in terms of the activities of the employee, whereas many of the other minimum wage and overtime exemptions of the Fair Labor Standards Act are phrased in terms of the employer's ac- tivities. The Section 7(c) fruit and veg- etable canning exemption, for example, is phrased in terms of employees of an “employer engaged in'' first processing COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 or canning. The Court concluded that Congress intended a differentiation be- tween the two types of exemptions by these language variations. The ruling of the First Circuit re- sulted from cross-appeals by both the Secretary of Labor and the defendant from a decision of the U.S. District Court of Maine in Mitchell v. Stinson. While the Court also relied to some extent on the legislative history of the 1949 Amendments to the Act, whichtrans- formed the fish canning exemption from both minimum wage and overtime into an exemption from overtime alone, the deci- sion would nevertheless seem to be in conflict with an earlier decision of the Third Circuit in McComb vy. Consolidated Fisheries Company. The apparent con- flict may result in a further review of the issue by the Supreme Court. BACK FIN CUTTING MACHINE A machine for cutting fish back fins, stated to do the work of three wom- en, is reported to have been produced in Aberdeen, Scotland. The machine is like a steel box, 18 inches long, 13 inches high, and 12 inches wide. It rests on a stand which brings it up to bench height. The top of the box has a groove, and inside a ¢ hp. motor drives a circular knife. During operation, the fish is slid along the groove and the knife removes the back fin. The knife is kept sprayed by a flow of fresh water, which does not affect the motor containedin a water-tight case. The machine is reported to be perfectly safe owing to the position of the knife, and there is little chance of injury to the operator. --Fish Trades Gazette, Sept. 19, 1953 January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 75 FISH _ INDICATORS CHART | - FISHERY LANDINGS for SELECTED STATES In Millions of Pounds MASSACHUSETTS Z\ CUMULATIVE DATA CUMULATIVE DATA ; 9 mgs. 1954 - 395.6] 1953 - 230.8 9 ,, 1953 - 363.2 1953 - 241.6 12 1953 - 449.3 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC FLORIDA LOUISIANAL/ CUMULATIVE . 1954 = 120.4 1953 - 195.3 1953 = 175.6 CUMULAT|VE DATA . 1954 = 68.5 1953 - 67.0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC J/ONLY PARTIAL--!NCLUDES LANDINGS AT PRINCIPAL PORTS. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC NEW JERSEY CUMULATIVE DATA QS. 1954 - 400.0 10 mgs. 1954 - 117.3 1953 = 430.0 10 | 1953 - 126.4 1953 ~ 433.3 12." 1953 - 138.7 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC CALIFORNIA2/ CUMULATIVE DATA CUMULATIVE DATA + 1954 = 582.9 10 MQS. 1954 - 39.2 1953 - 514.6 10, 1953 - 34,9 1953 - 544.0 12 1953 - 38.0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 2/ONLY PARTIAL--!NCLUDING PRODUCTION OF MAJOR FISHERIES AND MARKET FISH LANDINGS AT PRINCIPAL PORTS. 76 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 CHART 2 - LANDINGS for SELECTED FISHERIES In Millions of Pounds : HADDOCK OCEAN PERCH (Maine and Massachusetts) (Maine and Massachusetts) CUMULATIVE DATA CUMULATIVE DATA 3 MQS. 138 2 Yer 9 MQS. 1954 - 148.6 " : 1953 - 127.3 12 1953 - 122.1 1953 - 153.9 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 1 SHRIMP (Gulf States=/ including Florida West Coast) WHITING (Maine and Massachusetts) CUMULATIVE DATA CUMULATIVE DATA 9 MQs. 1954 - 129.1 9 , 1953 - 123.9 12 1953 - 177.4 9 MgS. 1954 - 53,1 Se 1953 - 54.1 12 1953 - 63.4 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC I/L\. & ALA. DATA BASED ON LANDINGS AT PRINCIPAL 2ORTS AND ARE NOT COMPLETE. In Thousands of Tons MENHADEN PACIFIC AND JACK MACKEREL (East and Gulf Coasts (California) CUMULATIVE DATA 240]|12 ups. 1954 - 32.5 QS. 1954 - 17.7 12 1953 = 807.7 1953 - 29.7 1953 - 29,9 280 CUMULATIVE DATA = JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC In Thousands of Tons PILCHARD TUNA AND TUNA-LIKE FISH (California) (California) CUMULATIVE DATA | \ CUMULATIVE DATA 1954/55 SEASON, 11 mgs. 1954 - 186.1 AUG.=NOV, 2 11 1953 - 170.8 1953/54 SEASON, 1953 - 193.1 AUG,=NOV, 1S53/54 SEASON, TOTAL AUG,=JULY Legend: 1954/55 1953/54 = (Se = AUG SEPT OCT_NOV_DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY w JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 77 CHART 3 - COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS and FREEZINGS of FISHERY PRODUCTS + In Millions of Pounds U. S. & ALASKA HOLDINGS : U. S. & ALASKA FREEZINGS . 1954 = 286.7 1953 = 262.5 1953 - 275.4 0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC NEW ENGLAND HOLDINGS!/ MIDDLE & SOUTH ATLANTIC HOLDINGS2/ 0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC V/MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, RHODE |SLAND, AND CONNECTICUT. 2/ALL EAST COAST STATES FROM N.Y. SOUTH. MIDDLE WEST HOLDINGS3/ GULF & SOUTH CENTRAL HOLDINGS4/ 0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC B/OHIO, IND., iLL., MICH., WIS., MINN., IOWA, MO., N. DAK., NEBR., & KANS, 4/ALA., MISS., LA., TEX., ARK., KY., & TENN. WASHINGTON, OREGON, AND ALASKA HOLDINGS CALIFORNIA HOLDINGS JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC *Excludes saltec, cured, anc smoked products. 78 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 17, No. 1 CHART 4 - RECEIPTS and COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS of FISHERY PRODUCTS at PRINCIPAL DISTRIBUTION CENTERS In Millions of Pound RECEIPTS!/ AT WHOLESALE SALT-WATER MARKET os (FRESH AND FROZEN) NEW YORK|,, COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS2/ CUMULATIVE DATA 12 mgs. 1954 - 164.3 20 12 a 1953 _- 170.1 Y JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC ‘1/1NCLUDE TRUCK AND RAIL IMPORTS FROM CANADA AND DIRECT VESSEL LANDINGS 2/AS REPORTED BY PLANTS IN METROPOLITAN AREA. AT NEW YORK CITY. RECEIPTS AT WHOLESALE MARKET = (FRESH AND FROZEN) CHICAGO COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS "CUMULATIVE DATA, 12 gs. 1954 - 116.5 12 1953 - 113.8 i) JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC g JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC SEATTLE BOSTON WHOLESALE MARKET RECEIP{\S, LANDINGS e RS & IMPORTS (FRESH & FROZEN) z COLD-STORAGE 1 CUMULATIVE DATA 12 mgs. 1954 - 109.0 12 1953 = 81.7 Legend: 1954 1953 |] 9 OTANI FEB) MAR APRUMAV” JUNE UULVJAUG: SEPT OCTANOVADEG UAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV. DEC FISH OIL (In Millions of Gallons) FISH MEAL (In Thousands of Tons) CUMULATIVE DATA 48 i MQS. 1954 = 218.7 1 1953 = 211.6 1953 - 225.0 o = = - JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 0 = JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 79 CHART 6- CANNED PACKS of SELECTED FISHERY PRODUCTS In Thousands of Standard Cases TUNA AND TUNA-LIKE FISH - CALIFORNIA b MACKEREL!/ - CALIFORNIA [CUMULATIVE DATA 400) 11 mgs. 1954 - 8,464.4 1954 - 342.4 110, «1953 = 73844.3| 4, 1953 = 590.2 1953 - 8,388.2 593.3 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC ANCHOVIES - CALIFORNIA CUMULATIVE DATA Ss. 1954 - 626.6 1953 - 1,463.5 1953 = 1)537.2 0 = JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC SARDINES (ESTIMATED) - MAINE ——— STANDARD CASES CUMULATIVE DATA ee mgs. 1954 = 2,908.7 1953 = 2,250.6 Variety No. Cans Can Designation 1953 ~ 2,451.9 a ae SARDINES ....... 100 _ drawn SHRIMP) cis sters's ste 48 -- TROON Boondooodad 48 No, 3 tuna PILCHARDS ..... 48 No. 1 oval NALIMON culesicse s 48 1-pound tall ANCHOVIES ..... 48 Legend: — 1954/55 —— 1953/54 SHRIMP - GULF STATES CUMULATIVE DATA 1954/55 SEASON, AUG .-DEC, = 523.7 1953/S4 SEASON, AUG.-DEC, - 556.0 1953/54 SEASON, TOTAL AUG.-JULY ~ 955.6 E DATA 1954/55 SEASON, AUG.-OCT, - 593.4 1953/54 SEASON, AUG.=OCT. - 42.4 1953/54 SEASON, TOTAL AUG.-JULY - 64.1 0 J L —— . AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY Q AUG SEPT OCT NOV_DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY 80 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Viol lie aNonel CHART 7- U.S. FISHERY PRODUCTS IMPORTS In Millions of Pounds GROUNDFISH (INCLUDING OCEAN PERCH) FILLETS, FRESH & FROZEN FILLETS & STEAKS OTHER THAN GROUNDFISH, FRESH & FROZEN CUMULATIVE DATA 10 MRS. 1954 - 40.3 10 1953 - 38.3 CUMULATIVE DATA 11 mgs, 1954 = 129.4 il 5 We o Ges 12 1953 - 91.4 0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV. DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC SHRIMP, FRESH & FROZEN, FROM MEXICO LOBSTER & SPINY LOBSTER, FRESH & FROZEN CUMULATIVE DATA CUMULATIVE DATA 10 MQS. 1954 - 27.2 10 MQS. 1954 ~ 33,6 10 | 1953 - 25.4 n 1953 = 34,3 12 1953 - 36.8 1953 =~ 42,6 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC TUNA, FRESH & FROZEN SEA HERRING, FRESH, THROUGH MAINE PORTS CUMULATIVE DATA CUMULATIVE DATA 10 mgs. 1954 - 111.0 10 Mes, 1954 = 28.1 10 , 1953 = 90.6 10 |, 1953 - 22.9 12 1953 - 95.1 IN 12 1953 - 23.2 "= zs b JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC CANNED SARDINES CANNED TUNA AND TUNA-LIKE FISH (IN OIL) {IN OIL AND NOT IN OIL) CUMULATIVE DATA 10 mgs, 1954 - 12,8 10 , 1953 - 13,3) 12 1953 - 15,0 CUMULATIVE DATA 10 MQS. 1954 - 29,3 Ome 1953 - 37.4 12 1953 _- 45.6 JAN FEB MAR_APR_MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 0 JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC January 1955 a ——— i ale Fs! Pe aae ET os Z FIS FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE PUBLICATIONS THESE PROCESSED PUBLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FREE FROM THE DIVISION OF INFORMATION, U, S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERV- \cE, WASHINGTON 25, D. C. TYPES OF PUBLICATIONS ARE DESIG- NATED AS FOLLOWS: CFS - CURRENT FISHERY STATISTICS OF THE UNITED SiATES AND ALASKA. FL - FISHERY LEAFLETS. SL - STATISTICAL SECTION LISTS OF DEALERS IN AND PRO- DUCERS OF FISHERY PRODUCTS AND BYPRODUCTS. SEP.- SEPARAIES (REPRINTS) FROM COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW. Number Title CFS-1049 - Massachusetts Landings, July 1954, 8 pp. CFS-1051 - Manufactured Fishery Products, 1952 Annual Summary, 7 pp. CFS-1052 - Florida Landings, July 1954, 6 pp. CFS-1053 - Maine Landings, August 1954, 4 pp. CFS-1054 - New Jersey Landings, August 1954, 2 pp. CFS-1056 - Texas Landings, September 1954, 3 pp. CFS-1058 - Fish Meal and Oil, September 1954, 2 pp. CFS-1061 - Mississippi Landings, September 1954, 2 pp. CFS-1062 - Maine Landings, September 1954, 4 pp. CFS-1063 - New York Landings, August 1954, 4 pp. CFS-1064 - Massachusetts Landings, August 1954, 8 pp. CFS-1067 - New York Landings, September 1954, 4 pp. CFS-1070 - Alabama Landings, September 1954, 2 pp. WHOLESALE DEALERS IN FISHERY PRODUCTS: SL - 7-New Jersey, 1954, 3 pp. SL - 8 - Pennsylvania, 1954, 3 pp. SL - 18- Mississippi, 1954, 3 pp. FL- 41 - List of State-Owned Fish Hatcheries and Rearing Stations (revised September 1945), 24 pp., processed. FL-420 - Florida's Red-Tide Problem, by Edna N. Sater, 11 pp., illus., processed. This leaflet describes the destructiveness of the 1946-47 out- break and the progress made on the red-tide prob COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 81 + fee @ pew mme ne etter’ started. These organisms multiply rapidly and derive nutrients from the fish that are killed, as wellasfromlanddrainage. Red-tide organisms are now being grown artificially in the Service's laboratory at Galveston, thus permitting the test- ing of different chemical compounds as control agents. Copper sulfate is the most promising to date. Federaland State research is coordinated and citizens' groups are organized to report the detection of new outbreaks and to assist in con- trol measures inan emergency. Sep. No. 386 - The 1953 Japanese King-Crab Fac- toryship Expedition. Sep. No. 387 - Chemical Changes in Fish Protein During Freezing and Storage. Sep. No. 388 - A Comparative Study of Fish Meals Made from Haddock Offal. THE FOLLOWING SERVICE PUBLICATION IS AVAILABLE ONLY FROM THE SPECIFIC OFF)CE MENTIONED: Receipts of Fresh and Frozen Fishery Products at Chicago - 1953, by G. A. Albano, 45 pp., proc- essed, October 1954. (Available free from the Market News Service, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 200 N. Jefferson St., Chicago 6, Ill.) This report presents an analysis of the market- ing trends for freshand frozen fishery products and statistical tables on the receipts of fresh and frozenfishand shellfish at Chicago during 1953. Statistics on arrivals of fishery products at Chi- cago are presented by species and by states and provinces of origin; states and provinces by spe- cies; species by months; states and provinces by months; totals by species; and totals by states and provinces. Allarrivals are tabulated by methods of transportation (truck, express, and freight). A table shows the monthly range of wholesale prices of some of the leading varieties of fresh and frozen fishery products handled on the Chicago market. In the analysis of the marketing trends for fresh andfrozen fishery products at Chicago, the author discusses the sources of the receipts, methods of transportation, months of greatest receipts, re- ceipts by species and varieties, lake trout and white- fish receipts, U. S. Great Lakes fishery produc- tion, U. S. imports of freshandfrozen fish from Canada, U. S. imports of frozen fillets, and cold- storage inventories. Also includedisa table giving the names, classifications, andapproximate weights of certainfishery products soldin the Chicago mar- lem since that time. tides," The author states that "red noted for their discolored water, are caused by a tiny marine organism so small that it cannot be seen by the naked eye. Gymnodinium brevis is the scientific name of this fish-killing plague which also produces a "gas" irritating to nostrils and throats of people. Rainfall, marsh drainage, salinity, wind, and temperature--in certain combinations--provide the physical con- ditions in which the red-tide organisms can get ket. THE FOLLOWING SERVICE PUBLICATIONS ARE FOR SALE AND ARE AVAILABLE ONLY FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS, WASHINGTON 25, D. C. Alaska Fishery and Fur-Seal Industries, 1952, by Seton H. Thompson, Statistical Digest No. 33, 71 pp., illus., printed, 35 cents, 1954. Detail- ed reports and statistical tables concerning the operation and yield of the various fishery indus- 82 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW tries are presented, with added data on certain related matters, particularly the condition of the fishery resources. Under the section on fishery industries, the following subjects are covered: court decisions; Alaska Department of Fisheries; research; exploratory fishing investigations; ad- ministration; management; and general statistics on salmon, herring, halibut, shellfish, and mis- cellaneous fishery products. on the Pribilof Islands fur-sealindustry covers administration, fur-seal population studies, and general statistics on the fur seals taken in 1952. A statement is also included on sealing privileges accorded aborigines. Composition of Cooked Fish Dishes, by Charles F. Lee, Circular 29, 31 pp., processed, 25 cents, 1954. This report analyzes the nutritive value of cooked fish and shellfish dishes. It indicates the proteins, carbohydrates, food energy, and other beneficial elements found in a number of popular fish dishes in the ''ready-to-serve" stage. This is a departure from most previous reports which have been based on studies of raw rather than cooked fish, In the course of answering the question ''Why should fish be included in your Diet?" the publication discloses that the average fish contains at least five beneficial minerals and the same number of vitamins. Although the in- formation in this report will be helpful to the general public, it will be particularly valuable for dietitians and nutritionists concerned with large quantity food preparation. Members of the fishing industry who deal with hospitals, restau- rants, schools, and other institutional groups will find the publication especially useful. Some of the information can also be used in preparing factual advertising material featuring fishery products, Stressing the high protein content of most cook- ed fish dishes, the publication shows that baked, fried, and broiled steaks or fillets with sauce or stuffing head the list. kabobs (except those containing tomato). Stuffed fish and fillets are nextinline, followed by kabobs with tomato, augratin dishes, some casseroles and salads (especially those containing eggs), and fish cakes and loaves in which the proportion of crumbs, potato, or rice filler is not excessive. Dishes containing 9to 14 percent protein, but a higher percentage of carbohydrates, are: fish cakes andcertaintypesofloaves, sandwiches, and canapes; most hors d'oeuvres; most casse- role dishes; salads without eggs (except jellied salads); and most of the special dishes such as Newbergs, a la kings, and thermidors. Still containing protein; but generally diluted with large proportions of other elements, are: nearly all the chowders, stews, soups, and bis- ques; salads with a gelatin base; creoles; curries; and jambalayas containing large quantities of rice. Gulf of Mexico--Its Origin, Waters, and Marine Life, by 55 American scientists and coordinated by Paul S. Galtsoff, Fishery Bulletin 89 (From Fishery Bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Serv- ice, vol. 55), 615 pp., illus., printed, $3.25, 1954, This exhaustive treatise was prepared primarily as a guide for scientific research proj- ects, a number of which are now being conduct- ed in the Gulf by Federal, state, and private or- The second section Next in protein content are WOl. U7, INO. ganizations. It discusses early explorations in the Gulf and summarizes all available informa- tion on its shorelines, geology, meteorology, physics, chemistry, and communities of plants and animals ranging from the bacteria through the marine mammals. MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATIONS THESE PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FROM THE ELSH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATION ISSUING THEM. CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING PUB- LICATIONS THAT FOLLOW SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE RESPEC- TIVE ORGANIZATION OR PUBLISHER MENTIONED. DATA ON PRICES, IF READILY AVAILABLE, ARE SHOWN. "Age and Length Composition of the Sardine Catch off the Pacific Coast of the United States and Mexico in 1953-54," by Frances E. Felin, John MacGregor, Anita E. Daugherty, and Daniel J. Miller, article, California Fish and Game, vol. 40, no. 4, October 1954, pp. 423-43 431, pri printed. California Department of Fish and Game, 926 J Street, Sacramento 14, California. "Antibiotics as Aids in Fish Preservation. I. Studies on Fish Fillets and Shrimp," by Lionel Farber, article, Food Technology, vol. 8, no. 11, November 1954, pp. 503-505, printed. The Garrard Press, 119 West Park Avenue, Cham- paign, Ill, (Single reprints may be obtainedfrom the author at Fisheries Research Laboratory, George Williams Hooper Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, California), This report gives the effects of the antibiotics chloro- tetracycline (Aureomycin), hydroxytetracycline (Terramycin) and Neomycin, and of the mixture of fumaric acid and sodium benzoate known as "Fran-Kem" on the storage life of fish fillets and of shrimp. A definite preservative action was noted for chlorotetracycline and hydroxyte- tracycline in the order named after immersion of fish ina 2 p.p.m. solution; with Fran-Kem immersion in a 1,000 p.p.m,. solution some ef- fect was noted but less than with either of the former. A similar treatment with a 2 p.p.m. Neomycin solution had no effect on the keeping quality of the fish or shellfish. The effects of the various substances were followed organo- leptically and chemically, using the content of volatile reducing substances (VRS) and of vola- tile nitrogen compounds as indicators of the con- dition of the fish and shellfish. The VRS method was found to be more generally reliable than the determinations of either total volatile or of tri- methylamine nitrogen. “Aureomycin in Experimental Fish Preservation. II," by D. C. Gillespie, J. W. Boyd, H. M. Bissett, and H. L. A. Tarr, article, Sede October 1954, pp. 12-15, printed. Fisheries — Research Board of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. (Part I appeared in Progress Reports of the Pa- cific Coast Stations, No. 96, October 1953, pp. 25-28.) "A Comparison of Japanese and Hawaiian Speci- mens of the Black Skipjack, Euthynnus yaito, " by H. C. Godsil, article, California Fish and Game, vol. 40, no. 4, October 1954, pp. 411- 413, printed. California Department of Fish January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 83 THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS ISSUING THEM, and Game, 926 J Street, Scramento 14, Califor- nia. Directory of Organizations and Officials Concerned with Wildlife Resources, 52 pp., printed, 25 cents. The National Wildlife Federation, 232 Carroll St. NW., Washington 12, D. C. This Directory is designed as a convenient reference to sources of information of wildlife (including fisheries) and as a guide to agencies and organi- zations that are either directly or indirectly con- cerned with the perpetuation and management of wildlife and fisheries resources. Public agencies of national, state, and territorial governments of the United States are listed, as well as those of neighboring nations in North and South America, Most of the nongovernment organizations within the United States having a national or statewide scope of interest are included. "English Sole in Holmes Harbor, Puget Sound," A, T. Pruterand R. VanCleve, Contribution No. 6, 16 pp., illus., printed. (Reprintedfrom Fish- eries Research Papers, Washington Department of Fisheries, vol. 1, no. 2, March1954.) School of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. "Factors Controlling the Distribution of Oysters in a Neutral Estuary, '"' by Nelson Marshall, article, Ecology, vol. 35, no. 3, July 1954, pp. 322-327, illus., printed, single copy $2.00. Duke Univer- sity Press, Box 6697, College Station, Durham, N.C; Food Science Abstracts, vol. 25, no. 4, July 1953, pp. 373-384.) Food and Agriculture Organiza- tion of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. This article discusses the potential increase in food production and wider utilization of aquatic re- sources; finding new fisheries resources; conser- vation of existing resources; creation of new re- sources; improvements in capture technique; im- provements in handling of fresh fish; improve- ments in processing; action to develop the supplies - of fishery products; and international collabora- tion in fisheries development. "Food Habits of Tunas and Dolphins Based Upon the Examination of Their Stomach Contents, " by Inocencio A. Ronquillo, article, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, vol. 2, no. 1, January- June 1953, pp. 71-83, illus., printed. Depart- ment of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Ma- nila, Philippines, 1954. A report on the feeding habits of Philippine tunas caught by trolling based on the examination of their stomach contents. Journal du Conseil, vol. XX, no. 1, 134 pp., illus., printed, single copy Kr. 12 (US$1.74). Messrs. Andr, Fred. H¢ést & Sén, Bredgade, Copenhagen, Denmark, July 1954. Among the articles pre- sented in this journal are the following: 'Mesh Selection inthe Roundfish Seine, ''byC. E. Lucas, A. Ritchie, B. B. Parrish, and J. A. Pope; "A Note on Published Trawler/Seiner Comparisons, " by M. Graham, R. J. H. Beverton, A. R. Mar- getts, and J. A. Gulland; "The Length-Girth Re- lationships in Haddock and Whiting and their Ap- plication to Mesh Selection, " by A. R. Margetts; "Trials of Mesh Selection in Trawls and Seines, " by Michael Graham; and "The Efficiency of the Cornish Pot and the Scottish Creel in the Cap- ture of Lobsters and Crabs,"' by H. J. Thomas. "Marine Bait-Worms--A New Maritime Industry," article, Trade News, vol. 7, no, 4, October 1954, pp. 5-6, illus., printed. Department of Fish- eries, Ottawa, Canada, Marketing (The Yearbook of Agriculture, 1954), House Document No. 280, 83rd Congress, 2d Session, 520 p., illus., printed, $1.75. Issued by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Wash- ington, D. C. (For sale by Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Wash- ington 25, D. C.) Although concerned with mar- keting of agricultural products, many of the ar- ticles contained in the book will be of interest to those concerned with the marketing of fishery products and byproducts since many of the mar- keting principles discussed or presented in the book are equally applicable to the fishing and al- lied industries. In the Foreword, the Secretary of Agriculture points out: "All need to work to- gether to improve the marketing process... So, I bespeak a continuing search for the facts need- ed for understanding fully our economic problems, especially the problems of marketing,'' The pur- pose of the book is to give information about the dynamic business that brings American farm products to their users. The information should help many persons: the farmer, to make more money; the housewife, to buy better; the whole- saler, retailer, and all the others who handle farm products, to give better service; the ad- ministrator and student of agriculture, to get a broader view of the structure of this large sec- tor of our economy, within which so many agri- cultural problems come to focus; and to any one interested in the marketing of any perishable food product. Analyses and discussions of some controversial issues are to be found in the book because marketing involves competitions, ten- sions, and differences of opinion. The book is organized to give first a general view of the com- ponents of the marketing system and its impor- tance, then a description of its major parts, and finally discussions of its many problems, An At- las of Marketing pictures the handling of some of our main agricultural products, The subjects covered are: the basis of marketing, sale off farms, central markets, food retailers, trade abroad, transportation, storage, processing, grades and standards, facts for marketing, the consumer, industry, cooperatives, fair dealing, ownership, prices and pricing, and efficiency. --J. Pileggi Massachusetts Fishery Industries Today (A Report to the Department at Commerce of the Common- wealth of Massachusetts), by D. P. Norman and W. W. A. Johnson, 121 pp., processed. Massa- chusetts Department of Commerce, Boston, Mass., March 1954, The first half of this re- port brings together in some detail a consider- able amount of information already available from other sources in the fields of fishery biology, technology, and economics. Such topics as the ocean's resources, commercially-important fish, 84 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Woll, 1%, INO. i BE OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS ISSUING THEM, fishing techniques, and fish preservation, chem- istry, bacteriology, and spoilage are covered. The authors have abstracted and reproduced this material in an interesting manner, which should be especially useful for the layman. The second half of the report contains some new material and covers such items as insurance, cost and earn- ings, financing fishing boats, and future techno- logical improvements, This part of the report makes valuable suggestions which might lead to improved conditions in the fishing industry. How- ever, one important problem, namely, foreign competition is conspicuously absent from the re- port. --W. H. Stolting "New and Little Known Fishes of the Eastern Pa- cific, '' by Arthur D, Welarder and Dayton L. Alverson, Contribution No. 5, 8pp., illus., printed. (Reprinted from Fisheries Research Papers, Washington Department of Fisheries, vol. 1, no. 2, March 1954.) School of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, Oilseeds, Fats and Oils, and Their Products, 1909- 53, by Antoine Banna, Statistical Bulletin No. 147, 234 pp., processed, $1.25. U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Washington, D. C. (for sale by the Su- perintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C.), June 1954, This bulletin is the first comprehensive compilation of statistics dealing with fats andoils and related products to be published by the De- partment of Agriculture since 1937. Much of the data on which these series are based has been compiled from reports of the Bureau of the Cen- sus and other agencies, but extensive modifica- tions have been made by the Agricultural Market- ing Service. Sources of data and the way in which these data have been processed are discussed in detail in the text. The bulletin contains numer- ous tables covering the national and world pro- duction, marketing, supply and disposition, and prices of fats and oils (including fish oils, fish- liver oils, and marine-animal oils), oilseeds, and their products for the years from 1909 to 1953, The introduction explains the methods of obtaining and use of the data, and gives some background of the fats and oils industries. Principles of General Ecology, by Angus M. Wood- bury, 511 pp., illus, printed, $6. The Blackis- ton Company, Inc., New York, Toronto, 1954. This book is one of several appearing in recent years on general ecology. While broad in scope, it is concerned primarily with the terrestrial ec- ology of western United States, particularly Utah. Examples illustrative of ecological principles are drawn from a variety of animals, both inverte- brate and vertebrate; but oceanographers, ichthy- ologists, and limnologists may be disappointed that not more attention was given to the oceanand fresh-water environments. Fresh-water lakes, for example (page 78), are regarded as wide places in streams where storage occurs, the stream currentis slowed, and silt is deposited; and streams are not shown in the diagram (page 48) illustrating the important types of habitat in North America, The book is divided into three parts--a 48-page introduction defining ecology stating various ap- proaches to the subject, presenting a historical perspective, and giving background data on or- ganisms and environment; a 129-page section on the physical environment with chapters de- voted to the Solid Earth--Soils, The Liquid Cov- er of the Earth--Water, Air and Its Constituents, Radiant Energy, Gravity and Periodicities, Cli- mate, and Adaptations That Meet the Physical Environment; and a 269-page section devoted to Biotic Interrelationships. This third part deals with biotic communities and their development, community analysis, con- ditions of existence, food relations, reproduc- tion and species persistence, population prob- lems, dispersal and evaluation, biotic rhythms and migrations, biotic adaptations, historical distribution, geographic distribution, consor- tism, including symbiasis, commensalism, par- asitism, predation, etc.; social relations, so- cieties, and ecology as related to human affairs. In his preface the author indicates that the book can be of cultural value for everyone and can serve as a foundation for specialists in the fields of plant ecology, animal ecology, geography, limnology, oceanography, forestry, agriculture, wildlife management, conservation, and others. This reviewer was impressed with the amount of factual material relating to these various sub- jects which had been condensed into this relative- ly small volume. While no substitute for Dur- ward Allen's recent book "Our Wildlife Legacy, " or Aldo Leopold's ''Game Management," as far as the wildlife conservationist or game manager is concerned, the book does provide excellent source material for these and other specialists. It would be valuable for example, to the Ph. D. candidate in reviewing for his general doctoral examination or to the student or research work- er investigating social relations among animals or other topics treated by Dr. Woodbury. De- tracting somewhat from its value as a source for references, however, is the omission in the Bib- liography of numerous author references made in the text. That Dr. Woodbury devoted much time and ef- fort to assembling and compiling data and writ- ing his book is obvious. Here, in condensed form, one finds an amazing array of facts and figures digested from numerous articles or books on such subjects as geology, climatology, soils, geography, paleontology, biochemistry, evolu- tion, oceanography, botany, zoology, entomology, and herpetology. All too frequently, however, when confronted with the numerous definitions of ecological terms and the wealth of data on phys- ical and biological environmental factors, the reader is left wondering how these factors oper- ate or how they affect a given life form. Thus, although the author states in his introduction (page 7) that he uses the eco-system approach, "in which habitat, plants, and animals are all considered as one interacting unit, the materials and energies of one passing in and out of the oth- ers, '' he does not fully succeed in explaining these complex interactions. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 85 THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS ISSUING THEM, Numerous sketches and diagrams on the hydro- logic, edaphic, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen cycles, the food pyramid, and the like are help- ful in explaining some of the relations. Exten- sive use is made of "'tree-of-life'' charts show- ing for example, modes of digestion, respira- tion, excretion, coordination, and reproduction in the major plant and animal groups. These latter charts provide useful information but their connection with why some fish live in the ocean and others in fresh water or why some plants live in the desert and others ina rain forest is not apparent, Although the book is full of valuable informa- tion and one reads, perhaps for the first time, that one animal lives here and does this and a- nother animal lives there and does that, the ecological basis for such animal distributionand behavior is not, and, very probably, cannot yet be explained. With the exception of the last chapter, ''Ecology and Human Affairs, "' convey- ing a conservation message which should be of interest to all Americans, little is said about the application of ecological knowledge for the im- provement of human society. In this chapter, however, the author stresses the importance of ecology in human affairs, pleads for the conser- vation of natural resources, and considers the problem of increasing human populations as re- lated to resources, living standards, and wars. Woodbury's "Principles of General Ecology" is a worthwhile addition to the growing lists of texts on this subject. The book is remarkably free of typographical errors, It is well bound, printed on good quality paper, and contains an excellent assortment of photographs. It should serve as a convenient reference to students and professionals alike, --D. L. Leedy "Proximate Chemical Composition of Various Spe- cies of Philippine Market Fishes," by Jose I. Sulit, Olympia B. Navarro, Regina C. San Juan, and Elisa B. Caldito, article, The Philippine Journal of Fisheries, vol. 2, no, 1, January- June 1953, pp. 109-123, illus., printed. De- partment of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Manila, Philippines. "Refrigerated Sea Water Equipment for Fish Stor- age on Salmon Trollers," by J. S. M. Harrison and S. W. Roach, article, Progress Reports of the Pacific Coast Stations, No. 100, October 1954, pp. 3-5, illus., printed. Fisheries Re- search Board of Canada, Ottawa, Canada. The Sea and World Food Supplies, by D. B. Finn, 10 pp., printed. (Reprinted from Nutrition Ab- stracts and Reviews, vol. 24, 1954, pp. 487-496.) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy. Discusses the state of world food supplies and considers what contribu- tion aquatic resources are making, and might make, to the solution of the food problem. Streams, Lakes, Ponds, by Robert E. Coker, 345 p., illus., printed, $6. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, N. C., 1954. If you are interested in inland waters and the life in them, you will want to read this book. It gives a better understanding of what goes on in the generally unseen realms beneath the "'glim- mering film topping the still water, the rippling surface of the brook, or the silent winding face of the broad river.'’ The author in his introduc- tion very aptly explains the purpose of the book as follows: "There are many good books on life in fresh water. The present volume intends no competition with standard works. Rather, it may, by its numerous references, lead the pos- sibly interested reader to refer to more techni- cal volumes or articles that he might not other- wise consult.'' Besides readers with specialized interests, the author has kept in mind the gener- al reader. Although the story of life in water is complex, without sacrificing accuracy the author has portrayed it in plain terms and in condensed and readable form. Water and all its properties, the effects of light and heat, the chemical and biological relations of gases, stratification, and turbidity are described in the first part of the book. Running water and the problem of polution are covered in the second portion. The third section deals with the life to be found in still wa- ter--the plants, lower animals, jointed-leg an- imals, and vertebrates of the lake; fish ponds and their residents; and pond productivity. Draw- ings of many plants and animals and photographs of the various types of water and life are in- cluded. The book also has a fairly comprehen- sive index, Besides the lay reader, the contents of this book will interest the student, the con- servationist, the fish culturist, the sanitarian, the scientific agriculturist, the engineer, and the industrialist. Basic facts and principles con- cerning waters and the life in them are adequate- ly covered in this book, --J. Pileggi Technical Report of Fishing Boat, No. 5, 198 pp., illus., printed in Japanese, with brief English abstracts, Fishing Boat Laboratory, Produc- tion Division, Fisheries Agency, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2-1 Kasumigaseki, Chiyodaku, Tokyo, Japan, August 1954, Con- tains reports on various studies in progress at the laboratory. An outline of the business of the fishing boat laboratory lists the following basic experiments and investigations under way since 1948: improvement of hull; improvement of en- gine; and improvements of nautical surveying instruments. Practical experiments and investi- gations include study on propulsion efficiency; study on insulation; improvement of small fish- ing boats; study on light and high-speed engine; improvement of performance of engine under fishing operations; study on nautical surveying instrument; study on remote control sea-water thermometer; study on an echo sounder and its installation; study on apparatus for netting boat; study on lightening of wooden fishing boat; study on a horizontal fish finder of rotating system; and study on betterment of apparatus for oceano- graphic observation, Experiments reported on in some detail in this report, with very brief abstractsin English, are as follows: Tank Test Results of Fish Car- 86 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Wool. I/, INO. i THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS JSSUING THEM, rier; Deflection of Japanese Type Wooden Fish- ing Boat; Rudder Torque Measurements of the Trawler ''Shin-yo-maru;'' Wearing Cylinder of Fishing Boat Engine; Study on Magnetic Compass Bowl; Automatic Net-Height Meter and Automat- ic Ground Rope Indicator for Two-Boat Trawler and Results of Experiments for These Appara- tuses; Mounting of Transducer of the Echo-Sound- er; Reliability of Record of Shape for Sloped Sea Bottom Obtained by Ultrasonic Echo-Sounder; Influence of D.S.L. onthe Characteristics of Ul- trasonic Wave Propogation; and Study on Detection of the Japanese Tang Field by an Ultrasonic Echo- Sounder. An appendix lists contents of reports published in the past, Nos. 1-4. --D. E. Powell mission, State of Texas (For the Fiscal Year 1952-53), 46 pp., printed. Game and Fish Com- mission, Austin, Texas. This report summa- rizes the activities of the Commission for the fiscal year ending August 31, 1953. Among the subjects discussed are the activities of the In- land Fisheries Division, which is divided into two Branches--research and management of in- land waters and fresh-water fish-hatchery oper- ations. The work of the Marine Laboratory in- cludes discussions of the Upper Laguna Madre survey; Baffin Bay survey; oyster investigations in Galveston Bay; industrial waste survey; and cooperation with other institutions and organiza- tions. A report on pollution studies is included, together with statistical data on the production of fishery products, "Tuna in the Gulf?" by Gordon Gunter, article, Texas Game and Fish, vol. XII, no. 12, Novem- ber 1954, pp. 9, 22, 28, printed. Texas Game and Fish Commission, Walton Bldg., Austin, Texas, Washington Department of Fisheries, 63rd Annual Report, 100 pp., illus., printed. Washington State Department of Fisheries, Seattle, Wash., 1954, Discusses the activities and objectives of the Department of Fisheries, with particular reference to the rehabilitation of the salmonfish- eries--a program based on scientific research. The Department's research and management pro- gram for the State's marine food fish and shell- fish resources and artificial propagation activ- ities are discussed in considerable detail. The chapter on cooperative fisheries programs con- tains extracts from the 1953 reports of two im- portant agencies in which the Washington Depart- ment of Fisheries has a partnership role, the In- ternational Pacific Fisheries Commission and tri-state Pacific Marine Fisheries Commission, together with a brief prologue on the work of the former. The report also contains information on the hatchery research and management pro- gram, the Department's enforcement program, and a summary of 1953 catch statistics, FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION The Food and Agriculture Organization has These reports have not been published on a sales basis, but have been processed only for limited distribution to governments, libraries, and uni- versities. Food and Agriculture Organization, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome, Italy. Report to the Government of Iraq on the Develop- ment of Inland Fisheries, FAO Report No. 270, 38 pp., map and chart, processed, April 1954, This is a report based on a survey and research work by an FAO inland fisheries specialist. It includes a description of the inland waters of Iraq and the fishes contained in them, the craft and gear used in fishing, the seasons of oper- ation, the culture of fishes in these waters, and conclusions and recommendations. Report to the Government of Chile on Increasing Fish Consumption, FAO Report No. 271, 53 pp., processed, April 1954. Discusses the production and consumption of fishery products in Chile, the development of technical assistance, governmental measures in support of the work, and recommendations for increasing the fish consumption in Chile. Appendices include ques- tionaires used in the work. Report to the Government of Turkey on Fish Han- dling and Refrigeration, FAO Report No. 282, 42 pp., map and chart, illus., processed, June 1954, Covered by the report are: the construc- tion program for fishery facilities, the fish sup- plies, plant utilization, operational procedures, equipment requirements and technical improve- ments, suggestions regarding design of future refrigerated constructions, training of refrigera- tion plant personnel, quality control and inspec- tion service, distribution and marketing, and conclusions. Report to the Government of Yugoslavia on the Processing of Fish, FAO Report No, 283, 21 pp, and 4 plates of photographs, processed, June 1954. Describes the objective of the assignment, problems encountered, utilization of papalina (sprat), smoke curing of fish, canning of mis- cellaneous products, miscellaneous processing methods, and general recommendations. Report to the Government of Ceylon on the Mech- anization of Fishing Operations, FAO Report Re- port No. 284, 24 pp., map and 9 plates of pho- tographs, processed, July 1954. Discusses the problems and objectives of the inshore, beach- seine, and lagoon fisheries; a summary of the work accomplished; and conclusions and recom- mendations for the various areas. Photos show the various types of vessels, gear, and artifi- cial baits used in Ceylonese fisheries. assignment, the possibilities of establishing a fish-meal industry, the selection of locationfor the fish plant, a description of the Trabzon fish meal and oil plant project, and general observa- published reports describing that Agency's activ- ities under the Expanded Technical Assistance Pro- gram for developing the fisheries of many countries. tions and acknowledgements are included in the report. January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 87 THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS ISSUING THEM. Report to the Government of Liberia on the Han- dling, Processing and Marketing of Fish, FAO Report No, 286, 11 pp., and 2 plates of photo- graphs, processed, July 1954. Describes the handling and fish-curing problems, distribution and marketing, and developments outside Mon- rovia. Recommendations are included, Report to the Government of Italy as the Adminis- tering Authority for the Trust Territory of Somalia on the Exploratory Fishery Survey in Somalia - 1952/53, FAO Report No. 288, 83 pp., maps, charts, illustrations, and 1 plate of photographs, processed, August 1954. The objectives of the assignment and a description of the Somalia fish- eries are presented. Also included are the fish- ing operations during the assignment; compara- tive data and statistics from the canneries; the nomenclature, feeding habits, methods of cap- ture, and utilization of commercial fishes of Somalia; hydrological data; plankton; and recom- mendations. Report on the International Training Center in Fish- ery Biology, Istanbul, Turkey, FAO Report No, 298, 9 pp., processed, September 1954, The report discusses briefly the courses and partic- ipants of the Center held at the Hydrobiological Institute of Istanbul University from September 21 to October 27, 1953. Report to the Government of Yugoslavia on Investi- gations Concerning the Occurrence of Fish Dis- eases in Yugoslav Pond Farms, FAO Report No. 308, 17 pp., map, illustrations, and 1 plate of photographs, processed, August 1954. Reports on the results of a three-months mission to in- vestigate the diseases of fish in artificial ponds of Yugoslavia. TRADE LISTS The Office of Intelligence and Services, Bureau of Foreign Commerce, U. S. Department of Com- merce, Washington 25, D. C., has published the following mimeographed trade lists, Copies of these lists may be obtained by firms in the United States from that office or from Department of Commerce field offices at $1.00 per list. Canneries - France, 19 pp., (September 1954). Lists the names of canneries and addresses, sizeof firm, and type of products handled; also the U. S. representatives, if any. The report states that the French canning indus- try employs 42,000 people in 1, 000 plants, most of which are small-- 22,000 in fish canning. Production is now at prewar level, with fish can- ning averaging 50,000 metric tons year- ly. The canning industry is expanding in France and yearly output is expected to increase gradually with most of the production being absorbed by the domes- tic market. Efforts to expand the ex- port sale of better grade canned foods and fish, including exports to the dollar area, are going forward. High prices have been an impediment to the growth of exports, Consequently, an export association, the Groupement National d'Exportation de Conserves Agricoles, has been organized to develop produc- tion of lower cost products and to streamline export procedures and guar- antee quality to foreign buyers. A year- ly import-quota has been establishedfor Portuguese sardines. Crabs from the Soviet Union are imported in variable amounts under a bilateral agreement. Small shipments of herring are being made from Norway and Germany and salmon is imported from Canada, Im- port licenses must be obtained from the French Exchange Control Office for im- ports of canned goods and are therefore limited by dollar availabilities. Oils (Animal, Fish, and Vegetable) - Im- porters, Dealers, Refiners, Producers and Exporters - Sweden, 6pp., (October 1954), Lists the names and addresses, size of firm, and type of business of each firm, The report states that only small quantities of fish oil are produced. Swedish imports consist chiefly of whale oil and other animal oil. Norway supplied prac- tically all whale oil imported. Importers in Jordan - 15 pp., (Nov. 12, 1954). Lists the names and addresses, size of firm, and type of product im- ported. The report states: ''The major- ity of the importers in Amman deal ina wide variety of goods and products rath- er than specialize in a particular or spec- ific commodity. Also, many of the busi- ness firms serve not only as importers and wholesalers, but also as retailers, depending upon the requirements of the customer," Oils (Animal, Fish and Vegetable) - Pro- ducers, Refiners and Exporters - Argen- tina, 11 pp. (November 1954), Contains the names and addresses, size of firm, and type of product handled by eachfirm. The report states that the Argentine oil industry, which employs about 14, 000 workers, normally produces most types of vegetable, animal, and fish oils, usually covering the needs of the local market for these products, although some medicinal oils and occasional supplies of edible oils are imported to make up for eventual declinations of local production, All raw materials utilized inthe industry are available in the country. Estimated production during 1953 included 11, 000 metric tons of marine oil, 88 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW CONTENTS, CONTINUED Vol. 17, No. 1 Page Page FOREIGN: . HaoodDOOaODO ONO Oo OdDbD 5 34 FOREIGN (Contd.): International: Republic of Korea; Fur-Seal Report Discussed at Tokyo Conference 34 Fisheries Trends, January-March 1954...... 56 Second Seaweed Symposium Scheduled . 34 Fisheries to Get $49 Million UNKRA Funds in International Labor Organization: Fives Year Periodyer. spews eet eee 57 Proposals for Fishermen’s Working Conditions 34 Review of the Fisheries, 1953 ODO 6 OOO 57 Marine Oils: Deep-Sea Trawlers to be Built by UNKRA . 59 World Whale-and Sperm-Oil Production and Mexico: Trade, 1953, nia Mene teks loeuehoenere 35 Fishing to be Limited in Territorial Waters .. 59 World Fish- Oil Droatietion and Trade, 1953 37 Netherlands; North Pacific Fisheries Commission: Firm to Process Fish Powder ....... ces 59 Meeting at Vancouver......... erenevewers 38 Norway: South America: Tuna Catch Higher ...... 5 60 Report on South Pacific Conference on Con- Herring Purse-Seine Tests Prove “Successful . OO 60 servation of Maritime Resources ...... 39 Review of the Herring Industry ...... A ee ae Ok Three Countries to Exploit Offshore Fisheries Frozen Fillet Consumption Up...... Seiten 62 Resources with Whaling Fleet ..... atts 41 Whaling Expedition Costs High ...... Serotete 62 Territorial Waters: Panama: More South American Countries Support 200- Commissioners to Inter-American Tropical Tuna Milet@laimsherteucneteeeh ei onenereteneheiener one 41 (Goaianwnissio sooagccocoddn Rood. 0'b:0 62 Ecuador Ratifies 200-Mile Convention . A 41 Peru: Norway Protests South American 200- Mile Shrimp Fishery Centered at CaletaCruz .... 62 Merritorialuwaters) Glalmspensereiaerene 41 Portugal: Trade Agreements: Fisheries Production Good in 1954 ....... 5 2, Icelandic-West German Agreement Includes WhalingyRegulationS mer-pel-icnemencmclehshon mein 5 63 Eishenyg 2 LOCUCtS restememe nena Renn toen iene 41 Spain: United Nations: Record Tuna Catches in Bay of Biscay ..... 63 General Assembly Adopts Two Resolutions Per- Minimum Price and Catch Limits for Bay of (Heures KV IPIGIMIMOS Soy sacccoguubos 42 Biscay Horse Mackerel Fishery, ,..... aukes 63 Australia; Vigo Fisheries Trends, August 1954 ...... 3 64 Australians Lower Canned Tuna Prices on World Social Security for Fishermen ...... se 64 Marketsiniey-pacM-uon-i ieee een easmeteuotelene 45 Surinam: Exploratory Tuna Fishing Continued ...... 46 Shrimp Fishery....... caodUdKgDO0DDDOS 65 New Areas Explored for Shrimp ......... 46 Turkey: Shore-Based West-Coast Whaling Season Suc- Fishery Products Supply and Disposition, 1953/54 +65 CESSIUM a ety Wie Puce su cincmabeu sie reneiteRaonsi os 47 United Kingdom: Cae Avan : Large Ocean Perch Fillet Order From U.S. Army 65 Fisheries Exhibit in New York City....... 47 Factory Trawler Fairtry has Another Good Trip Lobster Trap Insurance Rates Increased ... 47 ai GRATES coc c code oaepucooos 4 66 Striped Bass Invade Bay of Fundy........ 48 Fish Behavior to Trawls and Net Studied..... 66 Chile: F ; " i 2 White Fish Authority Vessel Construction Pro- Second U, S. Firm Invests in Chilean Fisheries 48 raat eee en ONG 2, aa 67 ebay Firm Orders Ten Diesel Trawlers......... 67 Fisheries to Be Developed ...........- “ “College for Fishermen’’ Proposed ........ 68 Sponge Fishery ..---+- +22-s2cee0e- oo Consumption of Fishery Products, 1953/54 ... 68 Demme : Television to be Used Aboard Whaling Factory- North Denmark Tuna Fishery Improves.... il SHID! Lancs ees a ee ee Ae 69 Ecuador: U.S.S R: lige Press Comments on Fishing in Territorial Large Henning: Gattan in Nowin PACTHO so oa oo : 69 NE te OR a peongonge Pew FEDERAL ACTIONS: ......-- te det eae ja 10 Fish Product i ts, 1953 52 Federal Trade Commission: Ca ae ee ee eae reo est Sa Tentative Draft of Trade for Frozen FoodIndustry 70 German Federal Republic: Department of Interior: Fishery Products Exports to United States, Fish and Wildlife Senvies 7 s ea MOUS. cose s DOD DCODG GG oe Alaska Commercial Fishing Regulations for 1955 71 Large Ocean Perch Catches on Greenland Banks 52 es ee paras cae Wessels 13 Fisheries Trends, July-September 1954.... 53} aaa eee P 10 alle Firms Using Norwegian Herring Storing Process 53 imlise Sues Coun: of Appeals: - nang India: Fish Cannery Overtime Exemption Limited ... ie aa FP FISHERY INDICATORS: ..........++2+e2+0% jaune Products Supply and Consumption, 1954 53 Chart Doirishery Wandinesfor Selected States ee te DA i Chart 2 - Landings for Selected Fisheries ..... 7 NTE ec sts of a una. LORE LATS Vessels we oe Chart 3 - Cold-Storage Holdings andF reezings of North Pacific Flatfish Expeditions Return With GITSV UES 5 oonsaronecuonosoucs 77 os See Si RAS Te Piokeseiehe e Chart 4 - Receipts and Cold-Storage Holdings of PaaS eal DEUHESHATIF eer Completes ¢ Op- See ae at Principal Distribution es erations sanwa sn cetac ahaheaoles Aisie coe sete oil PO OMe yy Mie 0) ea reenric ia tices ea hae eh li recente S Contents Continued Page 89 January 1955 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 89 CONTENTS, CONTINUED Page Page FISHERY INDICATORS (Contd.): FISHERY INDICATORS (Contd.): Chart 5 - Fish Meal and Oil Production - U.S. Chart 7 - U.S, Fishery Products Imports ..... 80 ANGVAVASKAy seein felinsa ollm elie ip .s\-01'0 16. eV e\ele\ 0.0; Chart 6 - Canned Packs of Selected Fishery SOGICES eee 7e' set silpisiislie isis’ s/o s =) es) 0.018 CAST-NET FISHING IN FLORIDA Cast nets (throw nets) are used by both commercial and amateur fishermen in Florida to catch shrimp, mullet, and many other types of inshore fish. Shrimping with a cast net is done at night, using gas lan- tern, chum (ground bait), and a small-meshed (1-13") cast net. Posi- tions are staked out along a sea walland the chum (crushed oysters, bar- nacles, or fish) is scattered around the area. The positions are then fished in succession allowing a few minutes for the shrimp to collect a- round the chum. Mullet are taken by night or by day using alonger net with a larger mesh (2-33"). No special method is used to attract the fish, since they school naturally. The nets canbe bought atmost stores carrying fishing supplies, although the majority of cast netters make their own nets from either cotton or nylon thread, knitting increasingly larger rows of diamond shaped meshesfrom top to the bottom of the net. Sea Secrets, September 7, 1954, The Marine Laboratory, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, Editorial Assistant--Ruth V. Keefe Illustrator--Gustaf T. Sundstrom Compositors--Jean Zalevsky, Alma Greene, and Helen Joswick % OOK OK OK Photograph Credits: Page by page, the following list gives the source or pho- tographer for each photograph in this issue. Photographs on pages not mentioned were obtained from the Service's file and the photographers are unknown. Page 78--Elliott A. Macklow INT.-DUP. SEC., WASH., D.C. 74163 MOM 3 9088 01018 FISH AND SHELLFISH PREFERENCES OF HOUSEHOLD CONSUMERS--1951 Part IV - Summary by Farm, Nonfarm, and City-Size Groups of a nationwide survey of fish and shellfish preferences of household consumers, conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Octo- ber 1951. Of 2,473 persons questioned concerning their individual households, 2,335 (or 94.4 percent) indicated that their households consumed some kind of fishery product, and only 138 (5.6 percent) indicated that their households con- sumed no fishery product of any kind. Many of the latter were small 1- or 2- person households. Itis interesting to note the high percentage of the popula- tion of the United States that used fishery products (regardless of volume) dur- ing the 12 months preceding the survey. 733 mt In those households where fishand shellfish were used insomeform, ques- tions in detail were asked about consumption of fish and shellfish, particularly frozen fish and shellfish. The questionnaire stressed the latter items because of the more pressing need for market expansion of those products. The frozen fish and shellfish market is plagued with problems of heavy imports, occasional oversupply of domestic products, misjudging of market demand, etc. Increased consumption offers a solution, at least in part, to these problems, as well asa contribution to the well-being of consumers. The survey includes information of value to all segments of the domestic fishery industries concerned with in- creasing fish and shellfish consumption in the United States. This report summarizes the information obtained from the survey on ana- tional basis according to farm, nonfarm, and several city-size groups. IV is the last of the four fishery leaflets reporting the results of the survey. It is expected that all of the material in these fishery leaflets will be combined in a research report which will give more detailed information on survey meth- ods, characteristics, etc. Free copies of Fishery Leaflets 407, 408, 409, and 410 (Parts I, II, III, and TV) are available from the Division of Information, U.S. Fishand Wildlife Serv- ice, Washington 25, D.C.