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United States Department of the Interior

W ashington, D.C.

UNITED STATES BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR DONALD L. MCKERNAN, DIRECTOR

FEES No SCAUON: SOECRETARY DIVISION OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND SERVICES

ARNIE J. SUOMELA, COMMISS|ONER HAROLD E. CROWTHER, CHIEF

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

A review of developments and news of the fishery industries
prepared in the BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES.

ial

Joseph Pileggi, Editor
H. M. Bearse, Assistant Editor

Mailed free to members of the fishery and allied industries. Address correspondence and requests
to the: Chief, Branch of Market News, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, U. S. Department of the Interior,
Washington 25, D. C.

Publication of material from sources outside the Bureau is not an endorsement. The Bureau is not
responsible for the accuracy of facts, views, or opinions contained in material from outside sources.

Although the contents of the publication have not been copyrighted and may be reprinted freely,
reference to the source is appreciated.

The printing of this publication has been approved by the Director of the Bureau of the Budget,
May 21, 1957. 5/31/60

CONTENTS

COVER: Salmon canneries located at Cordova, Alaska. The Alaska salm-
on season has already begun and the extent of the 1958 canned pack will
depend on the number of salmon that return to the coastal streams to

spawn.
Page
Damaniscottaa(Maine)PAlewiteshishery,sbyid ame Spesas Ga tin pees tems mete eee oe 1
The Blue Crab and Its Fishery in Chesapeake Bay--Part 1 - Reproduction, Early Development, Growth, and Migration,
ly Vio ks WERDEN Goce on bod ono cob ooo OSD ODO OmObON HO eC Oe OD OOM BOON RC CODON GOD OOOO R ES HOO OED EE SSO 6
Page Page
RESEARCH IN SERVICE LABORATORIES: .......... 18 TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS (Contd.):
Frozen Packaged Halibut Voluntary Standards Discussed Maine Sardines (Contd.):

EU NGS co ooc ames Soc ben bab ome o Dao oe DO 18 Packing Season Opened on April 15, 1958 ........... 34
Rropressunelish-OulgResearch ny. penciercleiaieieienel sien 18 Marketing:

Report on Development of Fungicides from Fish Oil, Edible Fishery Products Marketing Prospects, Spring-

by Charle stinplseews marek ciichs teeta nus shee rile. cute 20 Spree NER ooh onooonadooebecodoscaeoooS 35
Technical Note No. 44 - Industry Tests Show Brine-Fro- North Atlantic Fisheries Exploration and Gear Research:

zen Haddock to be of Good Quality, by Joseph W. Slavin 21 Continental Shelf off the Carolinas Surveyed for Commer-

TRENDS AND DEVELOPMENTS: ................- 22 cial Fish (M/V Delaware Cruise 58-1) ........... 35
California: North Atlantic Fisheries Investigations:
Anchovy and Mackerel Fisheries Experience Poorest Haddock Ecology Studies Continued (M/V Silver Mink) . . 36
Season in Many Years, by A. D. Sokolich ......... 22 Haddock Tagging and Hydrographic Cruise Completed
Dungeness Crab--Year-Classes Surveyed and Otter CVV AT INURE 80) Coosa concsdoecesansusodse 36
Trawl and Beam Trawl Tested for Sampling (M/V North Pacific Exploratory Fishery Program:
Nautilus#@auiisie58-N—i- Crab) ie neieieienceien ieee 23 Commercial Quantities of Pink Shrimp Found off Northern

Loss of Spawning Beds Believed Major Factor in De- Oregon (M/V John N. Cobb) Cruise 36) ........... 37

cline of King Salmon ........ Oodesooopcccood 24 Modified Electrical Depth-Temperature Telemeter Tested

Yellowfin and Skipjack Tuna Studies off West Coast of and True Cod Tagged (M/V John N. Cobb Cruise 35) .. 38

South America (M/V Southern Pacific Cruise 57C5- Oregon: i=
DME S 6-5 op Ob bin Don ODO UB ES OO nod oO oo 24 Commission Opposes Move to Declare Steelhead Trout a
Yellowfin and Skipjack Tuna Studies off West Coast of Game Fish 39
South America (M/V Ruthie B Cruise 57C6-Tuna) .. . 25 Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investigations:
Cans--Shipments for Fishery Products, January-Febru- Enumeration and Sampling of Tuna Schools in the Marque-

Gay IONS caonchosseoocogescoppooposeo coos 26 sas Islands Area (M/V Charles H. Gilbert Cruise 38). . 40
Federal Purchases of Fishery Products: Salmon:

Department of Defense Purchases, January-March 1958 27 Big Field Test for Electrical Guiding of Young Fish ... 42
Fishery Marketing Specialist Examination GS-7-14 .... 27 Niacin Deficiency Involved in Salmon Sunburn ........ 43
Fish Listed as Essential H-Bomb Survival Item ...... 28 Shad:

Fish Predators: Receipts and Trends on New York City's Fulton Fish

Bounty Payments Opposed ................-.- 29 WEEKS Goboooo gobo Sub oop neon oe dadaaood 43
Great Lakes Fishery Investigations: Shrimp:

Sea Lamprey Larvae Destroyed by Chemical ....... 29 Good Catches Taken off Tampa Bay, Florida ........ 45
Gulf Exploratory Fishery Program: United States Commercial Fisheries Declined in 1957 ... 46

Exploratory Fishing for Red Snapper with Roller-Rigged United States Fishing Fleet Additions .............. 48

Otter Trawl (M/V Silver Bay Cruise 7) .......... 30 UsS Rishi stick) Productions erin niet ten mee 48
Midwater Trawling Explorations Between Mississippi U. S. Foreign Trade:
Delta and Cape San Blas (M/V Oregon Cruise 48) ... 31 Edible Fishery Products, February 1958 ........... 49
King Crab: Groundfish Fillet Imports, March 1958 ............ 49
Bureau Fishery Biologists Study Life History....... 31 Imports of Canned Tuna in Brine Under Quota, January 1-
Studies to be Continued by Alaska Fisheries Biologist Marchi:295 1958 canes ier ci sieeh aie Hen eucre a neon eretctene 50
in Kodiak-Afognak Area .................... 32 Value of Imports and Exports of Fishery Products, 1957 50
Maine Sardines: Virginia:
Canned SLOCKS WADCLOI 1 OOS m-n-rer ns car ae nae nee 33 Fish Kills More Common in Spring Virginia Biologists
Official State Grade Standards for Canned-Sardines GEO Cooonoceonab ose 51
DEAS Gites omo deo siocede oosonuS Ged 33 Wholesale Prices, April 1958 52

Contents Continued Page 103.

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

June 1958 Washington 25,D.C. Vol. 20, No.6

DAMARISCOTTA (MAINE) ALEWIFE FISHERY

By James P. Cating *

Migrations of alewives (Pomolobus pseudoharengus) from the sea to spawning
grounds in fresh water occur each spring along the Atlantic coast of North America

from the Carolinas to Nova Scotia. In colonial times the sluggish rivers or streams,
draining lake or pond systems, supported jarge alewife runs. In recent years

Ris Nos

FIG. 1 - STREAM APPROACH TO TRAP, SLUICEWAY, FIG. 2 - DIVISION POINT, RIGHT TO LAKE, LEFT TO
AND PROCESSING PLANT. TRAP.

the construction of tidewater dams preventing upstream movement of alewives, pol-
lution and exploitation have greatly reduced and in instances eliminated alewife runs.

The alewife spends most of its life in the ocean where it may reach a foot in
length and attain a weight of one-half pound. In the spring mature fish enter the
streams and move up into the ponds and lakes where they spawn. Most adult ale-
wives do not die after spawning, as do the Pacific salmon, but survive to return to
the sea. The young of the year begin their seaward migration and downstream
movement during summer and fall months. The alewives remain in the ocean until
they mature at an age of 3 or 4 years.

The sight of these hordes of fish, working their way up small streams to the
lake, is one that never fails to fascinate. The instinct to propagate the race is so
% FISHERY METHODS AND EQUIPMENT SPECIALIST, MAINE HERRING EXPLORATION AND GEAR RESEARCH, BRANCH
OF EXPLORATORY FISHING AND GEAR RESEARCH, DIVISION OF [INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH AND SERVICES, BUREAU
OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES, BOOTHBAY HARBOR, ME.

2 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

strong in these fish that they never cease trying to get upstream no matter what ob-
struction is placed in their path. At the entrance to West Harbor pond at Boothbay
Harbor, Maine, they can be observed at times oe to Benge a net that some-

FIG. 3 - LOWER SECTION OF FISHWAY. FIG. 4 - FISHWAY POOL

times cuts off the fishway entrance to the pond. They are so oblivious to everything
but reaching the spawning ground that they can be easily caught by hand.

Alewives are important to man in several ways: (1) as a source of food and
(2) as a fine supely of deraee fish for the game fish in the waters where they are
spawned and spend most of the sum-
mer. Sometimes new runs are started
in suitable lakes with outlets to the
sea just to provide an adequate sum-
mer supply of food for the trout, salm-
on, or bass residing there.

Alewives are good food fish either
fresh or processed. Most of them,
commercially processed for food, are
either cold-smoked or pickled. Many
people prefer them to sea herring
processed in the same manner. Many
of the alewives caught in Maine go into
cat food and more and more are being
processed for meal and oil. Some are
utilized for lobster bait.

One of the larger runs of these
fish occurs in the Damariscotta River
and lake system near Damariscotta,
Maine. The location of the fishing op-
eration is handy to U. S. Route 1. Each
spring the migrating alewives are an attraction to many local and out-of-state
people. The fishery is owned by the Town of Damariscotta, but the production is
leased each year to a private party. The town is paid a percentage for the fish
utilized. Visitors are definitely welcome.

FIG. 5 - TRAP, SLUICEWAY, AND PLANT.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 3

The methods by which these fish are taken and handled at Damariscotta are de-
picted in Figures 1 to 10. It is probably one of the simplest and easiest methods of
catching fish that has ever been developed,
and it is possible only because of the
single-minded purpose of the alewife to
go upstream to the lake. Figure 1 is
a downstream view from the fishway
and fish trap, showing the stream ap-
proach up which the fish come. The
wooden strueture at the left of the pic-
ture is the sluiceway down which the
captured fish are washed to the scaling
machine and processing plant shown in
the background. In the plant the fishare
mechanically headed, gutted, and filleted.
Then they pass through a series of salt
brines until properly preserved. Fi-
nally they are packed in barrels ina
mild vinegar pickle for shipment to
other locations for final processing in-
to a retail pack of pickled herring. A
few of the fish are smoked whole in a
small smokehouse nearby and some are
sold as lobster bait. FIG. 6 - TAKING BLOOD SAMPLES.

Figure 2 is a view of the division point where the fish can, by choice, turn right
and ascend the fishway to Damariscotta Lake or turn left and be caught. The rate of

FIG. 7 - DIPPING ALEWIVES FROM TRAP. FIG. 8 - ALEWIVES ON RAMP.

flow from the trap is greater than that from the fishway which no doubt attracts a
higher percentage of fish to the trap than to the fishway.

Figure 3 is a view looking upstream in the fishway from the division point.

Figure 4 depicts a resting pool in the fishway part way to the lake. There are
a number of these pools above and below this one through which the fish must pass.

4 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Figure 5 shows the fishing area from which the alewives are carried via an el-
evated wooden chute or sluice to the processing plant.

At the lower left fish netted with dip nets can be seen lying on the wooden ramp
beyond the wooden trap chamber where the fish congregate. More ofthese wood trap

FIG. 9 - IMPASSABLE FALLS ABOVE TRAP. FIG. 10 - SCALING MACHINE.

chambers can be seen on the right. The fish come up the stream beside the man
farthest right and when they are turned back by the falls they concentrate in the
chambers where they are easily caught.

Figure 6 - A blood sample is being collected from an alewife for later analysis.
Through classification based on blood types and other characteristics scientists
may be able to separate the alewife population into different racial groups. These
biological studies being conducted by the Division of Biological Research of the
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries are aimed at improving the alewife fishery.

Figure 7 shows workman dipping fish from the channel on the left onto the ramp
leading to the conveyor which carries the fish into the sluiceway.

Figure 8 shows alewives, just dipped, flopping on the ramp. A pile of alewives
can be seen in the background ready to be shoveled onto the conveyor.

Figure 9 - In the background the impassable falls above the trap area can be
seen. The water operating the sluiceway is taken from the falls. A wooden trap-
ping chamber is in the foreground.

Figure 10 - This is a cylindrical perforated mechanical scaler at the end of
the sluiceway. From here the fish are taken into the plant for processing.

The alewife is a very hardy fish and stands handling and transporting alive from
one area to another well. It is estimated that only 5 percent are allowed to escape
to spawn in some of the more heavily-fished streams along the coast of Maine, and
these runs have not diminished significantly. Rounsefell & Stringer (1943) point
out... "artificial maintenance, for more than a century, of a commercial run in
Jones Stream (West Goldsboro) by planting about ten percent of each year's run in
Jones Pond for spawning.'' There are many streams along the coast in the range of
this fish in which runs could be established again providing pollution were abated

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 5

and fishways over impassable dams and falls were built. The alewife unlike the
shad, can pass quite steep fishways. Establishment of new runs and better manage-
ment of already established runs could increase the production tremendously.
Rounsefell & Stringer (1943) state ''Production from alewife runs in Maine can be
easily doubled by carrying out the suggestions embodied in this report in regard to
fishways, natural obstructions, management methods to guarantee an adequate an-
nual spawning stock, and by continuation of the stocking program."

Increased interest by Maine towns, stimulated by the reports of Rounsefell &
Stringer (1943) and Baird (1953-1956) in increasing the production of alewives by
better management of present runs and the establishment of new ones by stream
improvement and stocking gives promise of steady progress towards a practical
maximum yield from waters suitable for Maine alewife production in the future.
The biologists of the State of Maine Sea and Shore Fisheries and Inland Fish and
Game Departments are encouraging this progress and assisting the towns by doing
the needed research for establishing suitable management plans.

It might be said that there is no market for alewives at this time and, therefore,
it is not desirable to increase the catch. This would be partly true if they are con-
sidered for kuman consumption only. Baird (1956) interviewed present alewife pro-
ducers and was told that they could handle any steady increase in production with
ease. He states... ‘our problem is not one of markets, but one of sufficient pro-
duction to satisfy these markets.'' At the present rate of population increases in
this country and most other countries any direct source of protein will by all pres-
ent indications be of maximum importance in 10 to 15 years if not sooner. In the
meantime the surpluses can be utilized by the producers of fish meal and oil and
cat food who are definitely interested in any source of fish at competitive prices.

LITERATURE CITED

BAIRD, FREDERICK T., JR.
1953. THE STATUS OF THE ALEWIFE FISHERY IN MAINE. FISHERIES CIRCULAR NO. 13, DEPARTMENT OF
SEA AND SHORE FISHERIES, AUGUSTA, MAINE.

1956. ALEWIFE MANAGEMENT IN MAINE, FISHERIES CIRCULAR NO. 18, DEPARTMENT OF SEA AND SHORE
FISHERIES, AUGUSTA, MAINE.

ROUNSEFELL, GEORGE A. AND LOUIS D. STRINGER.
1943. RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE NEW ENGLAND ALEWIFE FISHERIES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE
TO MAINE. FISHERY LEAFLET 42, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, FISH AND WILD-
LIFE SERVICE.

EUROPE SHIPS FRESH SALMON BY AIR FREIGHT

Fresh salmon packed in polyetheylene bags with crushed ice are being
transported by air freight from Ireland to British and European Markets.
The packaging costs are said to be less than those normally encountered.
(Der Fischwirt, February 1957.)

6 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

THE BLUE CRAB AND ITS FISHERY IN CHESAPEAKE BAY~

Part 1 - Reproduction, Early Development, Growth, and Migration

By W. A. Van Engel*

ABSTRACT

BLUE CRABS ARE ABUNDANT ON THE EAST AND GULF COASTS OF NORTH AMERICA,
ON THE EAST COAST OF SOUTH AMERICA, AND HAVE BEEN REPORTED FROM FRANCE, HOL-
LAND, AND DENMARK, AND THE EAST COAST OF THE MEDITERRANEAN. IN CHESAPEAKE
BAY, FISHING HAS BEEN INTENSIVE FOR OVER 80 YEARS; IN THE LAST TEN YEARS,
THE AVERAGE ANNUAL PRODUCTION HAS BEEN ABOUT 60 MILLION POUNDS, VALUED ABOUT
THREE MILLION DOLLARS, APPROXIMATELY TWO-THIRDS OF THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES
BLUE CRAB HARVEST.

MATING OF BLUE CRABS BEGINS IN EARLY MAY AND CONTINUES INTO OCTOBER;
SPERM LIVE IN THE FEMALE RECEPTACLES FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, AND MAY BE USED
AS OFTEN AS THE FEMALE SPAWNS, TWICE OR MORE, AFTER MATING, FEMALES MIGRATE
TO THE SALTIER WATERS OF THE SOUTHERN END OF THE BAY, SOME PASSING INTO THE
OCEAN. SPAWNING IS DELAYED AT LEAST TWO MONTHS AFTER MATING, AND OCCURS
FROM EARLY MAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER. EGGS ARE CARRIED ON THE ABDOMEN OF THE FE-
MALE FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE HATCHING.

THERE ARE TWO LARVAL STAGES--FOUR OR FIVE ZOEAL MO},TS AND THE, MEGALOPS--
LASTING ABOUT A MONTH. LARGE NUMBERS OF CRABS REACH THE FIRST CRAB STAGE
EARLY IN AUGUST AND BEGIN MIGRATING INTO THE RIVERS AND TO THE UPPER BAY.
ADULT SIZE MAY BE REACHED IN ONE YEAR TO A YEAR AND A HALF, SHEDDING 18 OR
MORE TIMES AFTER THE LAST LARVAL STAGE.

TWO MAJOR MIGRATIONS OF ADULT FEMALES TO THE SOUTHERN END OF THE BAY
OCCUR, IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER AND THE FOLLOWING MAY. NONE OF JHESE FEMALES
SPAWNED BEFORE THEIR MIGRATION. SCHOOLS OF SEA-RUN OR OCEAN CRABS, THAT
HAVE SPAWNED BEFORE, MIGRATE FROM THE OCEAN OR THE VIRGINIA CAPES AREA INTO
THE BAY IN MID-SUMMER. ADULT MALES REMAIN IN THE BRACKISH RIVER WATERS THE
YEAR ROUND,

THE DIET OF BLUE CRABS INCLUDES FRESH AND DECAYING FISH OR MEAT, AND
VEGETATION, YOUNG SETS OF CLAMS AND OYSTERS MAY OCCASIONALLY BE DESTROYED,
BUT ON GROUNDS IN OPEN WATERS THE BLUE CRAB |S NOT GENERALLY CONSIDERED A
SERIOUS PEST.

BACKGROUND

The blue crab, Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, belongs to the class Crustacea,
which includes many familiar marine and fresh-water forms, suchas lobsters, cray-
fish, shrimp, and barnacles. This crabis acommon inhabitant of muddy and sandy shores
of the East Coast and Gulf Coast of
North America, from Massachu-
setts to Texas, and afew have been
reported as far north as Nova
Scotia and as far south as Uruguay
on the east coast of South America
(Rathbun 1930). Occasional speci-
mens have been reported in Euro-
pean waters, from France, Hol-
land, and Denmark, and it has be-
come abundant in recent years on
the Mediterranean coast of Israel,
where the crabs were probably
transported in the ballast tanks of

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1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 ships (Holthius and Gottlieb 1955).
FIG. 1 - CHESAPEAKE BAY CATCH. (SOURCE: U. S. BUREAU OF ae pte
FISHERIES, 1922-1941; U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, Commercial fishing for blue
1942-1957.) crabs has been especially inten-

sive in estuaries like Chesapeake

Ee
1/, CONTRI BUT | ONS FROM THE VIRGINIA FISHERIES LABORATORY, NO 79.
ASSOCIATE BIOLOGIST, VIRGINIA FISHERIES LABORATORY, GLOUCESTER POINT, VA.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 7

Bay. It is caught by many and diverse forms of fishing gear in salty, deepchannels.
of the Bay and in brackish waters of its river tributaries, often quite far up the
rivers in water of extremely low salinity.

Total catch in Chesapeake Bay has fluctuated considerably in its 80-year his-
tory (fig. 1), although in the early years, from 1880 to 1915, fluctuations were un-
noticed. Since 1929, the average annual catch has been about 55 million pounds. In
the last ten years, Chesapeake Bay has had an average annual production of about 60
million pounds, currently valued at about $3 million, approximately two-thirds of
the entire United States blue crab harvest.

Many closely-related crabs have the same characteristic body form, the flatly-
expanded final segment of the fifth leg, and nine pairs of spines lateral to the eyes.
The best diagnostic character of Callinectes sapidus is a set of four, instead of six,
teeth on the margin of the shell between the eyes (two frontal and two inner-ocular
teeth)--Rathbun 1930. Detail which will not be repeated here may be found in the
authoritative accounts on taxonomy and distribution (Rathbun 1896, 1930); anatomy
and histology (Cochran 1935; Cronin 1942, 1947; Hopkins 1943, 1944; Pyle and Cronin
1950); bibliography (Cronin, Van Engel, Cargo and Wojcik 1957).

MATING

Sex of the blue crab is easily recognized by differences in shape of the abdomen,
or apron as it is frequently called (fig. 2), and by the abdominal appendages. The
male abdomen, long, slender and '
T-shaped, carries two pairs of ap-
pendages used in mating, two long
intromittent organs and two short-
er accessory organs. The abdo-
men of an immature male is tight-
ly sealed to the ventral surface of
the shell, while on a mating male
the abdomenhangs free or is held
in place by a pair of ''snap-fasten-
er-like''tubercles. In the young
female the abdomen is triangular
and sealed to the body, while in
the adult it is broadly rounded, FIG. 2 - ABDOMENS OF IMMATURE FEMALE (A), MATURE FE-
almost semi-circular, and free MALE (B), AND MALE BLUE CRAB (Cc). ;
of the ventral shell. There are
four pairs of swimmerets on the female abdomen: small, hairless rods on the im-
mature and large, fringed rods on the adult. Abdomens of young females are gray-
ish-white, adult females blue-green. In the last few days of immaturity, however,
just before the young female sheds to become an adult, the dark green of the inner,
soft, adult abdomen shows through the transparent whiteness of the hard, outer,
immature skeleton.

Young females sometimes are called "Sally'' crabs, while an adult female is a
"sook,'' a twist of the word "'sow.'' Although millions of crabs were handled yearly
in the last 75 years, only a few ''adult'' females were found with an inner, new skin
showing beneath the outer skeleton, and where legs were missing, the buds of new
legs often were found. All such crabs were abnormal and died before shedding was
complete (Hay 1905; Churchill 1919; Cronin, personal communication). This is
taken as proof that once the sook stage is reached, females cease to grow and molt.

i !

Males, called "Jimmies," 'Jimmy-dicks," or 'Channelers,'' reach sexual ma-
turity before they are fully grown, and during each of their last three growth stages
may mate with more than one female (Truitt 1939). The female mates usually while
it is in the soft crab state (Rathbun 1896), but not until after it has shed for the last

8 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

time. Mating two or three days after shedding, sometimes with two or more males
in succession, occurs in experimental ponds, but in nature mating probably is sel-
dom delayed this long. Summer is the mating season in Chesapeake Bay, beginning
in early May and continuing into October, reaching a peak in late August and early
September.

Having found a mate, the male cradle-carries the female beneath him by hook-
ing his first walking legs and pinching claws between the first walking legs and
pinching claws of the female (fig. 3). She is carried two or more days until she
sheds her immature shell. While she is shedding, the male hovers over her. After
the soft female emerges from the shed she turns over on her back and unfolds the
abdomen to expose the two genital pores. Mating may occur day or night and may
last from five to twelve hours. Sperm are transported in microscopic, oval-shaped
bundles called spermatophores to a pair of sacs in the female called Seminal recep-
tacles or spermathecae. Sperm will live in the female receptacles for at least a
year, to be used as often as the female lays eggs. After mating, the adult female
is again carried, cradle-fashion, beneath the male, for another two days or more.
While the male is carrying and mating with the female, the pair is called "doubler"
or "buck-and-rider."

Since the female mates only once, in the soft-shell state or shortly thereafter,
the cradle-carry is undoubtedly important to ensure that a male is present at the
critical moment of shedding,
and to protect the soft fe-
male until her shell is hard.

Soon after mating, fe-
males migrate to the salt-
ier waters of the southern
end of Chesapeake Bay,
some passing through the
Capes into the ocean. This
migration results in a con-
centration of adult females
in the lower Bay; near the
mouth of the Bay the catch
is almost 100 percent fe-
male (Fiedler 1930; Truitt
1934).

SPAWNING

: : Two tonine months may
FIG. 3 - DOUBLERS. THE MALE CRADLE-CARRIES THE IMMATURE FEMALE @lapse between mating and
FOR TWO OR MORE DAYS UNTIL SHE SHEDS. egg laying by the female
(Churchill 1919). If mating
occurs as early as May, the first egg mass may be laid in August. Although most
females mature and mate in August and September, and eggs in the ovaries of each
female develop almost to completion within the next two months, egg-laying is de-
layed until the following May or June. In early spring females in the southern end
of the lower Bay move first shoreward to warmer banks and near river mouths, but
by June begin to retreat from excessive shoal water temperatures to spawn offshore.
Far upstream in low salinity waters of Virginia rivers and in Chesapeake Bay north
of the mouth of the Rappahannock River, sponges (masses of eggs released by fe-
male crabs) seldom are seen except in unusually dry seasons (Truitt 1939). Egg
laying is rapid and may be complete in two hours (Truitt 1939), eggs passing from
the ovaries to the outside by way of the seminal receptacles where fertilization oc -
curs. Outside the body, the fertilized eggs are attached by adhesives to hairs of

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 9

four pairs of appendages (swimmerets) on the abdomen. Appropriate names for
egg-bearing females are sponge crab, cushion crab, lemon or orange crab, berry
or berried crab, ballie, punk, and busted sook. In the sameway that poultry pullets
produce infertile eggs, unmated crabs may produce sponges of unfertilized eggs,
but this is extremely infrequent for there is always an abundance of males, each
capable of mating with several females.

When first laid eggs are bright orange in color, but during the two weeks be-
fore hatching they become yellow, brown, and then dark brown. These color changes
are caused by a gradual absorption of yellow egg yolk by the crab embryo and de-
velopment of dark pigment in the eyes. The dominant color of sponges changes
from bright orange near river mouths to dark brown at the Virginia Capes.

A few sponge crabs may be seen before the end of April, but normally the first
peak of sponge production occurs during the last week of May and the first two
weeks in June. A second, smaller peak occurs in August, after which there is a
rapid decrease in number of spawning females, and usually none can be found by
the middle of September. On rare occasions a sponge crab has been caught as late
as mid-December. Accompanying the rapid decrease in number of sponge crabs
in September is an almost complete disappearance of females which had spawned.
It is believed that most of them move to deeper waters of the Bay, or to the ocean,
and die, or perhaps join an ocean-going population that may return to the Bay as
"sea-run" or "ocean" crabs the following year. The few spent females that re-
main in the lower Bay over winter comprise five percent or less of the dredge
catch. They are markedly different in appearance, with dark-colored shells, quite
unlike the bright colored shells of newly-mated, down-river migrants, but devoid
of the fouling organisms so characteristic of ''ocean'' crabs (Newcombe 1945; Hop-
kins 1947).

Some females may spawn twice or more. Those that mate in August usually
produce their first sponge the following May or June and a second sponge the suc-
ceeding August, using only a portion of the sperm in the receptacles at each spawn-
ing. Empty egg cases on the swimmerets are conclusive evidence that a crab has
spawned, but do not reveal whether the sponge was the first, second, or a later one
to be released (Churchill 1919). Absence of egg remnants, on the other hand, is
not proof that the crab has not spawned. Although remnants are most numerous
immediately after the hatch, most are soon lost except for an occasional case at the
bases of swimmeret hairs. However, proof can be obtained from a parasitic worm,
the nemertean Carcinonemertes, whose spawning is intimately dependent on the
crab laying eggs. The presence of only small worms on crab gills is evidence that
the crab had not spawned; adult-sized worms are evidence of spawning. (Humes
1942; Hopkins 1947).

EGGS AND YOUNG

The number of eggs in a sponge ranges from 700,000 to over 2,000,000 (Church-
ill 1919; Robertson 1938; Truitt 1939). Many of the eggs do not hatch, and still
fewer larvae and very small crabs live to become adults. On the average only one
ten-thousandth of one percent (0.000001) of the eggs survive to become mature
crabs. Eggs may be killed by a fungus, may be eaten by small worms, suffocate
in stagnant or slow-moving water, or die from temperatures too high or too low
(Couch 1942; Humes 1942; Rogers-Talbert 1948).

After hatching the young crab passes through two larval stages, zoea and meg-
alops, before it takes the form of a crab. The zoea looks like a shrimp and bears
a heavily-spiked hood, while the megalops looks like a miniature toad that still re-
tains its tadpole tail (figs.4and5). The zoeal form lasts about a month, during
which it molts at least four times, growing from ;4, to about Ba of an inch in width

10 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

(Churchill 1919, 1942; Hopkins 1943, 1944; Sandoz and Rogers 1944). It has been
impossible to rear larvae in the laboratory past the third instar, but some zoea
identical with the third, except for larger size and better developed appendages,
These have been found among the

have been tentatively identified as ''fourth zoea."'

numerous, minute organisms
found in surface water near
the mouth of the Bay. It has
been suggested that there may
also bea fifth zoea'' (Hopkins
1944), and perhaps a sixth
intermediate form, a meta-
zoea, preceding the mega-
lops stage (Snodgrass 1956).

When the water has a
very low salinity, larvae
hatch prematurely and die
in a prezoeal stage. Those
that hatch normally at av-
erage or high salinities may
be eaten by jellyfishes, comb-
jellies, fishes, and many
other enemies. Survival
should be best in the south-
ern part of Chesapeake Bay
because salinity, tempera-
ture, and food conditions
there compare well with
optimum conditions deter-
mined for hatching and
growth in the laboratory
(Sandoz and Rogers 1944).
The greatest concentrations
of zoeae are found in the
channel region between Cape
Charles and Cape Henry
and diminishing numbers
both up-Bay and seaward.
Almost no zoeae have been
found up-Bay above the
Virginia-Maryland line
(Truitt 1934, 1939; Churchill
1942; Graham and Beaven
Sai a pe a Ge Po eencteAy Ag IBSl ZOEA, AND SECOND ZOEA OF THE BLUE CRAB.
distribution of zoeae is con-
sistent with experimental evidence that salinity has an influence on success of hatch-
ing. An attraction to light may also have survival value. Concentration of zoeae
in the upper levels in open waters is consistent with experimental evidence that
zoeae reared in darkness do not molt (Sandoz and Rogers 1944).

Following the fourth (or fifth) molt is the megalops stage. Many of the larvae
that hatch in early June reach this stage by mid-July or the first of August.

Little is known of the conditions that are most favorable for survival and de-
velopment of megalops. A few have been caught in the southern part of the Bay and
on the ocean coast, on the bottom in 20- to 40-foot depths, near the surface in open
water, but none at intermediate levels (Truitt 1934; Robertson 1938; Goellner 1941;
Churchill 1942). It is attracted to light, but settles to the bottom when swimming

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 11

ceases (Robertson 1938; Van Engel, personal observation). Occasionally in late Au-
gust or early September large numbers of megalops appear along the ocean front at
Virginia Beach, biting swimmers with their minute pinching claws and giving rise

- to numerous complaints of "water fleas"
(Truitt 1939). No explanation has been
offered for these concentrations of meg-
alops in breaking waves.

The megalops stage lasts only a
few days. When it molts the "first crab"
appears, with the typical body shape of
an adult crab.

Migration of large numbers of adult
females past the Capes to the ocean, and
subsequent appearance of megalops along
the ocean beaches, suggest that a sub-
stantial amount of spawning may occur
outside the Bay. As yet, no estimate of
the importance of this ocean spawning
in providing crabs to the Chesapeake
Bay supply has been possible.

Early in August, when many crabs
reach the "first crab'' stage, one-tenth
of an inch wide, they begin migrating
from the southern part of the Bay and
the ocean adjacent to the Capes into the rivers and to the upper Bay. The first wave
of migration reaches the rivers on the western shore of Virginia about the third
week of August, and crabs one-quarter to one-half inch in width are commonly seen
during September and October. In most years small crabs do not migrate farther
north than the mouth of the Potomac River before cold weather begins, and most of
them remain in Virginia waters over winter. Movement up-Bay is resumed the
following spring. Crabs one-half to one inch in width usually are first seen in the
upper Bay in late April or May the year following the hatch (Hay 1905; Truitt 1934,
1939).

FIG. 5 - MEGALOPS OF THE BLUE CRAB.

GROWTH

Growth is rapid and adult size may be reached one year to a year and a half
after hatching (fig. 6). Those hatched early, in late May, become two and one-half
inches wide by November and five-inch adults or larger by August the following
year. Those that hatch in late August or September may reach only one-half inch
in width the first fall. By November the next year these will have become only
three or four inches wide and will not become adult until May of the third summer.
After reaching adult size, crabs are known to live at least one more year, and a few
may reach the maximum age of three to three and one-half years. The average
life-span, however, probably is less than one year (Hay 1905; Churchill 1919; Truitt
1939; Van Engel and Wojcik unpublished data).

Because the crab is covered by a hard, inflexible shell, an increase in size oc-
curs only when it sheds. Small crabs shed frequently, but the time between molts
increases as crabs grow larger. The smallest crabs, about one-fifth inch wide,
shed every 3 to 5 days, those one-half to one inch wide every 10 to 15 days. Atfour
inches and larger shedding occurs at intervals of 20 to 50 days (Churchill 1919;
Robertson 1938; Van Engel, Wojcik and Sandoz, unpublished data). Shedding does
not usually occur in Chesapeake Bay from November through the first week in April,
although on rare occasions a soft crab has been caught in deep water in December.

12 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

In preparation for shedding, a new shell is formed beneath the hard, outer shell,
becoming darker in color as it develops and visible through several parts of the out-
er shell, especially in the last two sections of the fifth pair of legs, the swimming

ADULY FEMALE
6 INCHES
18 MONTHS

MINIMUM LEGAL S|ZE
3 }NCHES
72 MONTHS

paddles. Around the outer edges of those sections are many fine hairs, called setae,
at the base of which there is a thin, dark brown line which represents the outer edge
of the hard shell. It is just inside this brown line that the color of the new shell can
be observed.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 13

' which requires the

The earliest recognized color stage is the ''white-rim,'
longest time to shed, from one to two weeks. The following stage, "bink-rim,'' may
be expected to shed in 3 to 6 days, while the ''red-sign" peeler will shed in 1 to 3
days. ''Peeler" is the name given by most watermen to the red-sign crab, although
the term is sometimes loosely applied to all crabs showing color signs of approach-

ing shedding.

To free the developing new skeleton from the old, some carbohydrates and pro-
teins and about five percent of the calcium are resorbed from the base of the old
shell. These are stored inthe softtissues of the crab, principally in the hepatopan-
creas, and may be used for building and later hardening the new shell (Hecht 1914;
Scheer 1948, 1957). Muscle attachments on the old shell are loosened and shifted
to new origins on the future exoskeleton. Feeding ceases, sometimes a day or two
before shedding, probably as a result of weakened muscles and inability to grind
food, and in preparation for the eventual loss of the stomach lining at shedding.

When shedding starts, the outer shell cracks along definite lines so that the
upper and lower halves of the shell may gape. The cracked-shell stage is called
a ''buster.'’ Once this stage is reached, the crab slowly backs out of the partially-
opened shell; shedding of 4- to 5-inch crabs is completed within 2 or 3 hours. When
completely free from the old shell, the crab is called a "soft crab.'' During the few
minutes preceding and immediately following shedding large amounts of water are
taken in by the crab. Absorption of water occurs through permeable membranes,
in many crustaceans the gills, and in some the stomach (Robertson 1957). Expan-
sion to full size, when all wrinkles in the new skin are smoothed, is completed a-
bout two hours after shedding and the soft, pliable covering then begins to harden.
Over the next 9 to 12 hours the shell has a papery or leathery texture and the crab
then is called a “paper shell.'' During the next 12 to 24 hours the shell becomes
stiff and brittle, and the crab is referred to as a "'buckram.'’' More and more fre-
quently, ''paper shell" and ''buckram" are being used as synonyms for the stage be-
tween soft and hard crab, with less attention being given to whether the shell is
leathery or stiff and brittle. Another three days will pass before the shell is rigid.
Since the interval of time between molts is less for small thanforlargecrabs, time
intervals between various peeler and hardening stages are much shorter than those
given above. In the post-molt period, the shell thickens and hardens with the addi-
tion of new layers and deposition of calcium and some organic substances. About
95 percent of the minerals are absorbed directly from the water or derived from
food (Hecht 1914; Scheer 1948; 1957).

At each normal shedding, there is an increase in width one-quarter to one-third
the initial size (Churchill 1919; Gray and Newcombe 1939; Van Engel, Wojcik, and
Sandoz, unpublished data). Amount of increase may be genetically controlled in
part, but it is believed that environmental conditions have an equal if not greater
influence. Unfavorable water conditions, inadequate food, and injuries, such as the
loss of one or more legs, result in smaller percentage increases, as low as 5 to 10
percent and possibly even no increase in size. In normal soft crabs, an increase
in size is due to swelling of the body by absorption of water. Since the amount of
water absorbed is related to the salt content of the surrounding water, greater in-
creases in size should occur in water of low salt content (Baumberger and Olm-
stead 1928: Scheer 1948; Knowles and Carlisle 1956). That this is probable is dem-
onstrated by the large size of crabs in tributaries of low salt content and the small
size of crabs along the salty ocean coast of the Eastern Shore (Newcombe 1945;
Henry 1951; Porter 1955). It has been shown that the eyestalks of certain crabs
produce a water-regulating hormone (Knowles and Carlisle 1956).

It is possible that the number of molts is fixed and that a crab stops growing
after shedding a certain number of times. Thus, the great difference in size of
crabs of the same age, or of adult crabs, may be simply the result of different
percentage increases in size at each molt.

14 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Recent studies on other crustaceans show that the eyestalks and the second max-
illae produce hormones which either prevent or encourage molting (Kleinholz 1957).
The quantities of these chemical substances are partly controlled by temperature,
light, and by other hormones (Knowles and Carlisle 1956). The failure of blue crab
larvae to molt when reared in darkness (Sandoz and Rogers 1944) may be an exam-

ple of hormonal regulation. Molting may also be controlled by hormonal secretions
from the ovary, which develops rapidly following the last molt, or from the eggs

after they are laid (Donahue 1955).

Definitions of Blue Crab Terms

Abdomen or apron--the "'tail'' of a crab.

Ballie--sponge crab, a female with an egg mass be—
neath the abdomen.

Berried crab or crab in berry--sponge crab.

Buck and rider--pair of mating crabs; a doubler.

Buckram crab--having a pliable, leathery shell, fol-
lowing the soft crab condition.

Buffalo crab--soft crab with large claws missing,
often lost in shedding.

Busted sook--sponge crab.

Buster--shedding crab which is beginning to emerge
from its shell,

Channeler or chandler--large male that remains in
the deeper channels of a river during the summer;
jimmy crab.

Cushion crab--sponge crab,

Doubler--pair of mating crabs; buck and rider.

Fat crab, green crab, or snot crab--these terms are
used by mést watermen in referring to a crab ap-
proaching the shedding period and showing a white-
rim color sign just within the margins of the two
outer segments of the swimming legs; the terms
are more popularly used in referring to any hard
crab with firm meat, somewhere between the buck-
ram and peeler phases.

Green crab--white-rim crab.

Hard crab--crab having a hard shell; following the
buckram condition.

Jimmy crab, jimmy dick, or jimmy channeler--a
very large male crab; channeler.

Lemon crab--sponge crab.

Life history stages--there are four main stages: the
egg, zoea, megalops, and crab, The zoeal and mega-
lopal stages combined are called larval stages, while
the crab stage is a post-larval stage.

Megalops--crab larva, between the zoeal and crab
stages; about eth of an inch wide.

Metazoea--larval stage thought to occur between the
fifth zoea and megalops stages; should have well de-
veloped thoracic appendages.

Nicking a crab--to break the movable fingers of the
claws to prevent the use of the claws as pincers.

Orange c.ab--sponge crab.

Paper-shell crab--having a hard shell which is easily
cracked, following the buckram stage.

Peeler crab--hard crab which has a fully formed soft
shell beneath the hard outer shell; a red-sign crab.
Sometimes applied to white-rim, pink-rim, and red-
Sign crabs.

Pink-rim--following the white-rim condition; there is
a thin pink line along the inner border of the back fin;
may be expected to shed within a week.

Punk--sponge crab.

Rank peeler--red-sign peeler just before the shell be-
gins to crack; almost a buster.

Red-sign peeler--following the pink-rim stage; there is
a thin red line along the inner border of the backfin;
may be expected to shed within two days.

Sally crab--young female crab; an immature female.

"Seconds''--crabs that have just turned from a white-rim
to a pink-rim condition.

Shed--meaning either the empty shell or the casting off
of the shell.

Snot crab--white-rim crab named because of the watery
substance which issues from the break of the crab claws
when they are nicked.

Soft crab--crab which has just emerged from the old shell
and has a new, soft, pliable shell.

Sook--an adult female crab.

Sponge crab, ballie, berried crab, crab in berry, busted
sook, cushion crab, orange crab, punk, and lemoncrab--
names given to the female carrying anegg mass on the
abdomen.

Swimmerets--the finlike attachments to the underside of
an adult female crab, on which the eggs are carrieduntil
they hatch.

White-rim crab--the fat, green, or snot crab condition;
there is a thin white line along the inner border of the
back fin; may be expected to shed within two weeks.

"Ticky" crab--one that smells of iodoform, probably be-
cause it had eaten a marine bottom animal called Bal-
anoglossus. et

Zoea--the larva that hatches from the crab egg: about
ws th of an inch long.

Females in the family of swimming crabs (Portunidae), of which the blue crab
is a member, may be the only crustaceans known to complete their growth in size
at the time they become sexually mature. Males in this family and both sexes of
many other crustaceans continue to molt and grow after the gonads are fully de-

veloped.

The female blue crab becomes sexually mature and stops growing after 18 to
20 molts, not counting the 4 (or 5) molts in the larval stage (Van Engel, unpublish-
ed data). As stated previously, this event is accompanied by a change in shape of
the abdomen, from triangular to semicircular. Internally, however, few abrupt
changes occur, since the growth of tissues is gradual throughout the life of the fe-
male (Cronin, 1942): the seminal receptacles grow to full size-in the interval be-
tween the last two molts; the ovary expands to full size after the last molt (Van En-

gel, unpublished data).

Sexual maturity in males is probably reached in about 18 or 19 molts following
the last larval stage, but growth does not cease, for they may shed 30r 4 more times.
One male reared from the megalops stage reached six and one-half inches in width
after 23 post-larval molts, after almost 3 years of confinement in laboratory a-

quaria (Van Engel, unpublished data).

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 15

MIGRATIONS

Two major migrations of sooks have been observed along the western shore of
Chesapeake Bay, the first in October and November, following the peak of the mat-
ing season, and the second the following May. The fall migrations results in a concen-
tration of sooks in the lower Bay in the deep channels which are the continuations of the
river channels. Large schools occasionally have been seen passing through the Capes
into the ocean, where they have been taken by crab dredges and fish trawlers close to shore
in depths less than 40 feet, but rarely in deeper waters farther offshore (Truitt 1934).

Schools of adult females migrating down river in Mayconsist in part of females
recently mated, but mostly of those that mated late the previous fall and were forced
by low temperatures to over-winter en route to the lower Bay. Large concentra-
tions of these migrants are caught in May near the mouths of the rivers of the west-
ern shore.

Some schools are especially noticed because the crabs are unusually large,
and because often many are heavily fouled with ribbed mussels (Hay 1905; Van
Engel, unpublished data).

Apart from the migration of sooks each fall and spring toward the southern
end of the Bay prior to first spawning, schools of ''sea-run" or "ocean"' crabs ap-
pear in late July or early August in the Lynnhaven Roads area. Familiar to com-
mercial fishermen along the southern shore of the Bay, these schools of old-look-
ing, moss-covered, barnacle-encrusted females crowd close to the beaches, where
they remain from one to four weeks (Newcombe 1945). Large concentrations oc-
casionally migrate into the James River, where, as in the summer of 1954, they
may add substantially to the commercial catch. These crabs usually are sighted
first in the ocean as they move north toward the Capes. The growth of fouling or-
ganisms on their shells is in marked contrast to the brilliant blue and white colors
of down-river migrants. On rare occasions, following strong northerly winds, the
remains of many thousands of dead "'ocean"' crabs litter the beaches (Hay 1905;
Truitt 1939; Newcombe 1945).

Crab dredgers report that in winter in the vicinity of Cape Henry crabs are
often of strong odor, have shells deeply pitted, and produce a very small quantity
of very inferior meat, and catches of this kind are quickly dumped overboard. These
crabs may be the remnants of "ocean" schools (Truitt 1939). Those with a strong
odor are called "'ticky'' crabs, possibly because the odor is similar to iodoform
which in turn is similar to the odor of bed bugs (bed ticks).

When females migrate down-river to the lower Bay, adult males remain in
brackish river waters and many move farther upstream, mating with other females.
In the first 20 to 25 miles upstream from the mouth of the York River the sexes are
about equal in numbers, but the percentage of males increases gradually with dis-
tance upstream (Wojcik, unpublished data). This distribution is probably depend-
ent on the salinity gradient and may vary seasonally and between rivers.

FOOD

The diet of blue crabs includes fresh and decaying fish or meat, as well as
vegetation. Roots, shoots, and leaves of common seaweeds are regularly eaten,
especially parts of eelgrass (Zostera), ditch grass (Ruppia), sea lettuce (Ulva),
and salt-marsh grass (Spartina)--Truitt 1939. Destruction of young quahogs (Ven-
us) and seed oysters (Crassostrea) in experimental ponds and tanks has been fre-
quently reported (Lunz 1947; Loosanoff and Chestnut 1948; Carriker 1951; Carver
1957). On clam and oyster grounds in open waters, however, the blue crab cannot
be considered a serious pest, although transplants of young sets may be destroyed

16 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Vol. 20, No. 6

when other food is less available (Loosanoff and Chestnut 1948; Menzel and Hopkins

1956).

Because its diet is varied, the blue crab is attracted to almost any bait; tough
trash fish or slaughterhouse trimmings are preferred for trotlines, but oily fish

are preferred for crab pots.

The food requirements of larval crabs are not well known. Zoeae will eat
many microscopic plants and animals but will not grow unless fed certain proto-
zoans, the yellow dinoflagellates (Robertson 1938; Sandoz and Rogers 1944). The
megalops is omnivorous, however, and may be fed bits of fresh fish or shellfish

or green aquatic plants.

LITERATURE CITED

BAUMBERGER, J. PERCY, AND OLMSTEAD, J. M. D.
1928. CHANGES IN THE OSMOTIC PRESSURE AND WATER CONTENT
OF CRABS DURING THE MOLT CYCLE. PHYSIOLOGICAL
ZOOLOGY, VOL. 1, NO. 4, PP. 531-544,
CARRIKER, MELBOURNE ROMAINE
1951, OBSERVATIONS ON THE PENETRATION OF TIGHTLY CLOSED
BIVALVES BY BUSYCON AND OTHER PREDATORS.
ECOLOGY, VOL. 32, NO. 1, PP. 73-83.
CARVER, T. C.
1957. MISCELLANEOUS EXPERIMENTS AT FRANKLIN CITY, VA.

IN QUARTERLY REPORT OF CLAM AND CHESAPEAKE OYSTER

INVESTIGATIONS, JULY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1957,
EDITED BY JOHN B. GLUDE, PP. 6-7. U. S. FISH AND
WILDLIFE SERVICE, ANNAPOLIS, MD.

CHURCHILL, E. P., UR.
1919, LIFE HISTORY OF THE BLUE CRAB. BULLETIN OF THE
U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES, VOL. 36 (DOC. 870),
PP. 91-128.

CHURCHILL, EDWARD P.
1942, THE ZOEAL STAGES OF THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES
SAPIDUS RATHBUN. CHESAPEAKE BIOLOGICAL LABORA -

TORY, PUBLICATION 49, PP. 1-26.

COCHRAN, DORIS M.
1935, THE SKELETAL MUSCULATURE OF THE BLUE CRAB, CAL-
LINECTES SAPIDUS RATHBUN. SMITHSONIAN MISCEL-

LANEOUS COLLECTION, VOL. 92, NO. 9, PP. 1-76.

CRONIN, LEWIS EUGENE
1942, A HISTOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
OVARY AND ACCESSORY REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF THE
BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPIDUS RATHBUN. UNI VER-
SITY OF MARYLAND, MASTER'S THESIS, PP. 1-26.
1947. ANATOMY AND HISTOLOGY OF THE MALE REPRODUCTIVE
SYSTEM OF CALLINECTES SAPIDUS RATHBUN. JOURNAL
OF MORPHOLOGY, VOL. 81, NO. 2, PP. 209-240,
{ALSO CHESAPEAKE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY, CONTRI -
BUTION 66).

CRONIN, L. EUGENE; VAN ENGEL, WILLARD A.; CARGO, DAVID G.;
AND WOJCIK, FRANK J.
1957. A PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE GENUS CALLINECTES.
VIRGINIA FISHERIES LABORATORY SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC
REPORT t.0. 8, AND MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF RESEARCH
AND EDUCATION, REF. NO. 57-26, PP. 1-21.

COUCH, JOHN N.
1942, A NEW FUNGUS ON CRAB EGGS, JOURNAL OF THE ELISHA

MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY, VOL. 58, NO, 2,
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DONAHUE, J. KENNETH.
1955, STUDIES ON ECDYSIS IN THE AMERICAN LOBSTER (HOM-
ARUS AMERICANUS), 4, ESTROGENIC HORMONE AS A
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MALE. MAINE DEPARTMENT OF SEA AND SHORE FISH-
ERIES, RESEARCH BULLETIN 24, PP. 1-6.

FIEDLER, R. H.
1930, SOLVING THE QUESTION OF CRAB MIGRATIONS. FISHING
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1941, REPORT ON THE CRAB INVESTIGATIONS, LOWER CHESA-
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GRAHAM, JAMES G., AND BEAVEN, G. FRANCIS.
1942, EXPERIMENTAL SPONGE-CRAB PLANTINGS AND CRAB
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MD. CHESAPEAKE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY, PUBLICA -
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GRAY, ELLEN H., AND NEWCOMBE, CURTIS L.
4939, STUDIES OF MOULTING IN CALLINECTES SAPIDUS RATH-
BUN. GROWTH, VOL. 2, NO. 4, PP. 285-296. (ALSO
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24.)
HAY, We Pe
1905, THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE BLUE CRAB (CALLINECTES

SAPIDUS), REPORT OF THE U. S. BUREAU OF FISH-
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HECHT, SELIG.
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SCIENCE, N. S., VOL. 39, NO. 994, PP, 108.

HENRY, FRANK
1951. THE MYSTERY OF THE GIANT CRABS.
JULY 22, 1951, BALTIMORE, MD.

BALTIMORE SUN,

HOLTHUIS, L. B., AND GOTTLIEB, E.
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NO. 2, PP. 154-156.

HOPKINS, SEWELL H.

1943, THE EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY OF THE FIRST AND SECOND

ZOEAL STAGES OF THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPI -
DUS RATHBUN. TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN
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90. tarso VIRGINIA FISHERIES CABORATORY, CON-
TRIBUTION 10.)

1944, THE EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH
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NO. 2, PP. 145-152. (ALSO VIRGINIA FISHERIES
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1947. THE NEMERTEAN CARCINONEMERTES AS AN INDICATOR OF
THE SPAWNING HISTORY OF THE HOST, CALLINECTES
SAPIDUS. JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY, VOL. 33 NO.
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ORATORY , CONTRIBUTION 26.)

HUMES, ARTHUR GROVER.
1942, THE MORPHOLOGY, TAXONOMY, AND BIONOMICS OF THE
NEMERTEAN GENUS CARCINONEMERTES. ILLINOIS BIO-
LOGICAL MONOGRAPHS, VOL. 18, NO. 4, PP. 1-105.

KLEINHOLZ, L. H.
1957. ENDOCRINOLOGY OF INVERTEBRATES, PARTICULARLY OF
CRUSTACEANS. IN RECENT ADVANCES IN INVERTEBRATE
PHYSIOLOGY, A SYMPOSIUM. EDITED BY BRADLEY T.
SCHEER. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON PUBLICATIONS,
EUGENE, OREGON, PP. 173-196.

KNOWLES, FRANCIS G, W., AND CARLISLE, DAVID B.

1956. ENDOCRINE CONTROL IN THE CRUSTACEA. BIOLOGICAL
REVIEWS, VOL. 31, PP. 396-473.

LOOSANOFF, V. L.

AND CHESTNUT, A. F.
1948.

,
CRABS AS DESTROYERS OF OYSTERS. OYSTER INSTITUTE
OF NORTH AMERICA, TRADE REPORT NO. 98, DECEMBER
6, PP. 1-2.

5)

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 17

LITERATURE CITED (CONTD.)

LUNZ - ROBERT, JR. ROGERS-TALBERT, R.

{oa CALLINECTES VERSUS OSTREA. JOURNAL OF THE ELISHA 1948 THE FUNGUS LEGENIDIUM CALLINECTES COUCH (1942) oN
MITCHELL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETY, VOL. 63, NO. T, EGGS OF THE BLUE CRAB IN CHESAPEAKE BAY. BI1O-
Pp. 81. LOGICAL BULLETIN, VOL. 95, NO. 2, PP. 214-228.
(ALSO VIRGINIA FISHERIES LABORATORY, CONTRIBUTION
MENZEL, R. WINSTON, AND HOPKINS, SEWELL H. 28.)
1956. CRABS AS PREDATORS OF OYSTERS IN LOUISIANA. PRO-
CEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL SHELLFISHERIES ASSOCIA- | SANDOZ, MILDRED, AND ROGERS, ROSALIE.
TION, VOL. 46 (1955), PP. 177-164, 1944, THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON HATCHING,
MOULTING, AND SURVIVAL OF ZOEA LARVAE OF THE
NEWCOMBE, CURTIS L. BLUE CRAB, Salus SAPIDUS RATHBUN. ECOLOGY,
1945, 1944-1945 REPORT OF THE VIRGINIA FISHERIES LAB- VOL. 25, NO. 2, 216-226. (ALSO VIRGINIA FISH-
ORATORY. IN FORTY-SIXTH AND FORTY-SEVENTH ANNUAL ERIES LABORATORY GOEIEIE IG 16.)

REPORTS OF THE COMMISSION OF FISHERIES OF VIR-
GINIA, FOR THE FISCAL YEARS ENDING JUNE 30, 1944 SCHEER, BRADLEY T.

AND JUNE 30, 1945. DIVISION OF PURCHASE AND 1948. COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY, JOHN WILEY AND SONS, INC.,
PRINTING, RICHMOND, PP. 21-30. NEW YORK, X - 563 PI.
PORTER, HUGH J. 1957. THE HORMONAL CONTROL OF METABOLISM IN DECAPOD
1955. VARIATION IN MORPHOMETRY OF THE ADULT FEMALE CRUSTACEANS. IN RECENT ADVANCES IN INVERTEBRATE
BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPIDUS RATHBUN, UNI - PHYSIOLOGY, A SYMPOSIUM. EDITED BY BRADLEY T.
VERSITY oF DELAWARE, MASTER S THESIS, PP. 1-69. SCHEER. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON PUBLICATIONS,

EUGENE, ORE., PP. 213-227.
PYLE, ROBERT W., AND CRONIN, L. EUGENE.
{950. THE GENERAL ANATOMY OF THE BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES | SNODGRASS, R. Eq
SAPIDUS RATHBUN, CHESAPEAKE BIOLOGICAL LABORA- 1956. CRUSTACEAN METAMORPHOSES. SMITHSONIAN MISCEL-

TORY, PUBLICATION 87, PP. 1-40. PANE ots COLLECTION, VOL. 131, NO. 10, PP. I-IV,
-78.
RATHBUN, MARY J.

1896. THE GENUS CALLINECTES. PROCEEDINGS OF THE U. S. TRUITT, Re Ve

NATIONAL MUSEUM, VOL. 18, NO. T070, P PP, 349-375. 1934, PRELIMINARY REPORT - BLUE CRAB INVESTIGATIONS,
——=S 1932-1933, IN THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE

1930. THE CANCROID CRABS OF AMERICA OF THE FAMILIES COMMISSION OF FISHERIES OF VIRGINIA, FOR THE FIS-
EURYALIDAE, PORTUNIDAE, ATELECYCLIDAE, CANCRIDAE CAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1933. DIVISION OF PUR-
AND XANTHIDAE. U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM, BULLETIN CHASE AND PRINTING, RICHMOND, PP. 14-18,

152, PP. |-xVI, 1-609.
1939. OUR WATER RESOURCES AND THEIR CONSERVATION.

ROBERTSON, JAMES D. CHESAPEAKE BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY, CONTRIBUTION
1957. OSMOTIC AND IONIC REGULATION IN AQUATIC INVERTE- 27, PP. 1-103.
BRATES. IN RECENT ADVANCES IN INVERTEBRATE PHY -
SIOLOGY, A SYMPOSIUM. EDITED BY BRADLEY T. U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES.
SCHEER. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON PUBLICATIONS, 1922- FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1920-
EUGENE, ORE., PP. 229-246, 1941, 1938, REPORT OF THE U. S. COMMISSIONER OF FISH-
: ERIES, U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASH-
ROBERTSON, ROY L. INGTON, 5 Go

1938. OBSERVATIONS ON THE GROWTH STAGES IN THE COMMON
BLUE CRAB, CALLINECTES SAPIDUS RATHBUN WITH
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO POST- EARVAL DEVELOPMENT ,
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, MASTER'S THESIS, PP. "1-45.

NEW BEDFORD SCALLOP FISHING FLEET

There are about 70 or 80 boats of the New Bedford fishing fleet
riggedfor sea scalloping. They range from 60 to 100 feetlong and
are powered by Diesel engines up to 550 horsepower. All are
equipped with depthfinders, Loran navigating sets, and ship-to-shore
radiotelephones. Almost all of them are fairly new and extremely
seaworthy craft. A winter gale on Georges Bank will soon seek out
the weaknesses of any vessel. Construction and deck arrangement
is very similar to the usual medium-size New England dragger.
Many of the boats change overfrom trawling to scalloping and back
again to accommodate themselves to changing fishing and market-
ing conditions. Any well-found dragger can rig upfor sea scallop-
ing by removing the nets and otter boards and taking aboard the
shucking boxes, wash tank, and the booms necessary for handling
the dredges. The same double-drum fishing winch, wire rope, and
forward gallows frames are used.

--Fishery Leaflet 442,
Sea Scallop Boats and Gear (August 1957).

18 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

FROZEN PACKAGED HALIBUT VOLUNTARY STANDARDS
DISCUSSED AT MEETING

A public meeting to discuss the first proposed draft for voluntary standards for
frozen packaged halibut was held on April 1, 1958, at the Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries Technological Laboratory, Seattle, Wash.

In attendance were 10 representatives of the fishery industry, a representative
of the National Fisheries Institute, and technical personnel of the Seattle Technolog-
ical Laboratory. All halibut producers, processors, and related members of indus-
try were invited by an advance notice which appeared in the Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries Market News Service ''Fishery Products Reports."

Local industry displayed a positive, helpful, and interested approach toward the
development of a realistic and meaningful standard by their numerous questions, dis-
cussions, and critical evaluation of each of the various quality factors considered.
The proposed standard for determination of grade is based on (1) the evaluation of
quality factors rated by score points in the frozen, thawed, and cooked states and
(2) the evaluation of the quality factors of flavor and odor in the cooked state, but
not rated by score points; the dual results thus obtained fix the maximum grade
limit that the product can achieve.

Copies of the latest draft are available upon request from the Bureau of Com-
mercial Fisheries Technological Laboratory, Seattle, Wash.

Funds made available by Public Law 466 (83rd Congress), commonly referred
to as the Saltonstall-Kennedy Act, have been used to expedite progress on the Bu-
reau's program for the development of voluntary Federal standards. The National
Fisheries Institute, acting as a contract research agency for the Bureau, has sup-
plied the industry liaison essential to the standards program and has furnished con-
sulting services at meetings and conferences on these standards.

2s ©

PROGRESS IN FISH-OIL RESEARCH

In the past, the bulk of the fish oil produced by the United States fisheries went
into the manufacture of paint and soap. With the development and use of synthetic
substitutes for oil in these products, the major part of American-produced fish oil
is exported to Europe, where it is made into margarine. Should unanticipated de-
veloments upset or eliminate this market, new uses would have to be found for fish
oils, or they would undergo a drastic reduction in price. The present research pro-
gram of the U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries is aimed at developing uses for

fish oil that could replace the European margarine market, should this become nec-
essary.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 19

The characteristics and the potential uses of fish oils long have been subjects
of great interest to research workers in the Bureau. The unique composition and
structure of fish oils, consisting of long-chain fatty acids with many double bonds,
present a challenge to the oil chemist and to the food technologist. Most uses for
which fish oils are employed at present make no use of these properties. In many
cases, the characteristics of fish oils even are considered a distinct disadvantage.

Instead of trying to overcome the alleged disadvantages of fish oils in order to
make them competitive with animal and vegetable oils, Bureau chemists decided to
take advantage of these unique proper=
ties and to investigate their potentialfor
the manufacture of industrial and phar-
maceutical products. Development of
these products requires an extensive
research program,

Less is known about the chemical
structure of fish oils thanis known about
the structure of animal or vegetable
oils. The reasons for this are (1) the
complex nature and instability of fish
oils and (2) lack of funds to pursue the
investigation..

In 1955, with the availability of
more adequate funds from the Salton-
stall-Kennedy Act of 1954, the U. S. Bu-
reau of Commercial Fisheries was
able to expand this research. Since that
time, 21 projects in 16 different labora-
tories have been undertaken. Twelve of
these projects essentially are basic in-
vestigations of the structure and reac-
tions of fish oils, whereas the other nine
PEGISOES ERS CEsn yes! uO Ceveloo jgeae= RUNNING A SPECTROGRAM ON A FRACTION OF ALKALI -
tical uses for fish oils and for the com~ “| somerizeD LONG-CHAIN FATTY ALCOHOLS FROM FISH
pounds manufactured from them, OIL.

The basic research projects are varied. They include analyses of (1) the com-
position, structure, and chemical reactions of fish-oil fatty acids, (2) the composi-
tion of the fish-oil components other than fatty acids, and (3) the physiological ef-
fect on animals of ingesting fish oils or their components. The fundamental infor-
mation developed from these investigations forms the foundation for an intelligent
applied research program.

The applied research projects also are varied. They include investigations of
the value of fish oils or their derivatives (1) in poultry and swine feed, (2) as fungi-
cides and insecticides in agriculture, (3) as a basic ingredient in the manufacture
of resins, (4) as leather lubricants, and (5) as ore-flotation agents. Work also is
being done on improving methods of processing fish oils.

During the relatively short period since 1955 when the stepped-up research
program on fish oils got under way, a number of papers have been written, In ad-
dition to those that are in the process of being prepared, 32 papers either have
been published, or are in press.

20 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

REPORT ON DEVELOPMENT OF FUNGICIDES FROM FISH OIL

This investigation has been under the supervision of Dr. Boris Sokoloff, Direc-
tor of the Southern Bio-Research Laboratory, assisted by I. Chamelin, Akira Kato,
George Renninger, and Maxwell S. Simpson,

The object of the investigation was to modify whole crude fish oil in relatively
simple ways, without purification or separation of active ingredients, so as to in-
crease the anti-fungal activity of the oil to an effective level.

Simple laboratory screening tests for fungicidal activity were developed using
cultures of various fungi isolated from citrus trees and fruit. At later stages, pure
cultures of a selected group of fungi and bacteria of pathological significance were
used for the screening tests to provide a wider spectrum for determining general
antibiotic activity. In this manner more than 170 fish-oil preparations were tested,
and the more active compounds were also used in limited tests on citrus seedlings
to determine whether they caused detrimental effects on foliage.

Ideally a compound costing less than 25 cents a pound was desired which was
stable, water-soluble, nontoxic, and biologically active at 0.1 percent concentration.
Various combinations were tried of saponification, chlorination, and sulfation of the
crude fish oils, with addition of chemicals such as ammonia, formalin, several me-
tallic hydrides, and metal ions to the process.

As indicated, none of these preparations or mixtures was purified to the extent
that identification of the individual chemical compounds was possible. Because of
the complexity of the fatty-acid mixture in the crude fish oils, this step would have
been too expensive and time consuming to consider with the funds granted for the
investigation. The contractor was successful in materially increasing the fungicidal
and fungistatic properties of fish oils as evidenced in laboratory screening tests.
However, it was found in the course of testing on citrus seedlings that none of the
compounds was satisfactory enough to justify pilot-plant scale preparations and
more extensive field tests. Most of the active fish-oil compounds were not water
soluble or proved to have toxic effects on the plants, and the emulsified preparations
were unstable and had poor distribution and penetration due to their oily nature. The
water-soluble compounds unfortunately were usually low in antifungal activity.

One preparation--essentially a crude fish oil treated with ammonium hydroxide
in acetone, saponified with sodium hydroxide, and then mixed with a small amount
of potassium borohydride--was judged to be fairly satisfactory. The unknown chem-
ical composition of this preparation and the probable difficulty in adapting the lab-
oratory procedure to pilot-plant processing led to the decision to terminate the work
at this stage.

However, the officials of the U. 8. Food and Drug Administration have empha-
sized the hazards of toxic residues from insecticides and fungicides on fruits and
vegetables. Most of the newer organic pest control chemicals are highly toxic and
very low tolerances have been set, or in some cases no residue is permissible.
Fish-oil compounds on the other hand are essentially nontoxic to humans. It is the
opinion of the contractor that this fact will eventually counterbalance the relatively
high cost and low activity of fish-oil derivatives, and that these may yet be develop-
ed to compete with the new synthetic compounds for insect and fungi control, espe-
cially for leafy vegetables and mature fruit.

--BY CHARLES F. LEE, CHEMICAL ENGINEER,
FISHERY TECHNOLOGICAL LABORATORY,
DIVISION OF | NDUSTRIAL RESEARCH AND SERVICES,
U. S. BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES,
COLLEGE PARK, MD.

a Sng A

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 21

TECHNICAL NOTE NO. 44 - INDUSTRY TESTS SHOW BRINE-FROZEN
HADDOCK TO BE OF GOOD QUALITY

Practical commercial tests now in progress show that whole and eviscerated
haddock, brine-frozen at sea and kept in frozen storage for 8 months, produced
good-quality marketable frozen fillets. This test is being further continued to see
if the frozen fish can be held even longer in cold storage and still produce high-
quality fillets.

The East Boston Technological laboratory of the U. S. Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries initiated this commercial-scale test in July 1957, to stimulate further
interest in freezing fish at sea among vessel operators and shore-plant processors.
The test is designed to acquaint the industry with the commercial-handling of fish
frozen at sea, This test will also
provide additional information on
the length of time the whole and
eviscerated fish can be held infro-
zen storage, at a high level of qual-
ity, prior to being processed into
fillets. The latter point is of major
importance in the practical com-
mercial application of the freezing-
fish-at-sea process,

In July 1957, the Bureau's ex-
perimental trawler Delaware re-
turned to the Boston Fish Pier with
54,000 pounds of round and evis-
cerated haddock that were brine-
frozen at sea. The fish were glazed
with fresh water during unloading
and put directly into a cold-storage
warehouse, Nineteen dealers inthe
Boston area, who indicated a de-
sire to take part in these tests,
have been removing large lots of these fish from storage at bimonthly intervals.
The fish are being thawed and filleted and the fillets packaged, refrozen, and mar-
keted in the customary manner.

VIEW OF THE BOSTON FISH PIER.

A total of 36,000 pounds of the brine-frozen fish have been handled in this man-
ner since the beginning of this study. Oral and written accounts of the observations
made by the processors show that fillets prepared from brine-frozen haddock stored
at 0 F. for 8 months, while slightly darker in color than fillets prepared from iced
fish, are still of good quality. Examinations conducted at the Laboratory on similar
samples of fish apparently substantiate these observations. The color of the brine-
frozen haddock fillets, which is associated with the freezing process, was not con-
sidered to be objectionable in marketing these fillets in the frozen fish trade.

--BY JOSEPH W. SLAVIN, REFRIGERATION ENGINEER,
FISHERY TECHNOLOGICAL LABORATORY ,
DIVISION OF INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH AND SERVICES,
U. S. BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES,
EAST BOSTON, MASS.

22 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

<< —————

sess | RENDS Sou —

= AND ~S

DEVELO PMENTS &

California

ANCHOVY AND MACKEREL FISHERIES EXPERIENCE POOREST SEASON IN
MANY YEARS: The California anchovy and mackerel fisheries are experiencing
their poorest season in many years. While 1957 was an excellent year, it was un-
usual also to the extent that it was the best year for mackerel fishing in several years.

Table 1 - California's Anchovy and Mackerel Landings, January-May 7--1958 and
1957, and Tonnage and Ex-Vessel Value Lossin1958 through May 7
Landings Loss in1958 through May 7

F 3 when Compared with the
ebecigs demwensy hey Same Heo in 1957

Jackimniackerelieis 5 eee ne
Racitickmackere] a ianieenele

OD ONO OO. OOO 00 oi 0 10

A comparison of the landings of anchovies and mackerel for January 1 through May 7
this year with the same period in 1957 reveals that this year those fisheries are
operating at a very low level.

Table 1 shows the amount of tonnage loss, but when transposed to dollars the
figures are even more Staggering.

In the San Pedro-Long Beach area there are approximately 100 vessels engaged
in the two fisheries at present, which means the average loss per vessel is about
$11,423, which breaks down to somewhere between $700-900 per crew member de-
pending on the size of the vessel.

The packers also are greatly affected by this shortage, as they are faced with the loss
of foreign markets which have been developed over the years. Anchovies are especially
hard hit since the foreign markets for canned anchovies are relativelynew. Canned an-
chovies did not gain ready acceptance, and were just at the point of becominga real factor
in the Far East markets, when they disappeared. Both canned anchovies and mackerel
are in heavier demand than usual, due to the sardine shortage this past season in Cali-
fornia, but canners are not able to take advantage of the situation due to the shortage. In
fact canners will probably lose many of the advances made during the last year in con-
sumer acceptance of canned anchovies unless enough are packed to keep them on the shelf.

The effect on fishermen has been exceptionally severe, as during the first
quarter of the year no other species is available that can be substituted for anchov-
ies and mackerel. In the latter part of May local bluefin tuna show up off Southern
California, and the San Pedro fishermen receive some income from bluefin, but
without mackerel and anchovies the normal earnings are upset. Therefore, this
probably will be a poor year for the San Pedro-Long Beach purse-seine vessels.

--A. D. SOKOLICH, MARKET NEWS REPORTER
BRANCH OF MARKET NEWS, BUREAU OF
COMMERCIAL FISHERIES, SAN PEDRO, CALIF.

WK OK OK OK OK

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 23

DUNGENESS CRAB--YEAR-CLASSES SURVEYED AND OTTER TRAWL AND
BEAM TRAWL TESTED FOR SAMPLING (M/V Nautilus Cruise 58-N-1-Crab):
The January 10-January 24, 1958, cruise of the California Department of Fish and
Game's small research vessel Nautilus was made in San Francisco Bay and in the
ocean area from Pedro Point to Bolinas Bay to continue studies being made on the
dungeness crab (Cancer magister). During
the cruise, 27 tows with the 10-foot shrimp-
mesh beam trawl and the 12-foot shrimp-
mesh otter trawl yielded a catch of 33 male
and 113 female dungeness crabs. The trip
was planned to (1) determine the year-classes
of the Dungeness crab (market crab) present
in San Francisco Bay and in the ocean from
Pedro Point to Bolinas Bay; (2) determine
the size of the ''crabs-of-the-year" in these
two areas; (3) determine the expediency of
uSing the 12-foot shrimp-mesh otter trawl
compared to the 10-foot shrimp-mesh beam
trawl in crab sampling.

The gear used was shrimp experimental
gear consisting of a 10-foot beam trawl with
a net of l-inch mesh. This net was fished
with floats on the anterior portion of the

(0 - Beam trawl drags

a
mouth. The lead line had just enough weight 4 © -cemiacp
to keep it on the bottom. The otter trawl was “®
a 12-foot wide net of 15-inch mesh. The a
doors were 4 by 5 feet and weighed approxi-
aaEtigisy OO womnels Caen. yy ees CRUISE 58-N-1 (JANUARY 10-

The size of the crabs was recorded. This is the shoulder width, i. e. a caliper
measurement just anterior to the most lateral spines. Preliminary inspection of
the size frequency record of male crabs was made for groupings reflecting the age
classes. This inspection was made with consideration of data from previous cruises.
There were 4 and possibly 5 year-classes present. The fifth year-class appears as
crabs over 190 millimeters in width; the fourth from 160 to 190 millimeters; the
third from 130 to 160 millimeters; the second from 90 to 130 millimeters; and the
first from 28 to 60 millimeters. The youngest crabs were very nearly one year old.
Crabs in the first two years of life molt more than once per year, hence the gaps
in the size distribution. This year-class breakdown was made for males only be-
cause a different growth ratio for females has been observed in other studies.

The sample of the first year-class (or crabs-of-the-year) numbered 28. These
crabs were taken at stations 5 and 14 in San Francisco Bay and at stations 25 and
26 in the ocean (see chart). The crabs taken in the bay had an average size larger
than those taken outside.

Dungeness crabs of the same size range were taken by the beam trawl and the
otter trawl. Thirty crabs were taken by the otter trawl and 116 crabs by the beam
trawl. There was an average of 11.6 crabs per tow of the beam trawl and 10 crabs
of the otter trawl. Over-all, 11.2 crabs were taken per tow. These figures were
computed from the tows that contained crabs. Fourteen tows did not contain crabs.
There was no difference in the selectivity of the two nets for different size crabs.
Both nets are useful in collecting crab samples. The beam trawl is easier to handle
with the manpower and gear on the Nautilus, a 50-foot research vessel.

ok KOK OK

24 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

LOSS OF SPAWNING BEDS BELIEVED MAJOR FACTOR IN DECLINE OF KING

source is loss of spawning beds, the March 1958 issue of the Department of Fish
and Game's Outdoor California reports. At one time in the early history of the
State over 6,000 miles of spawning streams were available to the king salmon in
the Central Valley area. By 1928 the spawning streams had shrunk to 520 miles
and at present consist of only about 300 miles. Dams which have cut off and flooded
former spawning beds have accounted for most of this loss of spawning areas. This
damage to the spawning streams of the Central Valley started with first miners who
panned for gold in the Sierra foothills and it continues at present throughout the
salmon and steelhead trout waters of the State. :

A major factor on the north coast streams has been careless logging, which has
destroyed or impaired about 1,000 more miles of spawning area.

Salmon have an instinctive urge to return to their home stream. If they find it
blocked or otherwise unsuitable when they come in from the sea, most of them will
not seek out a substitute stream or spawning bed but will batter themselves to death
or languish at the point of their frustration, dying without fulfilling their mission to
replenish the stock.

As the Department of Fish and Game sees it, the other factors responsible for
today's plight of the salmon (not in order of importance) are:

(1) Watershed damage, caused by mining, grazing, logging, agriculture, and
forest fires. (2) Damage to spawning streams, caused by mining, logging, flood con-
trol projects, gravel extraction, and highway construction. (3) Changes in water
flow below dams, including actual drying of stream, temperature increase and man-
ipulation of releases, stranding spawning nests and fish. (4) Water diversions for
power, industrial processing, irrigation, domestic use, duck clubs, etc., which cause
reduction or elimination of stream flow. (5) Pollution, which causes loss of fish and
fish food and creates blocks to migration. (6) Poorly planned and executed artificial
propagation in early days. (7) Predation and competition, including introduced spe-
cies and changed conditions that favor predators. (8) Increased fishing pressure,
sport and commercial, both in California and in the migration area to the north,
coupled with increased fishing mortality of small fish and genetic downbreeding by
selective fishing.

OK OK KX

YELLOWFIN AND SKIPJACK TUNA STUDIES OFF WEST COAST OF SOUTH
AMERICA (M/V Southern Pacific Cruise 57C5-Tuna): A total of 1,230 yellowfin
and skipjack tuna were tagged off the coasts of Mexico, Central America, Peru, and
Chile by biologists of the California Department of Fish and Game aboard the com-
mercial tuna clipper Southern Pacific during a 99-day cruise that ended on Febru-
ary 11, 1958. The objectives of the cruise were as follows: (1) To study the popu-
lation structure of the Eastern Pacific ''tunas'" by tagging yellowfin and skipjack
tuna. (2) To field test two methods of securing the ends of ''spaghetti'' tags and to
test a new dart tag. (3) To make collections of related marine life in baiting and
fishing areas. (4) To make limited oceanographic observations.

The 1,230 yellowfin and skipjack tuna were tagged with yellow type G (clamp),
type G (knot), and dart tags, and released in the following areas: Southern Mexico,
32 yellowfin; Central America, 155 yellowfin and 27 skipjack; Peru Bank, 70 yellow-
fin and 309 skipjack; North Central Peru, 115 yellowfin and 62 skipjack; Southern
Peru, 1 yellowfin and 142 skipjack; Northern Chile, 63 yellowfin and 254 skipjack.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 25

A total of 932 fish were tagged with
"spaghetti" tags; 532 of this series were
knotted in the standard way, while 400
were reinforced with 40-pound test mono- Mexics
filament nylon cores and the ends se-
cured by means of a small metal clamp.
Although the clamp does not increase
tagging speed, the nylon core gives a
tag of superior strength.

A total of 298 fish were tagged with
experimental ''spaghetti'' dart tags. This
tag could be applied faster than conven-
tional "spaghetti" tags. (One of these
dart tags was recovered before the com-
pletion of the cruise.)

The boat schedule and the areas fished
did not permit extensive collecting of
marine life. However, live-bait hauls
produced 8 collections; night lighting,
16; examination of tuna stomachs, 9;
and early morning deck inspections, 2.
This material is presently being proc-
essed.

Surface water temperatures an the 20°
areas fished ranged from 65 -85 F. L
The 14-fathom bank off Peru showed the (
greatest variation, 65°-72° F. Other M/V) SOUTHERN PACIFIC CRUISE S7CS-TUNA (NOVEM-
sugface temperatures ranged from 71 - Sak ay VERVE, Wy Weel) e
JilT 1,

3 OOK OK OK OK

YELLOWFIN AND SKIPJACK TUNA STUDIES OFF WEST COAST OF SOUTH
AMERICA (M/V Ruthie B Cruise 57C6-Tuna): The commercial tuna clipper Ruthie
B with two biologists of the California Department of Fish and Game aboard col-
Tected biological and oceanographic data on the tunas of the eastern Pacific during
an extended cruise lasting from November 12, 1957, to March 15, 1958.

The purpose was to: (1) To study, by tagging techniques, the migrations, ages,
rates of growth, and other salient features of the eastern Pacific yellowfin tuna and
skipjack populations. (2) Obtain biological and other information concerning "tuna"
schooling habits, by sampling the size and species composition of individual schools.
(3) Delineate ''tuna'’ spawning areas and seasons by collecting post larvae and ju-
veniles under a night light. (4) Make routine biological and oceanographic observa-
tions that may be related to the occurrence of ''tuna.'' (5) Collect marine organisms
associated with ''tunas" in fishing areas and also on the baiting grounds with impor-
tant live bait species.

During the cruise, 134 yellowfin and 313 skipjack tuna were tagged and released
at the following locations: off Costa Rica, 2 yellowfin; off Colombia, 18 yellowfin
and 7 skipjack; off Peru (Peru Bank) 35 yellowfin and 95 skipjack; off Peru (14 Fath-
om Spot), 72 yellowfin and 92 skipjack; off Northern Chile, 7 yellowfin and 119 skip-
jack. Two skipjack tagged off Peru (14 Fathom Spot) were recaptured during the
eruise and returned to the Terminal Island Laboratory. These two fish were re-
captured in the release area after being at liberty for 15 and 22 days, respectively.

26 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Vol. 20, No. 6

It was found that tagging speed could be improved by using plastic coated metal clamps
to secure the two ends of the tags, particularly if properly designed pliers were

available.

Mexico

Colombia

TUNA TAGGING BY COMMERCIAL TUNA CLIPPER RUTHIE B
(CRUISE 57-C-6-TUNA, NOVEMBER 12, 1957-MARCH 16
1958.

Six yellowfin and five skipjack tuna
were sampled for size and species com-
position. These data indicate that "pure"
schools, those consisting of a single
species, tended to school by size. Schools
of yellowfin tuna and skipjack mixed,
however, sometimes contained several
sizes of each. For example, one mixed
school was made up of 4.5- and 7.5-
pound skipjack plus 7.5- and 15-pound
tuna.

Fifty-six bottles of formalin-pre-
served specimens, primarily obtained
from night-light stations, are being
identified and processed for ''tuna"
larvae.

Oceanographic and meterological
observations were made throughout the
cruise. There was no obvious relation-
ship found between ''tuna'' catches and
sea surface temperatures or between
"tuna" catches and water clarity. Sea
surface temperatures on the fishing
grounds ranged from 18.0 C. to 29.5 C.

Twenty packages of frozen speci-
mens were obtained from bait net hauls,
night-light stations, and by hook and line.

These have been processed and individuals saved for future study at the laboratory

or sent to other scientific institutions.

Unusually poor fishing was encountered during the cruise.

Poor fishing, in

general, was experienced by the California tuna fleet operating in these areas.

Cans--Shipments for Fishery Products, January-February 1958

Total shipments of metal cans during January-February 1958

METAL CANS.

amounted to 12,756 short tons of steel (based on the amount of steel
consumed in the manufacture of cans) as compared with 13,382 tons
in the same month a year ago.
uary-February this year was confined largely to tuna, jack and Pa-
cific mackerel, anchovies, and Gulf oysters.

NOTE: STATISTICS COVER ALL COMMERCIAL AND CAPTIVE PLANTS KNOWN TO BE PRODUCING
REPORTED IN BASE BOXES OF STEEL CONSUMED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF

Canning of fishery products in Jan-

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.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 27

Federal Purchases of Fishery Products

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE PURCHASES, JANUARY-MARCH 1958: Fresh
and Frozen Fishery Products: For the use of the Armed Forces under the Depart-
ment of Defense, 1.7 million pounds (value $1.0 million) of fresh and frozen fishery

Table 1 - Fresh and Frozen Fishery Froducts Furchased by Military Subsistence
Market Centers, March 1958 with Comparisons

March Jan.-Mar.

1958 1957 1958 1957

products were purchased in March by the Military Subsistence Market Centers.
This exceeded the quantity purchased in February by 3.9 percent and was 3.5 per-
cent above the amount purchased in the same month a year ago. The value of the
purchases this March was higher by 0.7 percent as compared with the previous
month and higher by 13.9 percent from March a year ago.

For the first three months of 1958 purchases totaled 5.0 million pounds, valued
at $3.0 million--a decrease of 9.2 percent in quantity, but higher by 3.1 percent in
value as compared with the same period of 1957.

Prices paid for fresh and frozen fishery products by the Department of Defense
in March 1958 averaged 59.4 cents a pound, about 2.0 cents less than the 61.3 cents
paid in February, but 5.4 cents higher than 54.0cents paid during Marcha year ago.

Table 2 - Canned Fishery Products Purchased by Military Subsistence
Market Centers, March 1958 with Comparisons

QUANTITY

Product

SWE ie on (1,000 Lbs.)

WINE 6 5 6 0 573 412 841
Salmon = 1,241 992
Sardine .. 8 24 19

Canned Fishery Products: Salmon and tuna were the principal canned fishery
products purchased for the use of the Armed Forces during March.
NOTE: ARMED FORCES INSTALLATIONS GENERALLY MAKE SOME LOCAL PURCHASES NOT INCLUDED IN THE DATA

GIVEN; ACTUAL TOTAL PURCHASES ARE HIGHER THAN INDICATED, BECAUSE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN
LOCAL PURCHASES. =

Fishery Marketing Specialist Examination GS 7-14

The U. S. Civil Service Commission announced on February 18, 1958 (An-
nouncement No. 147B and Supplement), unassembled examinations for the position
of Fishery Marketing Specialists, GS-7 through GS-14. The examination remains
open until further notice.

The positions to be filled from this examination are located in the U. S. Fish
and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior, and other Federal agencies
in Washington, D. C., and throughout the United States, its Territories and posses-
sions.

28 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Fishery Marketing Specialists' work relates to fishery production and market-
ing. The duties involve investigation and market research concerning commercial
fisheries or fishery commodities; also perform work
relating to Fishery Market News reporting services.
Persons appointed to any one of these positions will be
required to write articles or reports for publication,
radio, or the press.

Announcement No. 147 B
Issued: February 18, 1958
No Closing Date
X-118 Modified

The U. S. Civil Service Commission
GnHGEAEes GRiexam ination fox To qualify for these positions you must have a respon-
sible and successful experience in appropriate market-
ing specialties and activities. Except for the substitu-
tion of education as provided, the amount of experience
required for each gradelevelisasfollows: GS-7 ($4,525)
4 years; GS-9 ($5,440) 5 years; GS-11 ($6,390) 6 years;
GS-12 ($7,570) 6 years; GS-13 ($8,990) 6 years; and GS-14
($10,320) 6 years.

Agricultural Marketing
Specialist

Fishery Marketing
Specialist

$4,525 to $10,320 a year
(Grades GS-7 through GS-14)

To be rated eligible at grades GS-12 through 14, at
least 1 year of the experience must have been compar-
able in difficulty and responsibility to the work of the
next lower grade in the Federal service; and for grades
GS-7 throughl1, at least 1 year must have been com-
parable in difficulty and responsibility to the work of at
least the second lower grade in the Federal service. Po-
sitions at the GS-12 through 14 are very few.

Agricultural Market
Reporter

$4,525 to $6,390 a year
(Grades GS-7 through GS-11)

The total experience must have been of such scope
and character as to demonstrate clearly that you are
fully capable of performing the duties of the grade of the
position for which you apply.

Le cha ea To Undergraduate study satisfactorily completed in an

accredited college or university, with specialization in
appropriate subjects, may be substituted for experience at the rate of 1 full year of
study for 9 months of the required experience, up toa total of 3 years of experience.

as directed on page 5

You must also show that you are a United States citizen; that you are physically
able to do the work involved in the position for which you apply; and that you have
reached your 18th birthday on the date of filing application. There is no maximum
age limit for this examination.

All persons who attained eligibility under Announcement 6B and have been on
the Fishery Marketing Specialist register for one year and have not received ap-
pointments may apply for the new examination. Registers to be established
under Announcement 14B will supersede those currently in use under An-
nouncement 6B. Those rated during the past year will have eligibilities trans-
ferred.

For full information on how to apply for this examination, write to the U. S.
Civil Service Commission, Washington 25, D. C., or any of its field offices.

i}
4|
E

f a TR
Fish Listed as Essential H-Bomb Survival Item
The Office of Defense Mobilization has listed fish as one of the six major groups

of foods classified as ''essential survival" items that would be needed to sustain |
life after a nuclear attack on the United States. It was announced that the list is |

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 29

being used as a basis for supply-requirement studies, and that it may recommend
Governmental stocking of these items in strategic and protected locations. The
agency emphasized that many of the items might not be required in the first few
days following an attack, but would be necessary during the first few months.

iam

Fish Predators

BOUNTY PAYMENTS OPPOSED: The bounty system has not proved to be the
most effective and practical way to control pest species, Assistant Secretary of the
Interior Ross L. Leffler said on March 20, 1958, in submitting to Congress a report
opposing enactment of Senate bill S. 2719. The purpose of the proposed legislation
is to provide for the payment of bounties for the control of certain predators such
as hair seals and sea lions in the fisheries of the Pacific coast and Alaska.

The Assistant Secretary stated that the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, backed
by 40 years of experience, has found that bounties generally serve more as a means
of harvesting an annual crop of the pest species being bountied, rather than as an
effective measure of control of the predators. Under such a system, predators
are taken where the task is easiest and least expensive, and not necessarily where
their taking does the most good, he said.

For many years the Alaskan Territorial Legislature has authorized bounties
on hair seals along most of the southern coast of Alaska. More recently the bounty
has been applied to hair seals in the Bering Sea and part of Norton Sound. Many
thousands of dollars have been spent on these bounties, however, without any ap-
preciable benefit to the salmon or other fishery resources.

In preference to paying bounties, the Assistant Secretary declared that direct
control measures which provide for the employment of professional hunters and
trappers who concentrate their efforts in problem areas are much more effective
and less expensive. In the Copper and Stikine River districts, for example, where
hair seals prey on the salmon runs and also cause damage to fishing gear, the
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has applied direct control measures which
are proving to be far more practical than a bounty system.

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now conducting a vigorous restoration
program to rehabilitate the Alaska salmon runs. Studies are being carried on in
cooperation with the Fishery Research Institute of the University of Washington to
ascertain what effect hair seals, sea lions, and other predators have on the abun-
dance of salmon.

The Pacific halibut fishery is in a very productive condition, according to re-
ports of the International Pacific Halibut Commission, and has yielded maximum
catches in recent years. Assistant Secretary Leffler, in his report tothe Congress,
pointed out that the Commission has never made any attempt to control halibut

predators.
Suen

Great Lakes Fishery Investigations

SEA LAMPREY LARVAE DESTROYED BY CHEMICAL: About a mile above

into Lake Huron, a lamprey-killing chemical was fed into the 30-foot wide stream
at a beaver dam to study effects on sea lamprey larvae. The treatment started

30 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

at 9 a. m. on April 15, and by 2 p. m. dead lampreys, most about four inches long,
were beginning to appear downstream.

The river was chosen because of its proximity to the Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries Hammond Bay laboratory, where work against the lamprey has been un-
der way for several years. The river was stocked with 500 brook and rainbow trout
prior to the test. The chemical later made many of these fish groggy, but apparent-
ly did not kill them. A similar test last fall on nearby Elliott's Creek showed the
same results.

Officials from a Michigan chemical firm, the Fisheries Research Board of
Canada, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Bureau of Commercial Fisheries
coordinated efforts in this project. The work was aimed at ironing out difficulties
in analysis of water samples and in use of the chemical. It was not designed as a
full-scale management procedure.

A full report of the work was not expected immediately, but it was obvious the
chemical had harvested close to 100 percent of lampreys in the stream. Further
work, both tests and management, is expected on Lake Superior streams later this
year. Lake Superior still has a remnant lake trout population and officials are hope-
ful the chemical will help save the remaining trout.

Gulf Exploratory Fishery Program

EXPLORATORY FISHING FOR RED SNAPPER WITH ROLLER-RIGGED OTTER
TRAWL (M/V Silver Bay Cruise 7): The hard bottom areas 15-60 fathoms in the
northeast Gulf of Mexico extending from the Mississippi Delta to 86 30' W. (south
of Destin, Fla.) were fished with a roller-rigged otter trawl by the U. S. Bureau of
Commercial Fisheries chartered
exploratory fishing vessel Silver
Bay during a March 1958 cruise.
The primary objective was to dis-
cover if red snappers could be
found incommercial quantities on
bottom too rough for otter trawls.

Red snapper were taken in
small quantities in 20 of the 44
tows made with the roller-rigged
trawl. No areas were found which
produced red snapper in commer-
cial quantities. Several attempts
at fishing on or adjacent to known
red snapper "lumps" resulted in
tear-ups, but no gear was lost.
The trawl functioned without mis-
hap on some rough bottom areas
avoided by local commercial
trawlers.

M/V SILVER BAY (CRUISE 7, MARCH 11-28, 1958).

A series of tows on broken bottom south of Mobile Bay in 20-35 fathoms yield-
ed catches of mixed species of up to 3,000 pounds per 90-minute tow, using a roller-
rigged trawl constructed of 43-inch braided nylon. The principal species caught
were croaker (Migropogon), spot (Leiostomus), porgy (Stenotomus), and white sea
trout (Cynoscion).

x KOK OK

Jvne 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 31

MIDWATER TRAWLING EXPLORATIONS BETWEEN MISSISSIPPI DELTA AND
CAPE SAN BLAS (M/V Oregon Cruise 8): Samples of fish ranging from 10 to
1,369 pounds were obtained in 36 midwater tows by the U. S. Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries exploratory fishing vessel r =I =

Oregon during a cruise made between wal I
January 27 to March 14, 1958. Fifty- iy
two exploratory midwater trawling tows
were made between the Mississippi Del-
ta and Cape San Blas during the cruise
to count, sample, and identify midwater
fish schools and to test midwater trawls
of varying mesh sizes.

Trawl sets were made on depth re-
corder indications of midwater schools
and the samples obtained indicated con- :
centrations of many species of clupeoids. || “ a
Eighteen of the schools sampled were laaiee vs wa Cis |
predominantly razorbellies (Harengula ONG ‘ Baie
pensacolae) and nine were 5 to 6 inch
anchovies (Anchoa hepsetus). Other
scattered schools contained mixtures
of thread herring, chub mackeral, round
herring, anchovies, scad, gizzard shad,
and alewives. Menhaden (Brevoortia
patronus) made up the bulk of the catch
in two tows off Pass a Loutre. One tow
(January 30) contained 1,290 pounds of
menhaden in ripe spawning condition.

ot TMs | | Leceno:
* | @- SUCCESSFUL MiDWATER
| RAWL STATION.

COVERED BY SCHOOLS.

PREDOMINANT SPECIES
a mcrov VES

B - MENHADEN

H > RAZORBELLIES

T - THREAD HERRING
M - MIXED

=a
'M/V OREGON CRUISE 48 (JANUARY 27-MARCH 14, 1958).

Two 40-foot square midwater trawls with mesh sizes tapering from 3" to 13"
and 2" to 14'' were used for midwater sampling. A single set on three dense school
indications ath an 88-foot nylon trawl resulted in the loss of all the netting.

Recorder indications of subsurface schools were numerous both preceding and
following the cold wave during the middle of February. Schools were noticeably
diminished during the cold wave.

King Crab

BUREAU FISHERY BIOLOGISTS STUDY LIFE HISTORY: Literally foot by foot
the king crab utilizes its six walking legs to wend its way here and there in its fa-
vorite habitat in the Bering Sea and in other places in the North Pacific Ocean where
the water is from 30 to 70 fathoms deep.

Records in the U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries show that this crustacean
has migrated along the ocean floor as much as 300 miles. Migrations of 50 to 100
miles are common. Recently the Bureau reported that one king crab was taken 122
miles from point of release, one year and ten days after tagging.

The king crab, a walker and not a swimmer, is one of Alaska's many contribu-
tions to the tables of many nations. In the eastern Bering Sea, which is the center
of United States interest and activity, there are an estimated 20 million commercial-
size king crabs. This estimate is based upon a July 1957 sampling project at 77
fishing stations covering an area of 31,000 square miles of ocean north of the Alas-
ka peninsula. 'Commercial size" is not less than 62 inches across the top of the

32 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

body. The king crab often measures as much as 5 feet from leg tip to leg tip; it
weighs usually from 7-10 pounds with a record weight of 22.3 pounds.

While its tastiness has long been known to the United States consumer, it is
only in recent years that United States fishermen have made systematic attempts
to harvest the resource. Much
of harvesting can be done in "off
seasons" when fishing boats are
not otherwise engaged.

Japan has been harvesting
the king crab for a long time.
With United States fishermen now
becoming active in the harvest,
the advantage of joint conserva-
tion practices is becoming ap-
parent. Hence, the United States
section of the International North
Pacific Fisheries Commission
has asked the Bureau to make as
thorough a study as possible of
this resource. Through the
Saltonstall-Kennedy Act of 1954
for the improvement of the dom-
estic commercial fishing industry,
KING CRAB $31,000 has been made available
for the current research program,
in addition to $39,000 of regularly-appropriated funds.

If the resource is to be managed properly (that is if maximum sustained yield
is to be realized) the researchers must accumulate a considerable amount of data
on the life history of that shellfish--its spawning habits and areas, its natural en-
emies, conditions of optimum development, strong and weak spots in the life
cycle, the rate of growth, its habitat, andnumerous other things. The basis of
such a study depends upon being able to identify individual members of the popu-
lation to be studied.

One of the toughest problems which the research biologists working on the king
crab have been asked to solve is the matter of tagging. Because the king crab peri-
odically just walks out of his old shell a tag attached to the shell sooner or later is
separated from the crab.

But the biologists finally found a spot under the shell--in an area which in hu-
mans might be called the sacroiliac--where a ''spaghetti'' or ribbon tag can be
permanently attached. Last year 15,570 king crabs were tagged. Information on
their recapture is secured from both Japanese and United States fishermen.

OK ok ok Ok

STUDIES ae BE CONTINUED BY ALASKA FISHERIES BIOLOGIST IN KODIAK-

ery biologist aio recently joined the staff of the Alaska Department of Fish and
Game, that agency's Director announced in April 17.

The biologist will continue king crab research, which was started in the Kodiak-
Afognak area in 1954 bythe Alaska Department of FishandGame. The Department's
former biologist made an important contribution to the study of king crabs--the de-
velopment of a tag that would stay on the crab after its shell was shed during molting.
Since then the tag has been widely used by other fishery agencies engaged in king
crab research,

June 1958

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 33

Working in close cooperation with fishermen and processors, the biologist will
continue the Department's tagging program for additional data on king crab growth
and migrations. These studies have been greatly facilitated by the installation of a
large marine aquarium by the Department, which is now inoperation at Kodiak. This
will enable the biologist to conduct controlled experiments on growth and molting.

"The king crab fishery," the Department's Director says, "has expanded into a
most important industry and gives promise of surpassing salmon in the Kodiak area

in value to the Territory."

Kodiak now calls the city ''The King Crab Capital of the

World" and plans to stage an annual king crab festival.

Maine Sardines

CANNED STOCKS, APRIL 1, 1958: Distributor's stocks of Maine sardines to-
taled 293,000 actual cases on April 1, 1958--2,000 cases or less than 1 percent low-
er than the 295,000 cases on hand April 1, 1957. Stocks

held by distributors on January i, 1958, amounted to
230,000 cases, and on November 1, 1957, totaled 298,000
cases, according to estimates made by the U. S. Bureau

of the Census.

Canners' stocks on April 1, 1958, totaled 476,000
standard cases (100 32-o0z. cans), 11,000 cases above
stocks held on the same date last year, and consider-
ably less than the 1,111,000 cases reported on hand on

January 1, 1958.

Shipments of canned Maine sardines from April 15, 1957, to April 1, 1958, a-
mounted to 2,067,000 standard cases as compared to 1,877,000 cases for the same

period the previous season.

Distributors

Table 1 - Canned Maine Sardines--Wholesale Distributors' and Canners' Stocks
April 1, 1958, with Comparisons

Tee Unit 1957/58 Season
yP 4/1/58) 1/1/58] 11/1/5717

1956/57 Season

295 347

879

OK OK OK OK

OFFICIAL STATE GRADE STANDARDS FOR CANNED
SARDINES ESTABLISHED: Maine’s Commissioner of
Agriculture on March 28,1958, promulgated official State
grades for canned sardines in oil and hailed the action as
a ‘‘most vital forward step towards quality control, mar-
ket development andithe future success of this important
industry.’’ The promulgation becomes effective on April 15,
which is the legal opening date of the 1958 packing season.

The action was taken, at the request of the industry,
after three years of extensive research and actual experi-
ence on a voluntary basis withthe Commissioner’s organ-
ization participating in the development phases.

Under the program all lots of quarter-oil (34 oz.)
Sardines packed in the future will be graded, under the
State’s supervision, and given a rating commensurate
with the degree of quality produced.

It further provides for the issuance of official State cer-
tificates of grade to any packer who requests this service
and eliminates the introduction into trade channels of any
Sardines that do not conform to minimum standards.

Each lot will be rated either fancy, extra-standard,
standard, or substandard, according to the manner in
which it survives the rigid grading examination.

The Commissioner saidthat research was being con-
ducted for the inclusion of mustard and tomato-sauce
packs, along with the oil pack, at a future date.

Maine sardine packers produce a large share of the
world’s sardines with an annual pack of approximately
2,225,000 cases (100 cans to the case).

The Chairman of a Maine sardine industry committee
which has been active in development of the program,

34 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

described the promulgation as ‘‘the most commendable
and progressive move ever made by any segment of the
American seafood industry, on its own initiative....’’ He
predicted that it would have far-reaching effects towards
improvement of the per capita consumption ratio and mar-
keting of Maine’s sardine pack.

Administration of this activity comes under the Maine
Department of Agriculture, as that Department is charged

Vol. 20, No. 6

by law, with the responsibility of policing and enforcing
all State regulations dealing with grading, inspection,
growing, and processing of foodstuffs. Much work along
these lines is now being done on poultry, potatoes, blue-
berries, eggs, milk, and other products.

The grading operation will be performed by employees
of the Department of Agriculture, under the direct super-
vision of the Assistant Chief of Inspection, atthe industry’s
Bangor Laboratory.

Samples of each lot packed will be taken daily by State
Inspectors, stationed at the individual plants, and shipped
directly to the laboratory. The examinations and testing
will then be speedily carried out so as to eliminate any
unnecessary delay in getting the reports of the results back
to the canners,

Grades will be based on a number of factors, including
appearance, texture, flavor, odor, oil or sauce quality,
moisture, and water content. The Department will take
over a number of graders who have been training for this
work for three years.

The laboratory was established and equipped with Maine
Sardine Council funds at a cost of more than $75,000 and
was Officially opened by the Assistant Secretary of the
Interior Ross L, Leffler two years ago. Previously the
development work was carried on at a laboratory on the
University of Maine campus. In addition tothe grading and
quality control program, the laboratory houses other sar-
dine research activities.

Activities that finally resulted in the official grading were
launched in 1952 when the U. S. Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries was engaged to conduct pilot studies.

Prior to promulgation the Commissioner presided at a
public hearing, which was attended by most of the Maine’s
sardine canners, and an outline of the plan of action was
received by the group without opposition.

PACKING SEASON OPENED ON APRIL 15, 1958: The 1958 Maine sardine pack-

ing season legally opened on April 15, 1958, but industry leaders predict that pro-
duction will not begin until late May or early June.

The Maine Sardine Council's Executive Secretary said that the mid-April open-
ing date has been nothing more than a legal definition for the past ten years. Not
only have the old time early runs of fish failed to show up, but none of the plants

are ready for operation so early.

He said that there was nothing to indicate whether there would be an abundance
or scarcity of fish this season, but if the trend since 1951 prevailed, the latter situ-

ation might be the story.

Starting with 1951 when fish were very scarce, all season the industry had al-
ternate high and low production years until 1956 and 1957 which were two good fish
years ina row. Unless the trend is broken a shortage of sardines could crop up

again.

It was expected that several less plants would be in operation in 1957. Two
plants have been dismantled and there are reports of others not planning to operate.

The industry is anxious to know just what effect recently-promulgated official
Maine State grade standards will have on the pack and the market picture.

June 1958

Marke

EDIBLE FISHERY PRODUCTS MARKETING
PROSPECTS, SPRING-SUMMER 1958: United
States civilian consumption of fishery products in
the next few months is expected to be about the
same as a year earlier. Average retail prices of
these products this spring, judging from Bureau of
Labor Statistics wholesale prices, may top the
year-earlier high levels.

Commercial fishing operations are now on a
seasonal upswing which will continue until early
or mid-summer. Weather permitting, landings of
food fish and shellfish may be heavier this spring
than last since the level of prices may encourage
commercial fishermen to make more trips, espe-
cially for groundfish.

Stocks of fishery products in cold storage in
the continental United States last winter--partic-
ularly groundfish fillets and blocks--were rather
low in volume and high in price. The seasonal

to

ee

North Atlantic Fisheries Explo
CONTINENTAL SHELF OFF THE CA

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

35

ting

build-up in storage stocks which begins in the
spring may be a little heavier this year than last.

Imports of fishery products during the next
few months will be a little larger than a year
earlier if supplies are available abroad. ‘In the
past year world supplies of groundfish fillets and
blocks, important items in international trade in
edible fishery products, have been relatively tight.
Some reduction in exports from the spring 1957
total is likely since our supplies of canned fish are
much smaller this year.

This analysis appeared in a report prepared by
the Agricultural Marketing Service, U.S. Department
of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Bureau of
Commercial Fisheries, U. S. Department of the
Interior, and published in the former agency's
May 2, 1958, release of The National Food Situa-
tion (NFS-84). rina

ration and Gear Research

ROLINAS SURVEYED FOR COMMER-

CIAL FISH (M/V Delaware Cruise 58-1): Concentrations of commercially market-

able fish were not common in the offshore

Continental Shelf areas off North and

South Carolina surveyed from February 23 to March 17, 1958, by the U. S. Bureau

of Commercial Fisheries re-

—

search vessel Delaware. But
several of the catches showed
promise, and significant infor-

79° 78° Uae

NORTH CAROLINA

mation on bottom conditions and 7
commercial species not asso- ——————— -——->% =
ciated with the area was obtained. Ap
During the cruise 78 trawl sta- y es
tions and 4 oceanographic tran- °
sects were completed. . at

SOUTH a ee aaa

Trawling explorations were CAROLINA “ge e

made with a no. 41 manila otter
trawl (79 foot headrope, 100 foot
footrope, 43-inch mesh body,
24-inch cod-end) with roller or
chain footrope. A 100-foot Gulf
of Mexico flat shrimp trawl was
used on several occasions to in-

Legend:
Commercial Value:

Q - Minor to good

@- No significance
@- Snag or damage

X-x-x - Temperature
transect

vestigate areas in the deeper
water--only rock shrimp were
caught.

M/V DELAWARE CRUISE 58-1 (FEBRUARY 3-MARCH 17, 1958).

The mos}, important catch, by present-day commercial standards was when

one tow at 33 52 N. latitude and 76 29' W.

longitude yielded approximately 700

pounds of two species of snapper (Lutianus vivanus and Rhomboplites aurorubens).
Other areas gave indications that substantial quantities of industrial fish may be

available (39941' N. latitude and 77°03' W.

77935' W. longitude).

longitude and 33°09! N. latitude and

36 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

At 35°26! N. latitude and 74°54' W. longitude and 35°19'N. latitude and 74°59' W.
longitude menhaden were trawled in considerable numbers (600 pounds) at a depth
of 45 fathoms. A single common mackerel (Scomber scombrus) was takenten miles
SE. of Cape Lookout in 20 fathoms. Considerable scientific data on sharks was ob-
tained during the cruise. One specimenofadeep-water shark (Deania sp.), reported
previously only from the Eastern Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, was taken,
and the second known specimen of the deep-water shark Etmopterus bullisi was
captured. Over 200 specimens of the sand bar shark (Eulamia milberti) were
taken on one tow south of Cape Hatteras, indicating that this area may be the winter -
ing area for this species.

Bottom traces were indicated in many areas with the echo-sounder, and from
all indications anchovies may have been the species contributing to these traces.

Asin previous exploratory operations in this area, the bottom was found to be trawl =
able, with gear damage ononly 10 stations; aseveresnagat 33 27' N. latitude and 77
04' W. longitude resulted in loss of port trawl door and the No. 41 net with roller gear.

Four oceanographic transects (see charts) were made to investigate the occur-
rence of warm bottom water along the edge of the Continental Shelf, south of Cape Hat -
teras. This condition was checked with reversing bottom thermometers and bathythem-
ograph casts. As indicated by data collected by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institu-
tion, the bottom water was considerably warmer in adepthof 75 fathoms than it was
either inshore or offshore. A more tropical fauna was found to be present in this
area, as several species of butterfly fish and southern forms of rays were taken.

Kiet

North Atlantic Fisheries Investigations

HADDOCK ECOLOGY STUDIES CONTINUED (M/V Silver Mink): Observations
and collection of data for the haddock ecology study were conducted by the Bureau
of Commercial Fisheries chartered vessel Silver Mink on April 11, 1958, in an area
NNE. of Cape Cod Light, Mass. Two tows were made with an otter trawl having a
13-inch mesh cod end liner at 55 to 65 fathoms. The area fished was approximately
six square miles. One bathythermograph lowering was made during the trip.

The entire catch of 764 haddock were measured for length, and scale samples
were collected from 153 fish. In a sample of 50 female and 50 male haddock, length
and weight were collected; liver weight and state of development noted; drumming
muscle length, weight, and color were recorded; and scale samples, fin rays, and
stomach contents collected.

All species were identified and counted in one tow and important species were
measured.

A sample of sea dabs was collected for age and growth studies and red (ling)
and white hake for meristic studies.

Red hake predominated in the two tows, followed by sea dabs, haddock, and
dogfish. An increased abundance of one- and two-year old haddock was noted.
About all the haddock taken in the catches were spawned out, indicating that the
peak of spawning had occurred about the end of March.

kK KK

HADDOCK TAGGING AND HYDROGRAPHIC CRUISE COMPLETED (M/V Al-
batross III): Thirty-two otter-trawl tows were made on Georges Bank, Browns
Bank, and Jeffreys Ledge by the U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries research

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 37

vessel Albatross III, between March 26, and April 9, 1958. A total of 1,219 haddock
were tagged with the ''spaghetti''-type tag and 8 halibut were peer with Petersen—
dise tags, in both cases just below the
dorsal fins.

As part of the Bureau's participa-
tion in the International Geophysical
Year (IGY) program, Nansen bottle wa-
ter samples were collected and bathy-
thermograph casts were made at 18
stations in the IGY section.

THE BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES RESEARCH VES-
SEL ALBATROSS III.

hurricane-force winds at times reduced the time available to accomplish the ob-

Two severe northeasters with

jectives of the cruise.
a

North Pacific Fisheries Investigations

COMMERCIAL QUANTITIES OF PINK SHRIMP FOUND OFF NORTHERN ORE-
GON (M/V John N. Cobb Cruise 36): Good commercial quantities of “cocktail size"
pink shrimp were located off the northern Oregon coast by the U. S. Bureau of Com-
mercial Fisheries' exploratory fishing vessel John N. Cobb during a four-week

cruise which ended on April 11.

ae ce The best fishing areas were
south of the mouth of the Colum-

NPL, bia River off Tillamook Head
| where shrimp were taken at the
rate of 2,800 pounds per hour
with a 72-foot Gulf of Mexico
semibaloon-type shrimp trawl
OREGON and off Seaside where shrimp

catches at the rate of 1,350
pounds per hour were taken with
a 40-foot Gulf of Mexico flat-type
shrimp trawl. These areas yield-
ed catches which compare favor-
ably with those made on the pro-
|Cape Falcon ductive grounds off Grays Harbor,
; 50° | Wash., and off Copalis Head,
Wash., when they were discovered
by the John N. Cobb in 1956, and
which subsequently yielded over 2 million pounds to the commercial fleet in 1957.

M/V JOHN N. COBB (CRUISE NO. 36, MARCH-APRIL 1958).

This was the first in a series of shrimp explorations scheduled for the Bureau's
vessel for 1958 off the coasts of Washington and Oregon in cooperation with the
State of Washington Department of Fisheries and the Fish Commission of Oregon.

The area explored during this trip extended from 10 to 28 miles offshore be-
tween the entrance of the Columbia River and Cape Falcon. Although tows were
made at depths of 56 to 94 fathoms, the most productive grounds were found in 70
to 85 fathoms on green mud bottom.

38 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Of the 63 tows (nearly all of 30-minute duration) completed during the trip,
43 were made with the 40-foot trawl and 15 with the 72-foot trawl. Both trawls
were constructed with 13-inch mesh cotton netting. Indications are that the 72-foot
trawl is approximately twice as efficient as the 40-foot trawl.

The bottom fished was excellent with net damage limited to a single tow. Mud
was present in the net on only one occasion, and even then it was only a small a-
mount.

Samples of shrimp were frozen from each tow for biological analysis at the
Fish Commission of Oregon's Research Laboratory at Astoria. Considerable fish-
ing time was lost because of adverse weather conditions.

The second of the 1958 series of shrimp explorations off the coasts of Wash-
ington and Oregon was started on April 28 and due to end on May 23, 1958. The ob-
jectives of this cruise (No. 37) were to determine the distribution of shrimp off-
shore from Willapa Bay, Wash., to the Columbia River and from Cape Flattery at
the entrance to the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Destruction Island off the northern
part of Washington.

kK KOK

MODIFIED ELECTRICAL DEPTH-TEMPERATURE TELEMETER TESTED
AND TRUE COD TAGGED (M/V John N. Cobb Cruise 35): The modified electrical
depth-temperature telemeter was tested for the first time in bottom trawling by the U.S.

Bureau of Commercial Fisheries
exploratory fishing vessel John
4 N. Cobb during a two-week cruise
to the eastern part of the Strait
of Juan de Fuca. The cruise end-
ed on February 28, 1958. In ad-
dition to testing the telemeter,
Washington Department of Fish-
eries biologists aboard were as-
sisted in tagging true cod. More
than 1,100 true cod and about 100
sablefish (black cod) were tagged
during the cruise by the biologists
with plastic "spaghetti''-type
tags and experimental dart tags.
THE JOHN N. COBB, A VESSEL OPERATED BY THE SERVICE'S Incisions in the belly cavity had
BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES. Louhe mad ao OaHIGE AO Conte
release expanded gases result-
ing from the changes in pressure from the sea bottom to the surface, in order for
the fish to return to the bottom and not float on the surface after tagging.

A total of 54 bottom tows were made with a standard 400-mesh Eastern-type
otter trawl between Port Townsend and Port Angeles at depths of 10 to 60 fathoms.
True cod were found to be most plentiful off Port Townsend, but small catches were
made of Port Angeles and west of Protection Island.

The depth-temperature telemeter, a device which transmits continuous trawl
depth and water temperature data to the pilothouse through an electrified trawl
cable, proved to be sufficiently accurate when operating. However, on several oc-
casions the electrical conductors broke under the strain of towing, necessitating
repairs aboard the vessel. The tests proved that a stronger type of termination
for the sending unit will have to be developed if this instrument is to become a de-
pendable aid in bottom trawl fishing.

Sasa

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 39

Oregon
COMMISSION OPPOSES MOVE TO DECLARE STEELHEAD TROUT A GAME

FISH: The Oregon Fish Commission, at its April 1958 meeting in Portland, unani-
mously went on record as being officially opposed to declaring steelhead a game
species in Oregon waters. The Commission members viewed with particular dis-
favor and alarm a movement
currently under way to place
the steelhead issue on the No-
vember 1958 ballot.

Speaking on behalf of the
Commission, the Chairman de-
clared that after careful con-
sideration of the many complex
factors associated with the steel-
head question, the Commission
decided it had no alternative but
to oppose the game fish measure. He stated, ''We fail to detect any semblance of
conservation involved in making steelhead a game fish in Oregon. To the contrary,
enactment of the proposal being advanced would result in either a tremendous wan-
ton wastage of highly palatable fish or complete abolition of commercial fishing in
the Columbia River.'' He further stated that he could not see how either of these
drastic consequences could be construed as sound conservation.

Elaborating on the reference to wastage, the Chairman said that the manner in
which gill-net fishing has been conducted in the Columbia River for more than 100
years makes it impossible to fish for salmon without catching varying numbers of
steelhead. He also said that the major share of salmon and steelhead taken com-
mercially in the Columbia River are dead or severely injured when the fisherman
pulls his net. He continued, ''Under provisions of the proposed initiative, a com-
mercial fisherman would be heavily fined for catching even a single steelhead either
intentionally or by accident. You can't educate a steelhead to stay out of a net, and
we fear that large quantities of dead or dying steelhead that inevitably would be
caught would be thrown overboard."

The Chairman further stated that Oregon law prohibits the wanton wastage of
both food and game fishes, which precludes any disposal of steelhead caught inci-
dentally during a legitimate salmon fishing operation in the Columbia River except
through established commercial channels. The State of Washington recognizes this
fact and permits the commercial fishery and disposition of steelhead in the Colum-
bia River district and actually collects a fee on the quantity of fish landed.

Citing the Oregon commercial fisheries code, he said that the Commission is
obliged to manage the food fishery resources of Oregon on the basis of conserva-
tion, substantiated by investigations. ''Scientific findings of our staff of highly qual-
ified biologists indicate that Columbia River steelhead runs are in good condition."
he stated. "All available evidence indicates that with continued proper management,
these runs can maintain a sizable harvest by both sport and commercial fishermen.
For all practical purposes, making steelhead a game fish in Oregon involves only
the Columbia River. An initiative measure adopted in 1956 reserves all Oregon
streams south of the Columbia River, except Tillamook Bay, for exclusive use by
sport anglers as far as salmon and steelhead are concerned. A limited commer-
cial fishery is still permitted for chum salmon in Tillamook Bay."

In conclusion, the Chairman of the Commission declared, 'Both sport and com-
mercial interests have suffered materially over the years as a result of these con-
tinual fish controversies that all too often have been based more upon emotion

40 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20. No. 6

rather than fact. It is lamentable that the energy generated by these conflicts has
not been directed towards assisting our capable fisheries scientists in solving the
very real problems of maintaining and increasing salmon and steelhead production
in our streams."

Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investigations

ENUMERATION AND SAMPLING OF TUNA SCHOOLS IN THE MARQUESAS
ISLANDS AREA (M/V Charles H. Gilbert Cruise 38): Sampling Tuna Schools: Ob-
servations made by the U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries research vessel
Charles H. Gilbert indicate that
April is a transition period be-
tween the seasons of abundance
and scarcity for skipjack tuna in
the Marquesas Islands area. In
the course of an 85-day cruise
that ended on May 2, 1958, the
Charles H. Gilbert explored the
waters around the Marquesas
Islands, Tuamotus, and as far
south as Tahiti (French Oceania),
and reported that skipjack were
plentiful in those waters. Skip-
jack in the Marquesas area were
uniformily small in size, meas-
uring around 5 pounds, while
fish farther to the south in the Tuamotua and Tahiti area were generally large fish,
15 to 20 pounds, and comparable in size to the Hawaiian season fish.

M/V CHARLES H. GILBERT

Of the total of 183 schools of fish sighted on the cruise, 61 schools were identi
fied as skipjack tuna, 4 as yellowfin tuna, and 11 as mixed yellowfin and skipjack.
The balance were unidentified. Morethan 1,300 skipjack were tagged, with a new
plastic dart tag develaped by the local laboratory, and released. Recapture of these
tagged fish will provide valuable information on the movements of fish in French
Oceania.

The Marquesas Islands are located about 2,000 miles southeast of Hawaii and
2,800 miles from the United States mainland, thus placing them within an exploit-
able distance of United States commercial fishermen, particularly the long-range
segment of the West Coast tuna clipper fleet.

The vessel surveyed these virgin waters by visual scouting and live-bait fish-
ing. The Marquesan sardine, a bait fish presently being introduced into Hawaiian
waters by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, was found to be an excellent bait for
skipjack. Although rather large when compared to the local skipjack bait, the nehu,
even the small skipjack of the Marquesas area were found to respond favorably to
it. The vessel brought back 25 buckets of Marquesan sardines and released them
off Ewa, making a total of about 55,000 fish of this species that have been released
in Hawaiian waters. About one-half dozen sardines were taken by the sampan Buc-
caneer on May 1 in West Loch, Pearl Harbor, just prior to the most recent stock-
ing. While these fish were probably survivors of earlier plants, they could have
been progeny of spawnings.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 41

Inshore Surveys: Two standardized inshore surveys, near the Marquesas Is-
lands, were conducted during the cruise. The first survey, February 27 through
March 8, revealed an abundance of skipjack schools in the area. Of the 90 schools
sighted, 24 were identified as be-
ing composed of skipjack. Others
were 3 yellowfin, 6 mixed (skip-
|) jack and yellowfin), and 57 uniden-
tified schools. Many of the schools
were large and attended by huge
bird flocks. The skipjack were al-
most without exception small (4-

8 pounds), and yellowfin were gen-
erally between 15 and 20 pounds
each in weight.

The second inshore survey,
conducted between April 11 and 19,
resulted in fewer sightings. Of 54
schools seen, 19 were skipjack, 4
were mixed (skipjack and yellow-
fin), and 31 were unidentified.

Like the first survey, the fish were

LEGEND: generally small.
INSHORE SURVEY.
—————- OF FSHORE SURVEY. 3 4
DIURNAL VARIABILITY STA. a While a fair portion (43 per-
cent) of the schools worked during
egw pw ew stew pew the first survey responded in some

- degree to chumming, the schools
encountered during the second sur-
vey were extremely wild and ''boat-

shy''--only 25 percent of the schools responded in any way for fish to be taken.

TRACK CHART, CHARLES H. GILBERT CRUISE 38.

Table 1 - Results of Other Inshore Surveys|| Table 2 - Results of Other Offshore Sur
in Marquesas Islands are Given for veys in Marquesas Islands are
Comparison with Results of Cruise 38 Given for Comparison
Beriodiel Surveys a _ [Schools Seen with Results of Cruise 38
Mar. O-Aat 8, 1958. 9
Jan, 27-Feb. 12, 1958 . 74
Oct. 24-Nov. 6, 1957. 26

Offshore survey: The 12-day sur-
vey conducted between March 26 and
April 8 resulted in total sightings of 39
BeHOols aa skipjack, 1 yellowfin, 1 mixed (skipjack and yellowfin), and 19 uniden-
tified). This survey again revealed the absence of large skipjack in this area as
without exception the fish seen or taken were around 5 pounds in size.

The Marquesan sardine (Harengula vittata) was generally scarce during the
period of this cruise, particularly prior to mid-April. The previously reliable
baiting grounds in Taiohae Bay, Nuku Hiva, yielded only a few scattered groups of
sardines, while other bays in Nuku Hiva such as Taipi Vai and Anaho were notable
for the absence of this bait fish. Surveys were made in all likely bays in Nuku Hiva
and the general scarcity of bait was noted. Beginning around April 10 the sardines
begar to show up in fair quantities in Taiohae and Tai Oa Bays in Nuku Hiva.

42 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Prior to April 10, a total of 40 sets were made in Nuku Hivan bays resulting
in 218 buckets of sardine or 5.4 buckets per set. After April 10, 13 sets took 167
buckets or 13 buckets per set. Moreover, about 30 additional visual sweeps prior
to April 10 showed no bait present in most of the bays surveyed. Indicative also of
change in the bait situation after mid-April was the appearance of sardine at nights
around the ship's light where formerly few or none had been attracted.

Of the other islands surveyed, only one bay in Tahu Ata Island (Hana Tetou) was
found to have a fair quantity of sardines during this cruise. Unfortunately, the long
haul from the baiting site to the vessel was probably the chief cause of the very high
mortality experienced with bait taken in this locality.

The size frequency, sex, and gonad development were recorded from about 25
sardines at each baiting locality. An additional sample was preserved for labora-
tory examination.

A non-quantitative 10-minute plankton tow was made at each baiting locality
employing a 45-cm. net.

Visual Surveys into the Tuamotus: Two days were spent fishing and scouting
in the Tuamotus. Most noteworthy was the predominance of large (15- to 20-pound)
skipjack in this area.

Diurnal Variability of Zooplankton: The diurnal variability station was occupied
twice during the cruise. Each consisted of a 24-hour series of bathythermographs
and 140-meter plankton tows taken at 2-hour intervals.

Deep-Swimming Tuna Resources in Equatorial Waters: A series of 7 long-line
stations along 150° W. longitude between 5 N.andI1 = S. latitude resulted in poor
catches; the best day's catch was 8 yellowfin (3° N.). One big-eyed and 7 yellowfin
tuna taken by long line were tagged and released.

Environmental Monitoring Survey in Waters Adjacent to Oahu: The Oahu mon-
itoring survey, consisting of bathythermographs and collection of surface salinity
samples at 12 localities, was conducted at the beginning of the cruise.

General Observations: Various oceanographic and productivity measurements
were made during the cruise including 336 bathythermograph lowerings, 233 sur-
face salinity samples, 204 phosphate samples, 14 Secchi disk and Forel observa-
tions, 71 0-140 m. oblique zooplankton and larval fish tows, and 12 surface plankton
tows.

Blood samples for serological studies were obtained from big-eyed tuna (long-

line caught) and skipjack.

Salmon

BIG FIELD TEST FOR ELECTRICAL GUIDING OF about seven years. It is the Bureau’s first large-scale

YOUNG FISH: A full-scale field experiment on the effec-
tiveness of electrical apparatus in guiding young seabound
salmon away from danger areas was begun in March 1958

and continues throughout the period of migration, the U. S.

Bureau of Commercial Fisheries announced recently.
The tests were started at Lake Taps on the White River,
a tributary to Puget Sound, Wash.

The project is a result of the electrical guiding experi-
mental program which the Bureau has been conducting for

test on the use of electrical equipment to divert young
fish from danger areas.

Two field tests on streams approximating 100 feet in
width have been successful, as have numerous laboratory
and aquarium tests. In the current test a 1,000-foot elec-
trical fence will be used. A ‘‘fence’’ consists of a line of
electrodes which hang in the water at specified intervals
and which carry pulsating direct electric current supplied
by a source on the shore.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 43

As the small fish approach the electrical field they are safely around danger spots on their downstream migration;
guided into a trap for enumeration. An additional trap will (3) separating wanted from unwanted fish; and (4) protect-
be used to catch any fish which may get through the elec- ing young fish from predators.
trical field. In this way the effectiveness of the device
under actual operation can be ascertained. The chief problem area for predation is in the lower

Columbia River where hordes of squawfish are a final

The electrical guiding experiments have been conductea hazard for young salmon planted from hatcheries. Some
to get solutions for four general types of problems relating progress has been made here but there is still much to be
to fish migrations: (1) guiding adult fish around barriers accomplished before this problem can be considered solved.

which block upstream migration; (2) guiding young fish
XK OOK OK OK OK

NIACIN DEFICIENCY INVOLVED IN SALMON SUNBURN: The case of the '"'sun-
burned salmon™ which has plagued United States Fish and Wildlife Service fish cul-
turists and biologists for a long while, has been partially solved, the Department of
the Interior indicates. A niacin deficiency has been proved to be correlated with
the sunburn, and research men are delving deeper to deter-
mine the character of this relationship.

Since circumstances--high dams and the destruction of
salmon runs and spawning grounds--make successful hatch-
ery operation a most important activity for the continuance
of the Columbia River salmon fishery, biological attention Sain ke
is being given to sunburn and to kindred conditions associated with light.

Sunburn in salmon being reared in the Bureau's fish hatcheries in the Pacific
Northwest is as noticeable on the fish as sunburn is on human beings. Distinct dis-
coloration, a dermatitis causing sloughing off of the epidermis (which on a fish is
under the scales), and swellings and lesions on the back are some of the evidences.

Salmon fry and small fingerlings also show evidence of the adverse effect of
sun, or at least excess light. The death rate of young salmon being raised near
sunny windows is much higher than in portions of the same brood raised farther
back in the hatchery. The same thing applies to eggs. The hatch of salmon eggs
kept in an area of sunlight is smaller than from eggs kept in darker portions of the
room,

Experiments conducted by the Bureau's nutrition laboratory at Cook, Wash.,
indicate that diets deficient in the vitamin niacin are correlated with sunburn in
salmon. Fish fed a niacin-deficient diet for 30 days have developed serious sun-
burn. Sunburned fish fed a complete diet for 60 days under the same light con-
ditions have shown almost complete recovery. Further and more complete experi-
mentation and analysis are planned for this spring.

Trout are also occasionally afflicted with "sunburn" in hatcheries, particular-
ly in the states of the Southwest. Recognition of the cause will have far-reaching
benefits in these areas, as well as in the salmon restoration program.

Fish in the wild, of course, are protected from sunburn by stream cover,
deep pools, and a niacin-rich diet.

Shad
RECEIPTS AND TRENDS ON NEW YORK CITY'S FULTON FISH MARKET:
from a low of 1.4 million pounds in 1953 to a high of 2.9 million pounds in 1948
(see table 1). Shad receipts in 1957 dropped to 1.8 million pounds--22 percent be-
low the 2.3 million pounds reported in 1956,

44 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Most of the shad came from New York and New Jersey (Hudson River) during
April and May and from Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland during

Table 1 - Shad Receipts on New York
City's Fulton Fish Market,
1948-1957

(OH NH BAI & wo ©

January, February, and March.

Wholesale prices for shad report-
ed in New York City's Fulton Fish Mar-
ket for April 1955 and April 1957 are
shown in tables 2 and 3.

Experienced observers in New
York City's Fulton Market have noted
a steadily diminishing demand for shad
as a source of fish meat, but a firm and
active market exists for the shad roe.
As shad meat is richly-flavored and
requires more than ordinary skill in
cooking, it is understandable that the
younger generations look for more
easily-prepared fishery products.

Annually the drop in shad prices during the season corresponds very closely
to the peak of the run of shad to the Hudson River and, as a rule, this is the time
when the shad eating public begins to lose interest in this variety.

of 0 USO fF 0 eA Oo 0

There are several other factors that affect shad prices at New York. Although New
York City is an excellent market for the shad roe, the market for shad meat is poor; there-
fore, when the supplies of buck shad are heavy there is no market at all in New York
and the New York dealers will consign buck shad and "'cut'' roe shad to other cities ata
loss. The profits from the shad roe will usually make up the losses and yield a profit.

With New York City loaded up with buck shad and cut roe shad and ready to sell

yoreoropet peer ros

orirtiori ning

at low prices, the prices paid for Maryland and Virginia bucks are forced down-
ward. As a rule after the middle of April all East Coast shad markets become over-

supplied with shad.

Also, as the roe shad from the Hudson River become more mature they are

less valuable as a source of roe.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 45

These adverse factors have been apparent for years, but they seem more pro-
nounced in recent years due to a slowly-diminishing market for shad as a source
of fish meat.

Table 3 - Daily Shad Prices Reported in New York ty Market News Service
"Fishery Products Reports," April 1957

Another tactor which has had an ever-increasing effect on shad prices at New
York City is the contamination of Hudson River shad with oil and other waste prod-
ucts. At times perfectly fresh shad are so contaminated with oil that they are un-
salable as a source of shad meat. The public has become increasingly conscious of
this oily flavor in Hudson River shad.

Still another factor to be considered when judging the market and price for shad is
the unusual difficulties encountered in preparing shad meat for the table. Modern
consumers are extremely conscious of fish bones and shad have many very fine
bones. The methods of boning shad are good, but costly in terms of labor. This
practice of boning shad has been one factor that has helped to maintain the market
for shad, but fish cutters who make good shad-boners arescarce. The seasonal nature
of the fishery tends to keep skilled fish cutters out of the shad-boning business.

Shrimp

GOOD CATCHES TAKEN OFF TAMPA BAY, FLORIDA: Sizable catches of
Gulf shrimp were taken from waters close to the mouth of Tampa Bay during the
last half of April 1958, the U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries fishery market-
ing specialist at Tampa reported on May 1.

The shrimp catches are the first taken from waters close inshore in this area
since 1954. Catches weighing close to 3,000 pounds were taken by many of nearly
70 trawlers working the area. A trip usually consists of from 3-5 days, with all
trawling done at night.

The current shrimp run began when several Fort Myers shrimpers trawled ex-
perimentally in the area west to north west of Egmont Key. Shrimping has been best from
the entrance to Tampa Bay to off Blind Pass at St. Petersburg Beach, about 12 miles
north. The best shrimp catches were taken 3-5 miles offshore at depths of 18-42 feet.

In the past shrimp boats operating out of Florida west coast ports have seldom
found shrimp in commercial numbers in the Tampa Bay area. Past shrimp runs
close by have usually faded within a short time or been abandoned in favor of better

46 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

fishing elsewhere. Best known west coast Florida shrimping grounds are in the
Tortugas area, near Key West, and off Fort Myers Beach. Tampa is a major base
for seagoing vessels which cross the Gulf to shrimp on the Campeche grounds off
the Mexican coast. Shrimp is the number one dollar-value fishery in the United
States and a multi-million dollar business in Florida.

(Sb

SS
United States Commercial Fisheries Decline in 1957

The U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries' preliminary review of the United
States commercial fisheries for 1957 shows a decline in the landings, a decline in
the pack of fish used for human food, an increase in the canned pet food pack with
fish as an ingredient, a decline in the number of fishing craft used, a decrease in
the number of fishermen, and a slight increase in the number of shore installations
handling the products. The per capita consumption remained steady at about 10.2
pounds.

LANDINGS: The United States landings for 1957 were 4.75 billion pounds as
compared with 5.25 billion pounds in 1956. (The data on quantity represent fish in
the round or as landed except for mollusks which are reported in pounds of edible
meats instead of weight in the shell.) Declines were noted in both the food fish and
industrial fish landings. Menhaden (the chief industrial fish) landings were down 20
percent, or 400 million pounds, and were responsible for the lower landings in this
group. The 1957 catch of industrial fish was 2.2 billion pounds as compared with
2.6 billion pounds in the previous year. The food fish catch dropped from 2.7 bil-
lion pounds to 2.5 billion pounds.

Among the species taken in smaller quantities in 1957 were cod, haddock Pa-
cific halibut, Atlantic ocean perch, salmon, tuna, oysters, and shrimp. The catch
of herring, flounders, mackerel, pollock, scallops, and lobsters was up somewhat
while the 40.6-million-pound Dungeness crab harvest and the whiting catch of 132.8
million pounds established new high records.

EMPLOYMENT AND VESSELS: The fishing boats were manned by 142,000men,
down 2,000 from 1956; in the shore establishments, estimated employment was

100,000. The estimated number of boats used in the commercial fisheries totaled
84,000.

EX-VESSEL PRICE AND VALUE: The average ex-vessel price for the 1957
landings was 7.39 cents a pound as compared with 7.03 cents a pound for the 1956
landings. But because of the decreased catch, the total value of the 1957 harvest
was below that of 1956. The following figures show the estimated values of the 1957
catch at the various trade levels with 1956 values in parentheses: producer (fish-
erman)--$351,000,000 ($369,018,000); processor--$592,000,000 ($622,000,000);
wholesaler--$836,000,000 ($879,000,000); retailer--$1,091,000,000 ($1,147,000,000).

LEADING PORTS: San Pedro, Calif., continued to be the Nation's No. 1 port
in both landings and ex-vessel value of landings; the 354.4 million pounds of princi-
pally tuna, mackerel, and sardines brought $25.4 million ex-vessel. Lewes, Del., was
second in landings with 286.2 million pounds of menhaden, and Reedville, Va., was
third with 256.8 million pounds of menhaden. Gloucester, Mass., was fourth in
total landings, but second in landings of food fish with 248.9 million pounds. Other
important ports included Beaufort-Morehead City, N. C.; Boston, Mass.; San Diego,
Calif.; New Bedford, Mass.; Portland and Rockland, Maine; and Astoria, Ore.

LEADING SPECIES: Tuna led the food fishes in pounds landed with 295.6 mil-
lion pounds. Salmon was next with 257.2 million pounds, followed by shrimp with

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 47

204.4 million pounds. The Maine herring catch was 153.6 million pounds, most of
which was canned for human consumption, Haddock and ocean perch landings were
almost identical, each being more than 133.0 million pounds. The whiting catch was
132.8 million pounds. The menhaden harvest was 1.7 billion pounds, accounting for
35 percent of the total catch.

The ex-vessel value of several of the food fish was higher in 1957 despite the
fact that some of the catches were smaller than in the previous year. The shrimp
harvest was down 20 million pounds, but the ex-vessel value was $74 million, or
$3 million above 1956. Thevalue of the salmon catch was $39,300,000. The value of the
tuna catch (down 33 million pounds) was $38.4 million, or $5 million below 1956. The
value of menhaden taken in 1957 was $22.1 million, or $6 million below 1956.

CANNING: The quantity of fish canned for human food in 1957 was 644.7 mil-
lion pounds as compared with 657.6 million povnds in 1956. There were 342.3 mil-
lion pounds of pet food (with fish as an ingredient) and bait canned in 1957 as com-
pared with 321.8 million pounds in 1956. The value of the 1957 pack of all canned
fishery products was $334.8 million; that of the 1956 pack was $349.5 million. There
was a $15-million drop in food canned for human use and a slight rise in the value
of fish canned for pets.

Tuna led the field in number of pounds canned with a record 232.5 million; salm-
on was next with 152.9 million; mackerel was third with 59.7 million; Maine sar-
dines were next with 46.0 million pounds; and then clam chowder with 36.6 million
pounds. There were 342.3 million pounds of pet food processed. The 1957 packs
of tuna, Maine sardines, mackerel, and pet food were higher than those of 1956; the
packs of salmon and clam chowder were lower.

UTILIZATION: Thirty percent of the commercial fisheries landings, or 1.4 bil-
lion pounds, went into the channels of trade as fresh or frozen fish; 24 percent was
canned; and 2 percent was cured. A total of 2.1 billion pounds, or 44 percent of the
landings, was used for byproducts (oil, meal, and solubles) and as pet or animal
food and bait.

AREA DISTRIBUTION: Fifty-four percent of the 1957 production (2.6 billion
pounds) was taken by Atlantic Coast fishermen. Fishermen from the Gulf States
and the Pacific Coast each took 17 percent of the total; Alaskans caught 8 percent;
and the fishermen operating in the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River system
caught 4 percent. Most of the fishing was done in waters off the shores of the U-
nited States and Alaska but nearly 0.5 billion pounds, or about 10 percent of the
catch was taken on the high seas off foreign shores. More than half of this catch
off foreign shores was tuna.

STATISTICAL PUBLICATIONS: The 1957 review (Fisheries of the United States
and Alaska, 1957--A Preliminary Review), Fishery Leaflet 393, differs from pre-
vious ones in that it contains more complete and current domestic data and is a-
vailable to the public and to the industry some weeks earlier than usual. In addition
to data on production, processing, prices, and supplies of the domestic catch, there
is considerable information on the fishery imports and exports and on world fish-
eries. Related bulletins also available are Packaged Fish--1957, C.F.S. 1755, and
Canned Fish and Byproducts--1957, C.F.S, T1756.

48 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

United States Fishing Fleet 2! Additions

FEBRUARY 1958: A total of 50 vessels of 5 net tons and over were issued
first documents as fishing craft during February 1958--19 more than in February
1957. The Gulf area led all others with 19 vessels, followed by the Chesapeake area

Table 2 - U. S. Vessels Issued Firs
Documents as Fishing Craft,
by Tonnage, February 1958

Craft, by Areas, February 1958
eee | February | rinse: [1087 Feb. otal |
1957 | 1957

''wpwINDMONH

with 10, the South Atlantic
with 8, the Pacific with 7,
the Middle Atlantic and the
Great Lakes with 2 each,
and the New England area
———E———————————— and the Vir gin Islands with
V/ INCLUDES BOTH COMMERCIAL AND SPORT FISHING CRAFT. 1 each.

NOTE: VESSELS HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED TO THE VARIOUS SECTIONS ON THE
BASIS OF THEIR HOME PORT

U. S. Fish Stick Production

JANUARY-MARCH 1958: The United States production of fish sticks during
the first quarter of 1958 amounted to 16.9 million pounds, an increase of 2.5 mil-
lion pounds or 17 percent as compared with the first quarter of 1957.

able 1 - U. S. Production of Fish Sticks, January-March 1958

Total lst Quarter 1958 15,646 1,291 16,937
Total 1st Quarter 19572/. .| 13,171 1,312 14,483
Total lst Quarter 1956 14,700 1,900 16,600
PRELIMINARY. 2/ REVISED. |

The Atlantic Coast States led all areas with 14.1 million pounds or 83 percent
of the total. The Interior and Gulf States were in second place with nearly 1.5 mil-
lion pounds or 9 percent of the total, followed by the Pacific Coast States with 1.4
million pounds or 8 percent.

Table 2 - U. S. Production of Fish Sticks by Areas,
___ January-March 1958-1957

a
Area No. of | 1,000 | No. of | 1,000
Firms — Lbs.
1,68

Atlantic Coast States....
Interior and Gulf States ..
Pacific Coast States

eo 8 6 8 6 ee ew ee

PRELIMINARY.

1

2/ REVISED.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 49

Cooked fish sticks (15.6 million pounds) accounted for 92 percent of the first
quarter total, while the remaining 1.3 million pounds or 8 percent consisted of un-
cooked fish sticks.

Production was greatest during February with 5.9 million pounds. Close to 5.5
million pounds were packed during each of the other two months in the quarter, Jan-

uary and March.

NOTE: ALSO SEE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW APRIL 1958, P. 38

1

|U. S. Foreign Trade

EDIBLE FISHERY PRODUCTS, FEBRUARY 1958: Imports of edible fresh,
frozen, and processed fish and shellfish into the United States during February 1958
were down about 7.9 percent in quantity and 6.2 percent in value as compared with
January 1958. Compared with February 1957, the imports this February were high-
er by 13.2 percent in quantity and 15.8 percent in value. The imports in February

United States Foreign Trade in Edible Fishery Products, February 1958
with Comparisons

Fish and shellfish:
Processed only (excluding
fresh & frozen)+
INCLUDES PASTES, SAUCES, CLAM CHOWDER AND JUICE, AND OTHER SPECIALTIES.

1958 were lower than in January 1958 for other fillets, frozen tuna, shrimp, canned
salmon, and canned sardines. These decreases more than offset higher imports

of canned tuna. Imports of edible fishery products in February this year were up
from the same month in 1957 for groundfish fillets, shrimp, and canned sardines
and tuna. These increases in February 1958 were partially offset by decreases in
the imports of lobster and spiny lobster tails, frozen tuna, and canned bonito.

United States exports of processed fish and shellfish in February 1958 were
higher by 8.3 percent in quantity and 33.3 percent in value as compared with Jan-
uary 1958. Compared with the same month in 1957, the exports in February 1958
were down by 66.8 percent in quantity and 52.9 percent in value. The sharp de-
creases in both quantity and value this February as compared the same month in
1957 were due, primarily, to a shortage of the usual exportable types of canned fish.

KK kk

GROUNDFISH FILLET IMPORTS, MARCH 1958: Imports of groundfish (includ -
ing ocean perch) fillets and blocks totaled 10.2 million pounds in March 1958. Com-
pared with the same month in 1957, this was an increase of 1.0 million pounds (11
percent). Increases of 1.1 million pounds of groundfish and ocean perch fillets
from Denmark and 1.3 million pounds from Canada accounted for the over-all in-
crease.

Canada continued to lead all other countries exporting groundfish and ocean
perch fillets to the United States with 7.6 million pounds during March 1958.

50 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Denmark was next with 1.5 million pounds. Imports from Iceland, the United King-
dom, the Netherlands, West Germany, Japan, Miquelon and St. Pierre, and the Un--
ion of South Africa accounted for the remaining 1.1 million pounds.

Imports of groundfish and ocean perch fillets and blocks into the United States
during the first three months of 1958 totaled 31.9 million pounds, a decline of 3.4
million pounds (10 percent) as compared with the same period in 1954. Canada ac-
counted for 72 percent of the January-March imports, followed by Iceland with 17 per-
cent, and Denmark 7 percent. Norway, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, West Ger-

many, Japan, and Miquelon and St. Pierre made up the remaining 4 percent.
NOTE: SEE CHART 7 IN THIS ISSUE. may

KOK OK kK

29, 1958: The quantity of tuna canned in brine which may be imported into the U-
nited States during the calendar year 1958 at the 123-percent rate of duty has been
established as 44,693,874 pounds. Any imports in excess of this established quota
will be dutiable at 25 percent ad valorem.

Imports from January 1-March 29, 1958, amounted to 8,352,090 pounds, ac-
cording to data compiled by the Bureau of Customs.

* kK KKK

VALUE OF IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF FISHERY PRODUCTS, 1957: The
value of all United States fishery imports in 1957 increased almost 5 percent over
1956, continuing the steady climb begun in 1949. Fishery products imports were
valued at $294.5 million, according to preliminary data compiled by the U. S. Bu-

[frend in Value of Principal United States Fishery Imports and Exports, reau of Commercial Fisheries from the
AsbiComparediwithElg5s = Bureau of the Census records. Edible
ercentage| 5 . .
Principal Products == ns Change. fishery imports were worth $250.2 mil-
rom 6 = 9
THillion Dollars) I lion, 7 perc ent more than the previous
Imports: year; nonedible products were worth
Groundfish fillets........... 17.8 18.7 - 5 Eaves
Groundfish blocks .......... 9.6 7.3 ae $44.3 million, almost 8 percent less
Other fish}fillets [sey =e 21.7 19. + . .
Tne GROG ORT En. oR Oe ‘tei 15:3 Hs) than in 1956 and the lowest since 1950.
GT, CLINE gon oo aoa econ 16.8 13-0 + xu
Bonito, Nees poo teenie meas 3.7 3 + i
Simon, cams eas. 9.5 we “8 The value of most of the major fish-
Sardines, Wek oso Oo on OU 9°3 a + 4 & 2
Gr mlih, CUNT IRIEO so oon 70 64 9 ery products imports was higher in 1957
SHrUny eae CCD ued 38:2 3:0 ne than in1956. Theimport value was up
Lobster and spiny lobster ..... Z 3
(fresh or frozen)) 7. .......-. 36.8 ae ae for groundfish blocks, canned sardines,
4 OOO. 0.8.0 6.3 . ar
SER OR ene g7 | 115 “is_| Canned crabmeat, canned tuna, frozen
Seer es. canned a ne ee tuna, swordfish, shrimp, and lobster.
Salmon, canned.........-.-- oot ag een The import value was down for ground-
k Clo aaogoane oho s I. . A .
A ere. Aaa sae 3.9 0 fish fillets, canned salmon, and fish
Hishioilsinedibley-s-a-ue mene 11.0 13.0 15 me al

Exports of fishery products decreased 9 percent in value in 1957 as compared
with the previous year. The total value of fishery exports was $35.9 million; edible
products were worth $20.5 million; and nonedible products $15.4 million. The value
of edible products were 10 percent less than in 1956, and nonedible products 7 per-
cent less. Of the major fishery products exported in 1957, the value of canned
sardines and fish oil decreased; the value of shrimp exports remained almost the
same. Increased export values were recorded for canned mackerel and canned
salmon.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 51

Virginia

FISH KILLS MORE COMMON IN SPRING VIRGINIA BIOLOGISTS STATE: Dead
or dying fish on Chesapeake Bay and ocean beaches are a common Sight in the
spring, the Director of the Virginia Fisheries Laboratory, stated in an April 24,
1958, news release. Prior to the last week in April the Laboratory received re-
ports of dead anchovies in large numbers at Virginia Beach, and dead striped bass
or rockfish in the Piankatank River.

Fish kills are not always caused by pollution or other human activities, the
biologists report, for most deaths are caused by natural forces, disease, storms,
and the like.

Every year, in spring, just as the water begins to warm, dead and dying an-
chovies are often seen along the beaches inside and outside Chesapeake Bay. In
1957 the kill was unusually large, and included young croaker, spot, menhaden,
and other species. There are at least two possible causes of such kills, a disease
that reaches its peak in April, or physical damage by winds and moving sand in
shallow water.

Winter diseases are known to kill other animals in Chesapeake Bay. Each
year in early spring an increase in oyster mortality usually is observed. The oys-
ter biologist at the Laboratory has made careful observations of the phenomenon,
and almost every spring received complaints from oystermen that their oysters
are dying. Preliminary studies suggest that this is caused by a microscopic ani-
mal that enters oysters in winter and thrives in cold weather.

Recent observations at the Virginia Fisheries Laboratory also have shown that
oyster drills or screwborers begin dying in April.

Striped bass often contract diseases that are associated with dietary deficien-
cies. These sometimes cause an eye condition similar to cataracts in humans.
Lack of adequate food in winter probably deprives the fish of vitamins they require
for good health, and by the end of winter some are so weak they succumb.

Anchovies and other fishes remain in deep water in the Bay or migrate south
in winter. In spring, as the water warms, they move in close to the beaches, where
more food is available. If a storm catches them in these shallow waters, they may
be killed by suspended sand, which can remove their protective coating of slime
and can damage their gills. Later, as the water becomes warmer, and more food
has appeared farther offshore, they move out into areas where storm damage is
less of a threat.

Determining cause of death in marine animals is difficult, because very little
is known about fish diseases and symptoms. Biologists at the Laboratory urge
fishermen and Chesapeake Bay tidewater residents to report all kills they observe,
giving if possible the kinds and numbers of animals seen, the extent and location
of the area affected, and any other pertinent details. Such information is useful to
biologists in diagnosing causes of death

52 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Wholesale Prices, April 1958

The edible fish and shellfish (fresh, frozen, and canned)
wholesale price index (122.4 of the 1947-49 average) de-
clined 1.9 percent from the preceding month, but was
higher by 2.5 percent as compared with April 1957. The
decline is a seasonal one that usually occurs in the spring
because landings of fish increase with good weather and
improved fishing conditions.

Wholesale prices for the drawn, dressed, and whole fin-
fish subgroup from March to April 1958 declined about 2.2
percent due to lower prices for the fresh-water varieties
and fresh drawn haddock at Boston. A decrease in the
wholesale prices of these products is normal for this
period of the year because the Great Lakes production im-
proves and haddock catches reach a peak level in April.
Increases of 5 to 6 percent in frozen dressed halibut and
salmon wholesale prices failed to offset the price declines
for the remaining products in this subgroup. Wholesale
prices for drawn, dressed, and whole finfish in April this
year were 3.0 percent higher than in the same month of
1957 because higher wholesale prices for frozen dressed
halibut and salmon offset lower prices for fresh haddock
fillets and fresh-water fish.

: During April 1958 the fresh processed fish and shellfish
FRESH EAST COAST SHRIMP ON DISPLAY AT ONE OF THE, subgroup wholesale prices declined 1.8 percent from the
STANDS IN THE NEW YORK CITY FULTON FISH MARKET. preceding month due to lower fresh haddock fillet and

Table 1 - Wholesale Average Prices and Indexes for Edible Fish and Shellfish, April 1958 With Comparisons

Point of Avg. Prices1/ Indexes
Group, Subgroup, and Item Specification Pricing Unit (3) (1947-49=100)

Apr. Mar, | Apr. Mar,
1958 1958 1958 1958 AS

ALL FISH & SHELLFISH (Fresh, Frozen, & Canned), . » » » » © © © © © © © © wo 122,4 |2/124,8] 126.9

a
Fresh & Frozen Fishery Products: , . » 2 2 ees eee++ssse ress eo 136.4 2/1411) 144.9

~ Drawn, Dressed, or Whole Finfish: . . . 2 see eee eee eee eee ee 123.6 2/ 126.4| 187.0 | 120.0]
Haddock, Ige., offshore, drawn, fresh . . . .. | Boston tb. 208] .09 80.9
Halibut, West., 20/80 ibs., drsd., fresh or froz, | New York |Ib. 234] 32 104.7
Salmon, king, ge, & med,, drsd., fresh or froz, |New York |b. .66| .63 149,2 |2,
Whitefish,L, Superior, drawn, fresh . . . » » Chicago tb. S| te 183.4
Whitefish,L, Erie pound or gill net, rnd,, fresh |New York |b. .68} .80 136.5
Yellow pike, L. Michigan& Huron, rnd,,fresh . |New York |b, e3l| 70 TPT

Processed, Fresh (Fish & Shellfish): .. 2... sees eee eesesees | 1420
Fillets, haddock, sm, skins on, 20-Ib, tins, . | Boston tb. 232| 35 107.2
Shrimp, Ige, (26-30 count), headless, fresh . . |New York |1b. 94) = =.96 148.5

Oysters, shucked, standards , ....- « » | Norfolk gal, | 5.63] 5.63 139.2

Processed, Frozen (Fish & Shelifish):. . 2 2 eo eee eee ee oo oo oo 132.4
Fillets: Flounder, skinless, 1-Ib. pkg, ... . | Boston 40] 41 103.4
Haddock, smil,,skins on, 1-b, pkg. . -3o| 40 109.9
Ocean perch, skins on, 1-Ib, pkg. . BGO) ecO) 118.8
Shrimp, lge, (26-30 count), 5-Ib. pkg. . . « .88| .94 135.8

Canned Fishery Products; . 2... + +o ee ee ce oe ee +o © 2 2 2 2 2 2 103.1 101.8| 101,3| 101.9
~ Salmon, Sacieveemerin td 0Z.), 48cans/cs. . » » | Seattle cs. | 23.00]23.00 120.0
Tuna, It, meat, chunk, No, 1/2 tuna (6-1/2 oz,),

48icans/cs. 5 os sw oe ee es es © © © | LoSAngeles|cs. |11.65) 11.50 84.0
Sardines, Calif,, tom, pack,No, 1 oval (15 0z.),

48 cans/CS. . » 2 © e+ ee e » | Los Angelescs, | 9,75} 9,75 113.8
Sardines, Maine, keyless oil, No, 1/4 drawn

(32 02), 100cans/es, ......2-+-+ ++.» |NewYork cs. | 7.50] 6.99 79.8

Denese area oeemnae:

1/ Represent average prices for one day (Monday or Tuesday) during the week in which the 15th of the month occurs,
These prices are published as indicators of movement and not necessarily absolute level, Daily Market News Serv-
ice ‘‘Fishery Products Reports’’ should be referred to for actual prices.

12/Revised,

June 1958

shrimp prices. Compared with April a year ago, the April
1958 index for this subgroup was down by 1.1 percent be-
cause lower prices this April for fresh haddock fillets
(down 11.3 percent) and shucked oysters (down 2.2 percent)
were only partially offset by a 3.3-percent increase in
fresh shrimp wholesale prices at New York.

Frozen processed fish and shellfish prices were down by
6.0 percent in April 1958 as compared with the preceding
month. Lower prices for frozen fillets of haddock (down
12.5 percent), ocean perch (down 2.5 percent), and shrimp
(down 5.9 percent) accounted for the drop in the index
between the two months, From April a year ago to
April this year the frozen processed fish and shellfish
subgroup index rose 1.1 percent due to higher wholesale
prices for haddock (up 18.7 percent) and ocean perch (up
3.5 percent) fillets. These increases more than compen-

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW . 53

sated for a drop of 6.9 percent in the wholesale price for
frozen 26-30 count shrimp at Chicago.

Canned fishery products prices in April this year as com=
pared with the preceding month and the same month in 1957
continued to rise (up 1.3 percent). Prices of both canned
tuna (up 1.3 percent) and Maine sardines (up 7.4 percent)
were firmer this April as compared with the preceding
month. Wholesale canned fish prices in April 1958 in-
creased by 1.9 percent over the same month a year ago
due to a 4.0 percent rise in canned tuna prices and an 8.4-
percent increase in California sardine prices.

On the other hand, Maine sardine wholesale prices this
April were still 2.6 percent below those that prevailed in
April 1957.

7o increase and maintain forever, for the people

of the United States, @ tishery resource capable
of yielding the maximum annual product.

7o strengthen and maintain a vigorous tishing
industry by assuring tulland fair access 7o /ts
raw materials and full and fair access 10 the
American marker.

To do these Things in partnership with the
States and in full accordance with our
international obligations.

54 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

———————

International
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION

ATOMIC ENERGY AS POWER FOR FISHING VESSELS PREDICTED: A naval
architect of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has predicted that fishing
vessels powered by atomic energy will be in use "before many years have passed."
He also said that the fishing boat of 1957 will possess many features which today are
still in the idea stage.

The FAO Naval architect is secretary of the Second World Fishing Boat Con-
gress, which is scheduled to be held in Rome in April 1959. He is arranging for the
scientific papers on investigations and research which will be presented at the Con-
gress. It is expected that naval architects, boatbuilders and designers, marine en-
gineers, boat owners, skippers and fishermen, as well as government representa-
tives from all the leading fishing countries will attend.

"Developments in fisheries are rapid these days,'' the Naval architect said.
"When we had held our First International Fishing Boat Congress in 1953, we had
a paper on gas turbines for fishing boats and several papers about factoryship de-
sign. Many participants thought we were too far ahead of practical possibilities,
but today there are gas-turbine trawlers and dozens of huge factoryships operating,
some in waters not before known to the fishing industry.

"Today, all kinds of interesting possibilities come to mind. There are advances
in stern trawling, the use of stabilizers, and progress in automation. Why, it may
not be many years before big factoryships can be sent to sea with a skeleton crew
and have the main working crew join them by supersonic airplanes when needed.

"T venture to predict,'' he said, ''that atomic-powered fishing vessels will be
sailing the seas before many years have passed."

The 1953 Congress concentrated on design and construction. According to FAO,
next year's Congress will take performance for its theme, and sessions will deal
with fishing tactics, construction of vessels, sea behavior of boats, and productivity
of vessels. The aim will be to gather from papers and discussions much practical
design data; cost particulars and operational experience which will provide designers
with information for building more efficient fishing boats.

GREAT LAKES FISHERY COMMISSION

MEETING HELD IN WASHINGTON, D. C,: The Great Lakes Fishery Commis-
sion, established by treaty between the United States and Canada, met in Washington,
D. C., April 9-10, 1958. The principal function of the Commission is the eradication
of the sea lamprey predator which has so effectively destroyed most of the valuable
food fishes of the upper Great Lakes.

Chairman of the Commission is L. P. Voigt, Conservation Director of the State
of Wisconsin. Other United States members are Claude VerDuin, Mayor of Grand

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 55

Haven, Mich., and Donald L. McKernan, Director of the U. S. Bureau of Com-
mercial Fisheries.

The Canadian Commissioners are: A. L. Pritchard, Director of the Conserva-
tion and Development Service of the Department of Fisheries, Ottawa; A. O. Black-
hurst, Manager of the Ontario
Council of Commercial Fish-
eries, Port Dover, Ontario;
and W. J. K. Harkness, Chief
of the Division of Fish and
Wildlife of the Ontario Depart-
ment of Lands and Forests,
Toronto.

SEN CAMFNEY On hand to report prog-
Perio ONSMEE NUS) ress and plans on behalf of the
two Government agencies which
\ jhe, are conducting the Commis-

\ SO oie Sires omni eae sion's program were Dr. W. A.
oo ‘Kennedy of Canada and Dr.

J. W. Moffett of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. They were accompa-

nied by top members of their scientific staffs.

State conservation agencies were represented by Dr. Albert Hazzard of Penn-
sylvania, Dr. Mason Lawrence of New York, and Lee Roach of Ohio.

The principal method used to control the lamprey is the blocking of streams
tributary to the Lakes. The lampreys are killed by electrical weirs on their up-
stream migration to spawning grounds. Another method has been the subject of ex-
perimentation, and very hopeful results are being obtained. This is the introduction
into the streams of selective toxicants which kill the lampreys and their larvae but
do not harm fish or leave a poisonous residue dangerous to human or animal life.
Perfecting of this system will speed the work of lamprey control and bring nearer
the time of rehabilitation of the lake trout and other commercial and sports fish-
eries.

INTERNATIONAL PACIFIC HALIBUT COMMISSION

CANADA APPROVES REVISED REGULATIONS: The Canadian Department of
External Affairs has informed the U. S. Department of State that the Canadian Goy-
ernment in Order in Council No. P. C. 1958-446, March 29, 1958, has approved and
enacted the revised Pacific Halibut Regulations drawn up by the International Pacif-
ic Halibut Commission in January 1958.

INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION

CONVENTION AMENDMENT RATIFIED BY FRANCE: The protocol amending
the International Whaling Convention of 1946, done in Washington on November 19,
1956, has been ratified by France. Ratification was deposited on April 14, 1958, the
U. S. State Department announced on May 5, 1958. The Protocol will not be in force
until the required number of member countries complete ratification.

JAPAN-RUSSIA FISHERIES NEGOTIATIONS FOR 1958
JAPAN AND RUSSIA SIGN AGREEMENT ON SALMON QUOTA: The Japan-
on April 22, 1958, after more than three months of negotiations. The following are

the salient features of the agreement: (1) the total salmon quota will be 110,000
metric tons; (2) Japan will be permitted to operate one fishing fleet in the Okhotsk

56 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6 |
|

Sea with a total catch limit of 6,500 metric tons which will form part of the 110,000
quota; and (3) Japan and the U. S. S. R. have agreed to refrain from engaging inhigh-
seas salmon fishing in the Okhotsk Sea beginning on January 1, 1959. The press has
reported that the two countries have agreed to conduct a joint conservation survey
in the Okhotsk Sea during 1958. Even if undertaken, the survey will not provide Ja-
pan with the right to fish for salmon in the Okhotsk Sea in the immediate future.

The press has been generally critical of the fact that Japan agreed to halt salm-
on fishing in the Okhotsk Sea stating in effect that Japan by this action gave up the
principle of freedom of the seas. The Japanese Prime Minister vehemently denied
this charge in Diet questioning on this subject. The view was expressed by thepress
that Japan should have accepted the 100,000-metric ton quota and left future fishing
operations in the Okhotsk Sea to the results of the 1958 joint conservation survey.
The Government of Japan, as reflected in statements made by the Agriculture-For-
estry Ministry, considers the 1958 agreement to be considerably better than could
have been anticipated at the outset of the negotiations, recalling that the initial Sovi-
et proposal was to limit the Japanese salmon quota to 80,000 metric tons. The Gov-
ernment also considers the agreement favorable in view of the fact that it was not
tied to the question of the Peace Treaty, although the safe fishing problem still re-
mains unsolved. Japanese fishing industry representatives have indicated that they
are reasonably satisfied with the new quota even though they, of course, would have
liked to have obtained a quota closer to the 145,000 metric tons initially requested
by Japan in the negotiations.

NORTHWEST ATLANTIC FISHERIES COMMISSION
ANNUAL MEETING FOR 1958 ANNOUNCED: The 1958 Annual Meeting of the In-

at Dalhouse University, Halifax, NovaScotia, Canada,inthe week beginning June 9.

Commissioners, advisers, and experts from the 11 member countries will par-
ticipate in the meeting. (Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Commission Newsletter No.
27, dated March 14, 1958.)

ok KOK OK

REGULATIONS OF THE TRAWL FISHERIES FOR COD AND HADDOCK EF-
FECTIVE: Following a circular note of November 15, 1957, from the Depositary
Government (United States), the International Commission for the Northwest Atlan-
tic Fisheries (ICNAF) proposals of 1955 for regulation of the trawl fisheries for
for cod and haddock in Subareas 3, 4, and 5 became ef-
fective as from January 1958.

The 1957 amendment to the regulations providing
special rules for the use of cover for the protection of the
cod end is being considered by the Governments concern-
ed. The Governments of France and Norway have inform-
ed the Depositary Government of their acceptance of the
amendments.

In March-April 1957 a French expert visited Canada
and the United States and participated in cruises with
commercial fishing and research vessels for studying
fishing methods, especially the means in use of protect-
ing the trawl during hauling.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 57

WHALING

ANTARCTIC WHALE-OIL OUTPUT DOWN SLIGHTLY BUT SPERM-OIL OUT-
PUT UP: Whale-oil production in the Antarctic during the 1957/58 pelagic whaling
season declined slightly from a year earlier, according to preliminary data released
by the International Whaling Commission, Sandefjord, Norway. Antarctic sperm-oil
production, however, was one-fifth greater than the year before. The Antarctic sea-
son, ended at midnight March 16, 1958, and lasted 69 days, as did the season of a
year ago.

Whale and Sperm Oil Production in Antarctic of Floating Factories,
by Country, 1956/57 and 1957/58
Whale Oil Sperm Oil

1957/58-' | 1956/572'| 1957/set! | 1956/572

Short Tons

ee ee ew ew we ew ew el ew (EIU L LE LULTIS] 6 2 6 eo ow ee we ee

OTWiAY ae steceraia ills) laine, alee cei uksues ies 136,067 22,696
BIDET Ge ito. OMS scat S Ronee Tce chin oc 97,451 20,157
Unitedskinedomy 235. 5 ae 53,857 6,780
Union of South Africa3/ ..... - -
Netherlands) sai tsaee Ys alee ce 19,382 2,362
Ne fee acie teed Se fale Une i 33,551 24,476 n.a. 1,226

[340,308 [352,187 [471,995 [40,713
]1/PRELIMINARY. 3/ PRODUCT | ON OF ABRAHAM LARSEN [NCLUDED WITH JAPAN IN 1957/58.
2/REVISED. 4/EXCLUDES SPERM-OI|L PRODUCTION BY U.S.S.R.

The major Antarctic producer, Norway--with 9 floating factories--had a de-
cline of almost one-sixth in whale-oil production, but output of sperm oil was one-
fifth above that of 1956/57. Japan, operating 6 floating factories (in 1957/58 it ac-
quired the/former Abraham Larsen, which operated under the flag of the Union of
South Africa in 1956/57), sharply increased both its whale-oil and sperm-oil produc-
tion.

The United Kingdom, with 3 floating factories, had a slight decline in whale-oil
outturn and an increase in sperm-oil output. Although the U.S. 5S. R. had only one
floating factory in 1957/58, 6 catcher boats were added, to bring the total to 24 catch-
ers--almost twice the number used by any other floating factory. Thus, the Soviet
Union's whale-oil production was up sharply from last year. The Netherlands! sin-
gle floating factory increased its whale-oil output 15 percent from last season, and
its sperm-oil production was almost double that of 1956/57.

iy
Ys
Se

Aden

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES IN EASTERN ADEN
PROTECTORATE STUDIED: A British fisheries
Officer was assigned to the Eastern Aden Protec-
torate in July 1956, for the purpose of developing
the fisheries along the 450-mile coastline which
extends from the Western Aden Protectorate to
the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman. After operating
for a year and a half on a very limited budget (the
original four-year project had been allocated
£28,000 (US$78,873) from the British Colonial De-
velopment and Welfare Fund), in 1957 the Fisher-
ies Officer received from the Ruler of the Qa'iti
Sultanate, the most important state in the Eastern
Aden Protectorate, a contribution of £18,000
(US$50,704) for the project.

This sum of money enabled the Fisheries Of-
ficer to alter the ex-Scottish herring drifter with
which he was provided, so as to make the boat
more suitable for fishing in Aden waters. He has
patterned the boat as much as possible along the
lines of a purse seiner used in the United States.
With this arrangement, and with some new nylon
and kuralon nets from Japan (three floating gill
nets of 4-inch mesh tied together), the Fisheries
Officer recently made his first large catch--ahaul
of 5 tons of sardines (Sardinella longiceps). His
technique was to Set the gill net in a large semi-
circle around the school, and then run the boat
across the mouth of the loop. Having caught al-
most the entire school, he let the net down for >

58

hour and was astonished to find that in this short
time two smaller schools of sardines had entered
the net as well. When the net was hauled aboard

nearly every mesh was filled (figs. 1 and 2).

Though this was his first commercially-profit-
able catch, the Fisheries Officer made other catches

FIG. 1 - A LARGE HAUL OF SARDINES IN A GILL NET BEING HAULED
ABOARD THE VESSEL USED BY A BRITISH FISHERIES OFFICER IN
EXPLORING THE FISHERIES OF THE EASTERN ADEN PROTECTORATE.

along the coast with various nets inherited from

the Aden Colony Fisheries Department. His cot-
ton kingfish net catches consisted primarily of
small shark, which brings a very high price for
drying in Aden. It was found that the trammel net
brought up an assortment of sea life that consider-,
ably shortened the life of the net: sea-turtles, man-
ta rays, crabs, crayfish, a mass of Murex shells,
as well as small sharks, sole, rock cod, and other
bottom feeders.

For commercial purposes, however, the Fish-
eries Officer intends to concentrate on surface net-
ting, states an April 5, 1958 dispatch from the U-
nited States Consulate in Aden. There is little
doubt in his mind that the surface fishing in south-
ern Arabian waters is among the richest to be
found anywhere in the world. In attempting to es-
tablish commercial fisheries which can be handed
over to local management, the Fisheries Officer
plans to exploit inshore surface fishing first, being
confident that new grounds will not have to be sought
for many years. This type of fishing is, moreover,
more suitable to the type of native fishing craft be-
ing used along this coast.

A ready market exists for dried sardines in the
hinterland of the Protectorate coast, bothas a feed
for livestock and as fertilizer for tobacco crops.
The present system of preserving the fish, the
simple and inexpensive method of letting them dry

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Vol. 20, No. 6

in the sun and lacing them with salt, would be quite -
adequate for even the exportation of large fish,
providing the fishermen could be persuaded to use
clean salt and to gut their fish thoroughly. Train-
ing the fishermen in modern methods is, of course,
at least one half of the Fisheries Officer's job. He
finds that there are considerable obstacles to in-
troducing new practices and equipment. In many
localities the fishermen are the most conservative
element in society and observe a ritual of arbitrary
restrictions on their trade which have deep roots
in religion and superstition. In some towns there
are rules prohibiting the use of nets, or, variously,
of different baits--live bait or dead bait, lures, or
crabs. Sometimes night fishingis prohibited. These
"rules of the sea'' are legislated and enforced by
the headmen of the fishing community in each town.
Violators are tried by the headmen themselves in
their own fisheries courts, and their rule is final.

FIG. 2 - A BOATLOAD OF SARDINES CAUGHT WITH GILL NETS.

Some areas have proved to be more conserva-
tive than others; it is often the smaller towns and
villages, especially those that depend for their
main livelihood on fishing, that have the greatest
urge to improve their techniques and equipment.
Qusa'ir, a small town near the Mahra Coast, is an
example of the progressive and adventurous spirit
that one occasionally finds. Each year the Qusa'-
iris send a fleet of shark fishing ''sambuks'' as far
afield as Socotra, and they are the only ship build-
ers along the coast--save the Adenis themselves--
who build boats with bolted instead of sewn seams.
Towns such as Qusa'ir are naturally only too happy
to substitute nylon for cotton nets; in some cases
cotton itself replaced cheap Indian jute fibres as
recent as 20 years ago.

It is a fairly accurate generalization to say that
while the bigger towns are conservative in temper,
the smaller ones wish to go ahead. Unfortunately
it is the first who have the money to change over,
and the second who do not. The Fisheries Officer's
successes in the smaller towns can never pay off
until (and this is his plan) he has organized a viable
industry in a large town where the big merchants
will have an interest in the venture. Once estab-
lished as a profitable enterprise, modern commer-
cial fishing would probably expand as merchants go
to other points along the coast to set up rival ven-
tures. Only by the artificial system of extending
substantial loans to individual indigent fishermen

could modern gear be introduced initially in the
small fishing towns.

x

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 59

Brazil

FROZEN TUNA MARKETED BY JAPANESE-SPONSORED FIRM: The Price
and Supply Commission of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, announced that 640 met-
ric tons of fish were made available to Recife and other parts of Pernambuco dur-
ing Holy Week (March 30-April 15), according to a dispatch from the U. S. consulate
at Recife, dated April 7, 1958. A Japanese-sponsored Brazilian firm supplied 560
tons of frozen albacore tuna, which was sold at the standard retail price of Cr$30
per kilo (about14 U. S. cents per pound). The traditional native ''jangada'' fleet sup-
plied 80 tons of fish to Recife at retail prices ranging from Cr$70 per kilo (about 33
U. S. cents per pound) for dressed high-quality fish to Cr$30 per kilo (about 14 U.S.
cents per pound) for round inferior-quality fish.

The Brazilian-Japanese firm sells frozen tuna to wholesalers at Cr$23 per kilo
(about 11 U. S. cents per pound). The firm supplied tuna to other coastal cities of
Brazil as follows: Rio de Janeiro, 60 tons; Salvador, 200 tons; Maceio, 50 tons;
Natal, 50 tons; Joao Pesso, 30 tons; and Fortaleza, 140 tons. It is reported that
profits have been large enough to stimulate the interest of other private firms to
establish modern fishing fleets of their own. It is believed that the ''jangada" fish-
ermen, which may be forced out of business as a result of their relatively small
catches and the price competition, will be trained to work as crews of modern fish-
ing vessels.

In all probability, Brazil's booming tuna industry should provide high food value
protein to the low-income groups of the Northeast at reasonable prices. If expan-

sion in the industry continues, Brazil may export tuna in quantity within a few years.
NOTE: BRAZILIAN CRUZEIROS CONVERTED AT RATE OF CR$97.50 EQUAL US$1,

* KOK KK

Cr$30 per kilo (about 14 U. S. cents a pound) after considerable discussion. Repre-
sentatives on the Commission from local industrial unions and the army wanted the
price set at Cr$23 (about 11 U. S. cents a pound). It is estimated that the Japanese-
sponsored fishing firm could make a profit at Cr$23 per kilo if they were guaranteed
a market for capacity production.

The native Brazilian fishermen are reported to charge Cr$60-80 per kilo (28
to 37 U. S. cents a pound) for their catches, These fishermen would be hard hit in
trying to compete with the Japanese-sponsored firm except for the fact that the con-
sumer looks on albacore as a ''poor man's'' food. The Japanese firm at present has
caught and marketed tuna only, but may later attempt to market whale meat. A
small whaling firm at Joao Pesson, Paraiba, has been purchased by the Japanese-

sponsored firm, the United States Consulate at Pernambuco reports in March.
NOTE: CRUZEIROS CONVERTED AT RATE OF CR$97.50 EQUAL US$1.

Canada
ATLANTIC SALMON MEETING: Specific recommendations for the improve-
ment of Canada's Atlantic salmon stocks in the Maritime Provinces, Quebec, and

Newfoundland were made at the annual meeting of the Federal-Provincial Co-ordi-
nating Committee on Atlantic Salmon, held in Ottawa, February 11-12, 1958.

The suggestions made dealt with regulations as to netting, open seasons, con-
trol of poaching in certain areas, the stocking of streams from salmon hatcheries,

60 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

and mitigation of the damage done to salmon populations by the spraying of forests

with DDT in efforts to wipe out the spruce budworm. In this connection, the Co-or-
dinating Committee reported that a search was being made for an insecticide other
than DDT which would not harm fish.

CRERTIG U : Problems involved in efforts

not only to halt the decline but to
increase the Atlantic salmon popu-
lations were particularly complex
because of the marked susceptibility
of this species to even the slightest
changes in its fresh-water environ-
ment, the Canadian Minister of Fish-
eries said. Frequently these changes were so subtle as not to be noticeable to the
untrained eye but the effects were nevertheless drastic.

The Minister cited the case of several European countries which had at one
time enjoyed large populations of salmon but had seen them become seriously de-
pleted. Much of this depletion was attributable to the impact of spreading civiliza-
tion on the inland waterways in which the salmon are hatched and nurtured in the
years until they go to sea. (Canadian Trade News, February 1958.)

ok kk Ok

1956: During 1956, the per
capita consumption of fishery
products in Canada amounted . . Lbs.) . .
to 13.4 pounds (edible weight),
a slight decrease as compared
with 13.6 pounds in 1955, ac-

cording to a recent statement

of the Agriculture Division of Canada's Dominion Bureau of Statistics.

ok Kk ok Ok

CONTAINERS OF SHELLFISH MEATS MUST BE LABELED WITH NET WEIGHT:
The Canadian Government on January 31, 1958, circulated a Directive to their per-
sonnel advising that henceforth all shucked shellfish must be labeled in terms of net
weight. The part of the Directive from the Canadian Director of Inspection and Con-
sumer Service states:

"7, Containers of shucked shellfish meats must be labeled in terms of net
weight, as required by section 9 of the Fish Inspection Act. For example, a tin of
shucked oysters must be marked pounds net weight. However, the packer
at his discretion may add the equivalent fluid measure designation properly identified
as being either Imperial or U. S. measure."

The directive designates that the container must bear the name of the country
of origin.

HOOK OK OK OAK

FUR-SEAL INVESTIGATION IN NORTH PACIFIC: The first Canadian group to
begin research work on North Pacific fur seals left Nanaimo, British Columbia, on
February 13 for a three-week cruise of waters offshore from Barkley Sound. This
cruise initiated a program which calls for a Canadian catch quota of from 500 to 750
fur seals for scientific studies during 1958.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 61

The quota was set by the new North Pacific Fur Seal Commission, which ismade
up of representatives of the United States, Canada, the U. 5. 5. R., and Japan, and
which held its first annual meeting in Washington in January 1958.

The North Pacific Fur Seal Convention prohibits pelagic sealing and also pro-
vides for scientific investigation of the migratory movements of the seal herds, their
wintering areas, and feeding habits.
The commercial catch of fur seals
is made each breeding season on
the Pribilof Islands in the Bering
Sea, and is strictly controlled. The
Pribilofs are in United States ter-
ritory. Smaller catches are made
on the Commander and Robben Is-
lands on the Asiatic side of the
North Pacific.

The Canadian research group
is made up of members of the staff
of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada from the Board's Biological Station at
Nanaimo. They will take their limited catch on the surface of the ocean, a form of
sealing prohibited to any but authorized scientific investigators and Indians, Aleuts,
Eskimos, and Ainos. The animals taken will be skinned and the contents of their
stomachs examined. Pelts will be shipped to a fur-manufacturing firm for process-
ing.

FUR SEAL SWIMMING.

British Columbia fishermen, operating in coastal waters, have occasionally shot
young fur seals under the impression that the animals were hair seals, thus risking
heavy penalties. The method of distinguishing between the two species is by observ-
ing their manner of swimming. Hair seals swim only with the top of the head showing
above water. Fur seals are in the habit of raising head and shoulders vertically out

of the water and will frequently swim on their backs with flippers showing. (Canadi-

an Trade News, February 1958.)

sk oe
KOK

NEW TYPE HEADLINE ROPE DEVELOPED FOR MID-
WATER TRAWLS: The headline ropes used in midwater
trawl nets should be strong, light, relatively thin, and
flexible. In these nets the headline completely encircles
the mouth opening, whereas in bottom trawls the headline
is referred to as the top rope to which the floats are
attached. These ropes should be so constructed that they
will not shrink or retain permanent twists after repeated
immersion in water. To meet these requirements the
Canadian Nanaimo Biological Station in British Colombia
developed a headline which was constructed from pre-
formed alternate-lay galvanized wire rope, sheathed with
braided spun nylon rope.

In the first midwater trawls developed at the Biologi-
cal Station the headlines were constructed from manila-
clad wire rope (beiflex cable) to withstand the heavy
strains imposed while towing. This type of headline rope
was not extremely satisfactory because after immersion
in the water only a few times, it twisted and pulled the
netting in the wings and body out of shape. Most of the
twisting was eliminated by use in the headline of shorter
lengths of beiflex cable joined together by galvanized
thimbles to a metal ring, at the points where the base of
the wing corners were attached to the body. However, the
alternate stretching and shrinking of the rope and the
gradual weakening of the wire cores caused by the corro-
sive action of the salt water could not be overcome.

mK OK OS

The new type of nylon-sheathed headline was con-
structed of 1-inch diameter 6x9 (12-6-1) galvanized
preformed alternate right and left lay wire rope clad
with a braided spun nylon sheath. Braided spun nylon
was chosen for the sheathing to eliminate slippage of
the knots in hanging the netting to the headline. The
sheathing was marked with a continuous red line to
assist in preventing twists and turns being placed in
the rope when hanging the netting to the headline.

Although the cost of the new experimental headline
was about three times that of the combination manila-
clad wire rope, production on a commercial scale would
undoubtedly reduce the price to an amount comparable
with that for other ropes. This headline construction
proved to be very satisfactory in the midwater trawl
and ocean perch nets tested during experimental op-
erations during the summer of 1957. The headlines re-
mained flexible and no twists, kinks, or signs of shrink-
age were observed in the ropes during the three months
of experimental fishing. This rope was as easy to handle
as other types of headline ropes. The rope could be
spliced readily by paring the nylon sheathing away from
the steel cable at the required place and afterwards
covering the area again with a synthetic tape. The in-
crease in the breaking strength and longer life of the
new rope were important factors which would warrant
its use in trawl nets.

%* OK OK OK

62 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

OCEAN PERCH DEEP-WATER EXPLORATIONS IN
WEST ATLANTIC NORTH OF FLEMISH CAP: Exploratory
fishing for ocean perch in the western Atlantic Ocean area
north of Flemish Cap (a small fishing bank about 250-300
miles east of Newfoundland) by Canadian scientists of the
Fisheries Research Board’s Biological Station inSt. John’s,
Newfoundland, was carried out by the station’s M/V Inves-
tigator II. Depths between 100 and 396 fathoms were explored.

Ocean perch were absent in the trawl sets at 100to108
and 386 to 396 fathoms and scarce at 150 and 350 fathoms.
They were most abundant at 250 fathoms where each of
three sets produced a good catch. At depths of both 200
and 300 fathoms 1 set out of 3 gave good results.

In view of the small size of the net (a No. 3 - 35 otter
trawl with a 39-foot headrope and a 50-foot footrope), the
short towing period of only ahalf hourper set, and the prob-
able inefficiency of single-wire fishing, the catches at 250
fathoms were suitable for commercial exploitation.

As regards size, the proportion of small (less than 10
inches long) ocean perch present decreased from the

sk ok
a OK

REFRIGERATED SEA WATER USE TESTED IN NORTH
PACIFIC HALIBUT FISHERY: The use of refrigerated sea
water to preserve halibut in the North Pacific Ocean fishery
has been investigated by the Fisheries Research Board of
Canada. Refrigerated sea water fish holding proved suc-
cessful in the Board’s earlier experiments on a salmon
packer, and it was decided to apply a test tohalibut fishing
since the long holding time, required because of the length
of a trip, dictated some improvement in holding methods.
A halibut trip may consist of 12 days average fishing time
plus 1 to 5 days returning to port, plus 1 to 5 days in port
prior to unloading.

The vessel selected for the experiment was the Silver
Viking, which was being built for private ownership, thus
making possible the incorporation of the system into her
original construction. Since this vessel was designed as a
combination salmon seiner and halibut long-liner, it also
made possible a study of the application of refrigerated
sea-water holding to salmon seining. The vessel is a typi-
cal Pacific salmon seiner of wood construction, 78 feet
long with a 22-foot beam. Six tanks were installed in her
hold, three on either side of the shaft. The tanks were
constructed of 3/16-inch steel plate and surfaces unsup-
ported by the hold lining were stiffened by 2-1/2-inch angle
irons toe-welded at two-foot centers. The inside surfaces
were coated with an Epoxy resin coating to resist erosion.
Two inches of cork insulation were applied to the external
surfaces.

Cooling coils, located in each tank, were made up of 250
feet of 3/4-inch O.D. steel tubing, the assembled coil being
hot-dip galvanized. The coils were contained in closed
compartments along the inboard tank sides. Circulation
of the chilled sea water was provided through this compart-
ment by a separate circulating pump for each tank. Refri-
geration to these coils was supplied by two compressors
(one for the three port tanks and one for the three star-
board tanks).

To augment this refrigeration system there was a com-
pletely separate one comprising a shell and tube chiller,
circulating pump, and refrigerant compressor. This sys-
tem was used to speed up the initial cooling of any one
tank but also served as a standby system in event of failure
of the tank coil system.

All pumps and compressors were electrically driven.
Power was supplied by two Diesel-driven alternating-cur-
rent generators. These generators were of the 120- to
208-volt type which supplied either single phase 120-volt
current for the small motors and ship lighting or 208-volt
three-phase power for the larger motors.

The Silver Viking engaged in salmon seining in July
and August of 1956. Round sockeye and chum salmon were
brought to port in excellent condition after the week’s fish-
ing, and sockeye, after further sea-water storage to a
total holding time of 14 days, was still judged to be excel-

Vol. 20, No. 6

shallowest tothe greatest depths. Below150 fathoms, apart
from asmall decrease at 250 fathoms, ogeanperch average
sizes increased with increasing depth.

Neglecting the very small proportion of the fish less than
10 inches long, the catches were indicative of excellent suit-
ability inthe 200- to 300- fathom range where, considering
the very smallnet used, there shouldbe large oceanperch
catches ranging upwardto 10,000 pounds or more per hour’s
tow for the larger commercial draggers.

The bottom in the area north of Flemish Cap deepens
gently andgradually and is smooth. There were no serious
injuries to the netin 20 drags, although compared with the
nets of large trawlers, the net of the Investigator II was a
rather delicate one of cotton with a light manila cod end
and with rubber rollers only six inches in diameter.

Trawlers fishing for ocean perchin this area must be
preparedto drag as deeply as 200 to 250 fathoms and have
winches operating at a fast enough speed to make deep-
water fishing profitable. (Canadian Trade News, January
1958.)

HK OK OK

lent. Some difficulty was encountered with the loss of
scales and skin pigment of round coho and jack king salm-
on. The dressing of all fish of these species overcame
this trouble whereas the dressing of sample individuals
did not. These observations gave support to a theory that
the damage was caused by a destructive enzyme disgorged
with the stomach contents of these actively-feeding fish.
Belief that this loss of scale and skin pigments was caused
by the motion of fish in the tanks seems unlikely since
this did not occur in loads composed entirely of nonfeeding
fish or dressed fish.

The use of this equipment in salmon seining showed
many advantages which may in the future be of value.
First was the ship’s ability to operate in areas remote
from canneries or packers. Second was that no time was
lost in the daily delivery of fish. Third was the much in-
creased value of some types of fish when delivered by the
fishing vessel itself directly to the port. This was em-
phasized by a week’s catch of chum salmon which was de-
livered to the fresh fish market. The tank trunks on deck
hindered the crew during salmon-seining operations while
handling the net and brailing fish aboard. However, simple
alterations were made which eliminated this difficulty.

The vessel engaged in halibut fishing in the December
1957 opening of halibut in Area 2. Some 36,000 pounds
were caught and sold 8 to 15 days after catching. These
fish were in fine marketable condition, and samples held
in a tank at the Vancouver Technological Station to a total
time of 29 days were still in good condition. Many advan-
tages were demonstrated by this trip. Foremost was that
halibut could be held beyond any period practical in fish-
ing. Elimination of icing of fish increased the effective-
ness of the crew, which would mean larger catches in
periods of good fishing. The equipment in no way appeared
to hinder the handling of gear or fish.

Of special interest to this project was the chiller which,
as explained previously, was designed to assist in the ini-
tial cooling of the sea water and to a limited extent to act
as an emergency system. However, since the first purpose
was of great importance, the chiller was designed with a
close tube spacing permitting high water velocity and hence
a high heat transfer from the tubes. Thus a chiller of
small outside dimensions which could be easily installed
or dismantled for maintenance could be made. It was ex-
pected that this design would not permit attaining low tem-
peratures, because of ice formation on the tubes. This,
however, was not the case as it has been proven possible
to cool water to 30° F. with the chiller.

The chiller had an outer shell of six-inch Kralastic pipe.
The use of this material served three purposes: it reduced
the weight of the chiller, eliminated corrosion of the shell,
and provided sufficient elasticity to prevent rupture by
freeze-up. The shell contained 240 feet of 5/8-inch O.D.
copper refrigerant tubing arranged for dry refrigerant

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 63

expansion in six parallel circuits of four horizontal runs obtained with two compressors and two chillers as would
of tubing extending the length of the shell. Twenty semi- otherwise be afforded by three compressors. Similarly,
circular baffles direct the flow of sea water across the two compressors could be driven mechanically, whereas
tubes. All refrigerant connections were on one end to per- a third compressor warrants electrical generating and
mit easy removal of the shell for maintenance. driving. The removal of coils from the tanks would sim-
plify maintenance and permit the use of cheaper corrosion-

The success of this chiller altered the writers’ opinions resistant coatings. (Since the above report was made the
on design of refrigerated seawater equipment. With such Fisheries Research Board purchased the Silver Viking
small chillers being effective they can be relied on entire- for its biological work out of its Nanaimo Station. Some
ly for cooling without employing tank coils. This change modifications will be necessary to facilitate the sort of in-
would in turn affect other components of the system. For vestigations which will be assigned to the vessel. These
example, on such an installation as the Silver Viking modifications are well under way. Canadian Trade News,
the same flexibility and guarantee against failure could be January 1958.) 7

HK OK OX OK

RESEARCH ON THE USE OF METAL LOBSTER TRAPS: A new phase of re-
search on the use of metal lobster traps may have far-reaching effects on the lob-
ster fishery of Canada's Atlantic provinces. The new research was announced by
the Canadian Fisheries Minister and was started early in March 1958.

The project, sponsored by Canada's Department of Fisheries through its Indus-
trial Development Service, brings together in a concentrated 30-day program per-
sonnel of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada, the National Research Council,
the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Department.

With the aid of professional divers, a diving chamber, underwater television,
and movie cameras, the scientists, in conjunction with nontechnical members of the
team, will invade the bottom-of-the-sea haunts of lobsters in the waters off Yar-
mouth, Nova Scotia.

The objective of the research, among other things, is to determine whether
metal lobster traps are more economically practical than wooden traps in the catch-
ing of lobsters. Last year fishermen in the Maritimes, Quebec, and Newfoundland
landed about 44 million pounds of lobsters which had a value to the fishermen of
over US$14 million.

This phase gives observers a ringside seat from which they can observe the be-
havior of lobsters in their native habitat. Findings will not be reached for some
time but they are expected to go a long way toward solving the problem of trap loss-
es by storms.

The HMCS Greenwood, of the Royal Canadian Navy, based at Halifax, will take
part in the project. This vessel's diving chamber will be submerged on the lobster
grounds and underwater movie and television cameras will record the actions of the
lobsters. Other technical equipment will also be used to measure the effects of vi-
brations, currents, etc. In addition to the Naval vessel, three boats of the Depart-
ment of Fisheries will participate in the operation. They are the Limada, Modiolus
I, and Serpurla.

During the past four years metal traps have been tested on the various fishing
grounds. The original project involved the use of steel traps fishing against wood-
en traps. The continuing experiment will include not only the old-type steel traps
with three fishing heads and the door opening on the top, but also new steel traps
with three fishing heads, the trap opening from the bottom, and catch locks on the
ends; aluminum traps with three fishing heads with catch locks hooking under the
bottom; nylon rope and twine; aluminum floats; high purity zinc anodes to help curb
erosion of the steel traps; aluminum and fibreglass lobster buoys.

Experience gained in four years of testing under varied conditions in various
parts of the Maritimes has proven that metal traps stand up better under gale and
sea conditions than do traps made of wood. Metal traps also outlast wooden traps

64 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Vol. 20, No. 6

by many years. Metal-producing firms are cooperating by supplying some of the

traps necessary for the experiments.

Trap losses through storm have been one of the main problems lobster fisher-

men have had to face. Although the Department of Fisheries had sponsored trap in-
surance, only a portion of lobster fishermen have taken advantage of this protection.

As a result, a severe storm can bring great economic hardship to noninsured fish-
ermen. Coupled with information already tabulated showing the number of lobsters
caught in both metal and wooden traps, the undersea observations should fill in the
missing parts of the picture. (Canadian Trade News, February 1948.)

ok ok ok ok

ducers of salted fish products a rebate of 50 percent of the cost of salt.

The Minister of Fisheries pointed out that fishermen producing these relatively

low-priced products have been faced with controlled prices in many of the export

markets and rising costs of production. The assistance has been paid for some years

in the provinces of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Is-

land, and Quebec. The assistance does not apply to products sold in the UnitedStates.

(Canadian Trade News, February 1958.)

*

STUDIES ON HOLDING LOBSTERS IN ARTIFICIAL SEA
WATER: Studies on how temperature and crowding affect
the holding of lobsters in artificial sea water were con-
ducted at the Fisheries Research Board of Canada’s Bio-
logical Station at St. Andrews, New Brunswick.

The discovery that lobsters can live in artificial sea
water has aided in the recent growth of inland markets
for live lobsters, Suitable artificial sea water is easily
prepared by dissolving five readi!y-available salts in tap
water. Many inland storage and display units that hold
from 50 to 500 pounds of lobsters in artificial sea water
are now in use and more are being built. Elaborate glass
and stainless steel units with mechanical refrigeration,
aeration, and filtration are manufactured. These are used
primarily for display purposes,

If suitable water conditions are maintained in these
units, the lobsters will remain active and form an attrac-
tive display for long periods, For practical reasons the
volume of artificial sea water in inland holding units is
limited and the lobsters are usually crowded. Under such
conditions the waste products from the lobsters gradually
accumulate and the water becomes murky and finally
toxic. At this point the lobsters will weaken and die un-
less the water is replaced. The accumulation of toxic
materials can be slowed down considerably and the appear-
ance of the unit improved by filtering out the solid waste
products as they are formed. However, even with effi-
cient filtration the water eventually becomes toxic. If the
water is not changed often enough unnecessary losses will
occur, On the other hand too frequent changes mean a
waste of time and money.

From general observations it was obvious that both the
temperature of the water and the degree of crowding were
important factors in determining how long the water
would remain suitable. More precise information on the
effects of these factors was obtained from the following
experiments,

Fifty lobsters (total weight 50 pounds) were held in 50
(imperial) gallons of artificial sea water at each of four
temperatures until all died. The water was not changed
or filtered during the course of the experiment but was
well aerated tg provide an ample supply of dissolved
oxygen. At 34° F. the lobsters lived an average of 26 days;

mK OK

at 43° F.,19 days; at 57° F., 10 days; and at 68° F., 6days.
These results show clearly that the lower the temperature
the longer the water will remain suitable.

Twenty lobsters (20 pounds total weight) were held in
five different amounts of artificial sea water ranging from
10 to 80 gallons. This provided five degrees of crowding
as follows; 1/4, 1/2, 1, 1-1/2, and 2 pounds per gallon. The

water temperature was maintained at 40 F. andthe lobsters:

were held in the same unfiltered but well-aerated water

until all died. At 1/4 lb. per gal. the lobsters lived an aver-

age of 73 days; at 1/2 lb. per gal., 53 days; at 1 1b. per gal.,
33 days; at 1-1/2 lbs. per gal., 22 days; and at 2 lbs. per
gal., 16 days. It is clear that the water remains Suitable
longer when the lobsters are less densely crowded--over
four times as long at 1/4 lb. per gal. as at 2 lbs. per gal.

At temperatures near the freezing point lobsters are
Sluggish and unattractive for display, and refrigeration
costs are higher. There is also the danger of killing
lobsters at very low temperatures, especially during the
summer when they have been accustomed to warm water.
Lobsters can be held at moderately high temperatures but
the water must be changed frequently. The best compro-
mise for Tost holding purposes appears to be a tempera-
ture of 40 to 45° F.

Lobsters can be held at various degrees of crowding
but the more they are crowded the more often the water
must be changed. In general the less the crowding the
easier it is to provide adequate aeration and filtration and
the longer the water remains suitable. In deciding the
crowding that is best for his particular purpose an oper-
ator must consider the space required, the cost and appear-
ance of his holding unit, and the inconvenience and loss of
time involved in frequent water changes.

In inland holding one of the operator’s primary concerns
is knowing when to change the water to avoid unnecessary
losses. Some lobsters are, of course, injured or weakened
in shipment and will die shortly after they are placed ina
holding unit. Such losses can to a large extent be avoided
if each shipment is examined carefully and the weak lob-
sters are processed quickly. From the daily records of
deaths in the experiments reported here and other similar
experiments, it is possible to estimate how long the water
will remain suitable at various degrees of crowding. If
vigorous lobsters are held at 40° F. in unfiltered artificial

June 1958

sea water, there should be no Serious losses if the water

is changed as follows: every 10 days when crowded to the
extent of 2 lbs. per gal.; every 2 weeks at 1-1/2 lbs. per
gal.; every 3 weeks at 1 lb. pergal.; every 5 weeks at 1/21b.

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 65

per gal.; and every 6 weeks at 1/41b. per gal. Lobsters
that have become weak because of toxic waste products
normally revive quickly when the water is changed. (Trade
News, January 1958.)

NEW REGULATIONS FOR FOREIGN FISHING VESSELS PROPOSED: The Chil-
ean Ministry of Agriculture has proposed a law regulating the granting of permits
to foreign craft to fish in Chilean waters. The principal changes in existing regula-
tions appear to be the following: (1) Permits are to be granted for a two-year peri-
od, whereas they were previously granted for one year. The decree states that re-
newal of this two-year permit may not be granted; (2) To qualify for issuance of such
a permit, foreign craft must be not more than five years old, if of wood, and nor
more than ten years old, if of other material. Furthermore, evidence that the ves-
sel is of high-grade quality and construction must also be provided. This proposed
law must be approved by the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Relations before be-
ing forwarded to the Comptroller General for final approval.

Colombia

LICENSE FEES FOR COMMERCIAL FISHING: Colombia
Ministry of Agriculture Resolution 296 of March 10, 1958,
establishes license fees and administrative procedures for
obtaining licenses. The resolution was authorized by
Article 16 (g) of the basic fishing regulation 0357, Decem~
ber 13, 1957, which gave the right to the Ministry of Agri-
culture to fix such fees and procedures.

The Resolution establishes these license fees:

(1) Individual commercial fishiug license: 2pesos (44
U.S. cents).

(2) Registration certificate for canoes, skiffs, or any small
boats used in lake, river, or coastal fishing, that require
two or more persons for operation: 15 pesos (US$3.33)--
valid for 1 year and issued to the owner.

(3) Registration certificate for vessels, validfor 1 year, as
follows (tonnages are gross, unless otherwise specified):
(a) Vessels weighing up to 2 tons: free
(b) Vessels weighing more than 2 tons but not more
than 10 tons: 50 pesos (US$11.12)
(c) Vessels weighing more than 10 tons do not have to
purchase a registration certificate but must pur-
chase a fishing permit.

(4) Fishing permits for marine commercial fishing,
valid for 1 year, as follows:

(a) Vessels of more than 10 tons but not over 25 tons:
200 pesos (US$44.46)

(b) Vessels of more than 25 tons but not over 50 tons:
400 pesos (US$88.92)

(c) Vessels weighing more than 50 tons: 600 pesos
(US$133.38)

(5) Registration certificate for foreign vessels, which are
aot connected in any way with Colombian firms or interests,
and which are devoted to the fishery of marine mammals,
tuna and tunalike fish, or live bait, in Colombian waters:
US$2.00--valid for 1 year.

(6) Special permit for the fishery of marine mammals, tuna,
and tunalike fish, or live bait, for vessels which are not
connected in any way with Colombian firms or interests:
US$6 in the Pacific Ocean and US$8 in the Caribbean Sea
per net ton of registered weight of vessel. These special
permits are valid for 100 days.

Licenses and permits may be obtained from the Ministry
of Agriculture offices except that special permits for the
fishery of marine mammals, tuna and tunalike fish, or live
bait, will be issued only by the Director of the Division of
Natural Resources or by the Chief of the Fish, Fish Culture,
and Game Section.

~<a,
Cuba

COOKED TUNA LOINS SHIPPED TO THE UNITED STATES: Shipments of cook-
ed tuna loins to the United States have been made by the joint Cuban-Japanese fish-
ing company according to news sources in Cuba. The tuna industry is new in Cuba
and total exports to date have not exceeded 400 tons, including 250 tons of cooked
tuna loins. Stocks on hand and eee for export consist of 200 tons. The Japa-
nese fishing vessel Sumiyoshi Maru (used as a training ship for Cuban fishermen

and also as a fishing vesse
and Puerto Rico.

was the source of the tuna exported to the United States

66 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

It was also reported that other Japanese firms are interested in making similar
lease arrangements with Cuban firms as exist between the one joint Canadian-Ja-
panese fishing company and the Sumiyoshi Maru. But the Cuban National Fisheries
Institute has adopted a firm decision not to permit any further arrangements of this
type. However, the Institute may permit the employment of foreign technicians and
crews if the vessels fly the Cuban flag or are owned by Cubans.

The Sumiyoshi Maru departed from Habana on March 29, 1958, with another
group of Cuban fishermen trainees and some Government scientific personnel. The
vessel will-conduct exploration activities and studies on the north coast of Pinar del
Rio, the Yucatan Channel, south of the Isle of Pines, south of the Grand Caiman Is-
lands, and south of Cienfuegos. This will be the first exploratory trip in purely Cu-
ban waters during which a search will be made for new sources of bluefin, yellow-
fin, and albacore tuna, swordfish, sailfish, and other species. A well-known Cuban
naturalist is aboard the vessel as the official delegate of the National Fisheries In-
stitute. The scientific personnel will debark at Cienfuegos after which the Japanese
vessel will continue its commercial fishing operations in the Atlantic and the Carib-
bean, returning to Habana about June 10 (United States Embassy in Habana, dispatch
dated April 14, 1958).

* ck kk Ok

CLOSED SEASON FOR MOJARRAS AND SPONGES: The Cuban National Fish-
eries Institute imposed a closed season on the mojarra species of fish, including
joturo, anguila, biajaca (tripletail), and dajao, effective April 1, 1958. The resolu-
tion putting into effect this closed season appeared in Official Gazette No. 53 of
March 18, 1958, and will be in effect until cancelled by another resolution.

A closed season began on April 15, 1958, on the harvesting of sponges in the
areas of the Western maritime zone, North of Caibarien, and South of Batabano,
with the continuance of sponge fishing prohibited during the closed season off the
coast North of Vuelta Abajo in the Province of Pinar del Rio. This closed season
will also remain in effect until terminated by an appropriate resolution. The notice
concerning this closed season appeared in the Official Gazette No. 65 of April 3, |
1958. (U. S. Embassy in Habana dispatch, April 11, 1958.) |

Denmark |

METHOD OF COATING FROZEN FISH WITH HOT
POLYETHYLENE: A method of packaging frozen fish
which involves the manufacture of polyethylene as used

of the extruder, the air is evacuated from the polyethylene
tube which is heat sealed at both ends.

(said to extend greatly the storage life of the product)
has been patented in the United States. The patent was
applied for by the chairman of the Danish Association

of Producers of Flatfish, who is also president of a firm
producing frozen and canned fish at Esbjerg, Denmark.

The new method works as follows: the frozen product
passes on a conveyer belt from the freezer directly toa
polyethylene extruder, which has a special exhauster that
covers the product with a polyethylene film produced at the
instant of wrapping. The product can continue on the same
belt directly to the storage room.

Due to the great difference in temperature between
the polyethylene film which is produced at a temperature
of 180°C. (356° F.) and the frozen product which has a
temperature of -30°C. (-22°F.), a difference of 210°C.
(378° F.), the heat of the polyethylene has the effect of de-
stroying a good deal of surface bacteria, without damaging
the product, since this difference of temperature exists for
only a brief part of a second. As the product is passed out

Because of the characteristics of polyethylene the object
appears as a glazedpolyethylene inclusion. It isreported
that this has the same effect as perfect glazing without any
risk that this seal can become diminished by the influence
of air or freezing. In addition, there are the advantages
inherent in having the product polyethylene-enclosed,

This method of packaging can cut down the investment tied
upina variety of sizes of packaging, according tothe inven-
tor. Instead, a considerably-reduced stock of the raw mate-
rial, polyethylene powder, may be kept, which has the advan-
tage of being 100 percent usable regardless of any changes
in product size.

It is reported by the inventor that this methodis cheaper
inasmuch as the polyethylene used is only the precise amount
needed to cover the product, whereas in prefabricated
polyethylene bags a certain amount of overhang is lost.

_ This method of packaging is also recommended by the
inventor for extending storage life of frozenbread. (Quick

Frozen Foods, March 1958.)

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 67

Ecuador

NEW FISHING LAWS PROPOSED: About the first of April the Ecuadoran Cabi-
net approved two new fishing laws which are expected to be approved by the Presi-
dent and promulgated.

The first of these new laws will open the Gulf of Guayaquil to foreign fishing
vessels which have obtained the proper permits to operate in Ecuadoran waters.
The principal benefit of this measure to foreign fishing vessels will be in the taking
of bait for tuna fishing since the Gulf of Guayaquil abounds in bait which is very
scarce in deeper waters.

The second of the proposed new bills is a complete general fishing law which
the Ecuadoran Director of Fisheries states is modeled on the Peruvian law.

Ecuador hopes through these two measures to encourage the United States tuna
fleet to return to Ecuadoran waters. Several years ago Ecuador had an income of
around a half million dollars a year from the licenses and permits bought by United
States tuna boats. This income has dwindled to almost nothing since the facilities
granted by Ecuador have recently been extremely limited, particularly in the case
of bait taking. Under the new laws it is probable that United States tuna boats will
return in force to Ecuadoran waters and to the high seas off the coast of Ecuador
and that Ecuador's income from fishing licenses will return to the level of several
years ago (U. S. Embassy in Quito, dispatch dated April 3, 1958).

ok kk OK

SHRIMP FISHERY TRENDS: Late in March 1958 considerable attention was
given by the Ecuadoran press fo the status of the shrimp export industry, due to
rumors that official approval would be given for the importation of foreign-built
shrimp vessels. These rumors caused some criticism regarding the need to pro-
tect Ecuador's small shipbuilding industry. In addition, some fears were expressed
as to the future of the shrimp resources off the coast if unregulated competition for
the available supplies took place, an April 14, 1958, dispatch from the United States
Embassy in Quito reports.

Honduras

FISHERIES TRENDS: The fisheries of Honduras are located principally in the
vicinity of the offshore Bay Islands, in the Carribbean Sea. During 1957, construction
of a freezing plant was started which will, when completed, provide facilities for a
fleet of five vessels. The company operating the fishing vessels expects to supply
the Honduras market, but the bulk of the shrimp catch will be exported to the United
States, according to a March 1958 dispatch from the United States Embassy in Teg-

ucigalpa.

Iceland

ELECTRIC TRAWL DEVELOPED FOR HERRING FISHERY: Two Icelandic
brothers have sought a patent for an electric trawl which is specially adapted for
use in the herring fisheries but also can be used for other fish, according to Fis-
karen (April 9, 1958), a Norwegian fishery trade paper. Patents are being sought
in Denmark, Germany, the United States, and many other countries, A patent has

68 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

been issued in Sweden and it is expected that the first electric trawl of this type will
be built there.

The trawl is constructed in such a way that an electric current is sent through
the towing cables from a generator in the stern of the vessel. This creates electric
fields in the water around the trawl so that the fish are stunned and drawn into the
trawl. The method is said to be very simple and does not require unusual or heavy
expenses.

Icelandic fishery authorities have indicated an interest in the trawl and are fol-
lowing closely the further experiments.

* kk *

SELECTED FISHERY EXPORTS, 1957: Ice-
land's exports in 1957 include several fishery
items of interest to the United States fisheries.
There was a considerable increase in exports
of herring oil, herring meal, and fish meal as
compared with 1956. Exports of frozen fish and
ocean perch meal were lower (Statistical Bulle-
tin, January 1958, National Bank of Iceland).

Selected icelandic Fishery Exports, 1956 and 1957 i
1956
value1/] Qty. | Value 1/

Metric | US$1,000] Metric|US$1,000

Product

Frozen fish.....
Herring oil.....
Herring meal... .
Ocean perch meal.
Fish meal......

INOTE: VALUES CONVERTED AT RATE OF 16.26 KRONER EQUALS US$1.

Japan

KING CRAB CANNERY VESSEL SAILS FOR BERING SEA: The 5,385-ton crab
cannery vessel Tokei Maru sailed early in April 1958 for Bristol Bay, in the Bering
Sea, to fish for and process king crabs. The first vessel of its type to leave Japan
this year, it is expected to return with 684 tons of canned crab meat, according to a
news release from Hakodate.

Ok KK Ok

SALMON FISHING FLEETS LEFT FOR NORTH PACIFIC ON MAY 5: The 1958
salmon fishing season in the North Pacific was initiated on May 5, 1958, when 16
mothership fleets departed for the fishing grounds. This is the same size fleet as
the one that operated in 1957. Only one fleet with 28 catcher boats will operate in
the Okhotsk Sea in accordance with the new Japanese-Soviet fisheries agreement,
while the other 15 fleets will operate in the Aleutians area west of 175° W. longitude.

Last year two fleets operated in the Okhotsk Sea.

The quota this year is 110,000 metric tons (last year 120,000 tons). The total
number of catcher boats operating this year is about the same as last year. In 1957
a total of 461 catcher boats were attached to the 16 mothership vessels. The Japa-
nese fleets generally start operating in the easternmost zone and work westward as
the season progresses. It is the early season's fishing that yields the bulk of the
Japanese red salmon catch, and as the fleets approach the waters off Kamchatka the
Asian-spawned pink salmon predominate.

The Japanese Fisheries Agency has announced detailed plans for sending sur-
vey vessels to the fishing grounds. Hight survey vessels, headed by the 1,098-ton
Toko Maru, are scheduled to study the salmon resources along the Kamchatka Penin-
sula. The press had announced that the studies would include the Okhotsk Sea, but
official Japanese sources state that the final decision on this matter has not been
reached.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 69

Also on May 2 each fleet was assigned its catch quota. The total quota for moth-
ership salmon fishing during 1958 was set at 91,667 tons (of which 6,000 tons was as-
signed to the Okhotsk fleet), Shore-based salmon fishing vessels based on Hokkaido
have been given a quota of 18,333 tons.

Prices to be paid by mothership operators to catcher boat operators during the
1958 salmon season were established at a level 5-6 percent lower than for the pre-
vious year. By species the following prices were agreed upon: red salmon ¥300
kan (10 U. S. cents a pound); white salmon ¥125 per kan (4 U. S. cents a pound); pink
salmon ¥75 per kan (2.5 U.S. cents a pound); and king salmon ¥205 per kan (6.9U.S.
cents a pound).

NOTE: CONVERSIONS MADE AS FOLLOWS: 1 KAN EQUALS 8.27 POUNDS; ¥360 EQUAL US$1.

JAPANESE GOVERNMENT;

Mexico

ENSENADA FISHERY TRENDS, FIRST QUARTER 1958: Spiny Lobster: The
with a catch of about 1.8 million pounds. As a catch of 2.0 or more million pounds
had been anticipated, the fishermen in this area considered it a poor season. The
catch for the last month of the season fell far below normal due to heavy rains and
ocean storms. Prior to the opening of the season, an Ensenada spiny lobster com-
pany had contracted to purchase the entire anticipated catch at 45.5 U. S. cents a
pound provided the catch reached or exceeded 2.0 million pounds. As the catch fell
below this amount, the price paid was only 44.5 U. S. cents a pound, which reduced
the income to the lobster fishermen.

Canning: The severe storms also had an adverse effect on the Ensenada fish
canneries, One firm reported curtailing operations by about 30 percent because of
lack of fish. With improved fishing weather it was expected that operations would
return to normal.

Abalone: Informal studies are under way to find ways and means of increasing
the abalone catch. Fishermen in the area are trying to have the present January-
February closed season extended in order to allow more time for spawning, an
April 9, 1958, dispatch from the United States Consul at Tijuana reports.

* ok kK ok Ok

GULF OF MEXICO PORTS RESTRICT SERVICES TO FOREIGN FISHING VES-
SELS: A new order issued recently by the office of the Mexican Secretary of the
Navy, states that all fishing boats of foreign nationality touching any Mexican Gulf
of Mexico port can obtain provisions, including food and fuel, for 48 hours only.

But the vessels cannot buy ice or equipment since it is believed that with the amount
of provisions authorized the vessels can reach their home ports. Repairs to boats
will be authorized directly by the Director General of the Merchant Marine, follow-
ing investigation of the condition of the boats by the port captains and designated in-
spectors. (United States Consul, Tampico, Mexico, March 31, 1958.)

the failure of the 1958 winter herring fishery was due to the incursion of cold sur-
face water from the Baltic Sea. He stated that there was actually enough herring

70 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

off the Norwegian Coast to have enabled the fishermen to land twice as much as in
a normal year, but the Baltic water drove the herring to greater depths than usual.
When the herring were caught and brought to the surface they went wild and burst
the nets.

The fisheries consultant maintains that there is no reason to be pessimistic
about the future of the herring fishery. Only historical data are available for ap-
praising the so-called herring cycles, he said, and assumptions that herring will
.disappear from the Norwegian coast are based on mere hypotheses. If this should

occur ocean research would provide ample warning (News of Norway, April 17,1958).

* ok Kk ok

FISHERIES TRENDS THROUGH MARCH 15, 1958: Cod: During the week end-
ing March 15, 1958, in Finnmark, Lofoten, and in the districts south of Lofoten land-
ings of spawning cod were higher. At Troms and Vesteralen the seasonal falling-
off seems to have begun. Landings for the season through March 15totaled 39,262
metric tons as compared with 36,950 tons at the same time last year. Of the land-
ings 14,565 tons were sold for drying, 15,619 for curing, and 9,078 tons for fresh
purposes. A quantity of 1,665 tons of cod liver oil was produced; 1,175 tons of roes
were sold for curing, and 1,228 tons for fresh purposes and for canning.

Herring: The winter herring fishery improved in the Haugesund district where
the net fishing was mostly satisfactory, and purse seiners had some catches at sea
off Alesund during the week ending March 15. Shoals of winter herring have been
found off the coast of Nordland county as far north as off Lofoten. Purse seiners
have been in touch with these shoals. The total landings of winter herring as of
March 15 were 319,947 metric tons of which 59,713 tons were sold for fresh pur-
poses, 79,008 tons for curing, 7,171 tons for canning, 164,008 tons for reduction,
and 10,047 tons for other purposes.

ook ok ok ok

HERRING FISHERMEN GRANTED SPECIAL FINANCIAL CREDIT: The Nor-
wegian Government announced early in March 1958, that the Bank of Norway, through
commercial banks, will furnish fishermen in economic difficulty with short-term
working credit. The credit will be limited to kr.1,700-1,800 (US$238-252) per fish-
erman. This aid has been made necessary by the very poor winter herring season
this past year (the second during the past two years) and is limited to credit only
for herring fishermen. This measure differs from the recent relief measures grant-
ed to the cod fishermen, which calls for a fund of kr.15,000,000 (US$2.1 million) to
support cod prices (United States Embassy in Oslo, dispatch March 14, 1958).

Kok Kk OK

was less than one-third that of 1957--about 17,000 short tons as compared with
55,000 tons in 1956.

If the herring catch this summer is average, herring oil output for 1958 should
be around 28,000 tons, against 72,750 tons in 1957, and a record of 114,630 tons in
1956. This is the lowest herring oil yield since 1947, when only 22,000 tons were
produced, and is slightly less than the 29,400 tons produced in 1949.

June 1958

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

71

Panama

EXPANSION OF SHRIMP INDUSTRY SLOWS DOWN:
The rapid expansion of Panama’s shrimp fishery which
started in mid-1956 and swelled capital investment to an
estimated US$6.2 million by June 1957 appears to have
come to a halt. To the extent possible, proposed expansion
plans have been deferred until the future of the industry can
be reappraised. Disappointing returns of new independent
boat owners has caused new risk capital to withdraw from
the industry. This ‘‘new’’ capital, which was the principal
contributor in the expansion of the shrimp fleet, flowed from
the Panamanian professional man, the businessman, and
even the skilled carpenter with the anticipation of a quick
fortune. Panamanian boat builders, who were unable to
accept additional orders for new boats in July 1957, report
numerous cancellations, and in some instances stop orders
after the boat is under construction. Uncertainty exists
with respect to existing orders, the United States Embassy
in Panama states in a March 17, 1958, dispatch.

Panama’s shrimp fleet numbered 203 trawlers as of Jan-
uary 22, 1958, an increase of 113 boats since June 1956 but
a substantially greater increase in actual fishing power as
most new boats are the 60-foot trawler. The rapid expan-
sion in the fleet has placed a premium on experienced,
reliable captains and trained fishing crews. Many of the
boats have been placedunder newly-licensed captains,
(whose past experience was that of a seaman) and untrained
crews. New boat owners have foundthe catch per trip disap-
pointingly short of that anticipatedin estimating earnings on
their capitalinvestment. Many boat owners suspect boot-
legging of shrimp by the vessel at interior ports and ‘‘over
the side.’ Experienced members of the shrimp industry
are concerned that the sharply-reduced catches of the boats
per trip may indicate that Panama’s shrimp resources are
being overfished.

There are seven shrimp packing companies presently
operating in Panama. A new companyhas a small freezing
plant located near the national abattoir in the suburbs of
Panama City and is owned by the original organizers of a
fish meal plant. Only three boats are working for the com-
pany, two of which are company-owned.

Forty-six trawlers were added to the shrimp fleet in the
seven-month period, June 1957-January 1958. The fleet
of one company has experienced the largest increase with
a total of 18 trawlers. All the trawlers are independently
owned. Three other companies have increased their fleets
by eight each. The expansion pattern has been for the es-
tablished shrimp companies to hold their investment in
boats to normal replacement and expand their fishing fleet
through contract with independent boats. Three-fourths of
Panama’s shrimp fleet is working for two companies.
These two companies account for about 80 percent of the
total production of frozen shrimp.

In 1957 Panama exported an estimated 8.2 million

pounds 1/ of frozenshrimp as compared with 6.0 million

pounds 2/ shipped in 1956. With allowance for an over-

estimate in 1957 export figures, shipments for the year
1/PRELIMINARY FIGURES BASED ON MONTHLY EXPORTS.
2/REVISED ON BASIS OF DATA RECORDED FROM SHIPPING
NOTE: IMPORTS OF SHRIMP BY THE UNITED STATES FROM

ING TO UNITED STATES DATA.

A

are believed to have exceeded previous records by over

2 million pounds, On the basis of available data, the export
price averaged just under 75 cents a pound in both years.
Total catch is not available, but allowing 800,000 pounds
for consumption in the Panamanian and Canal Zone markets,
1957 production approximated 9 million pounds, The in-
crease in production of between 2 and 2.5 million pounds
was due almost entirely to the extraordinary catch of pink
shrimp. Generally the pinks are taken in abundance for
two to three weeks in the month of March, In 1957, the
season started in November and by the end of January

over 1 million pounds had been taken. The season reached
its height in the last week of February but continued on
through March. The total take is believed to have exceeded
3,000,000 pounds. The catch of large whites for the year
held at about the same level as in 1956.

Trade reports that the catches of the boats have declined
sharply. The average catch per trip is around 100 pounds
per day. For afive- to seven-day trip the boat take is now
from 400 to 700 pounds as compared to 1,500 to 2,100 pounds
a year ago. Many of the independent boats are extending
their trips to as much as 23 days in a hope of increasing
their catch. The lossin spoilage, however, offsets a large
part of the gain after the tenth day out. Boat maintenance
costs have increased sharply since the shortage developed
in experienced fishing captains and crews. Trade recog-
nizes that 1957 cannot be considered a normal year as rad-
ical changes in fishing patterns were noted all along the
Pacific Coast. Trade also recalls that the catchper boat in
1952 and 1953 was about the same as the present take
although Panama’s shrimp fleet numbered less than 20 small
trawlers.

The pink shrimp appeared in the Gulf within reach of the
fleet February 29, 1958. Catches, however, were spotty and
were locatedin rocky areas which were difficult to fish with-
out ruining the net. The heavy run was expected within the
next two weeks,

As of January 22, there were 12 boat-building yards in
operationin Panama City with three additional boats under
construction by independents on the beach. There are 59
boats under constructionin Panama City and16 more boats
reported under constructionin Taboga, Guarare, Garachine
(Darien), and Colon. Most of thenew boats are the 60-foot
trawler with a gross tonnage of 59.9 and a net of 38.7.
Completion of these boats will swell Panama’s shrimp
fleet to 278 trawlers. Boat yards report an additional 35
trawlers on order. However a number of orders are not
considered firm; construction is known to have been sus-
pended on three boats. It is reported that 6 or 8 shrimp
boats have moved to El Salvador and 2 or 3 to Colombia
and Brazil. Several others are expected to goto Colombia.
Allowing for normal replacement of overaged boats and
transfer or sale of independently-owned boats, particularly
those built and ownedby capital interests outside the shrimp
industry, the Panama shrimp fleet probably will level off
at 250 to 275 trawlers.

MANIFEST.
PANAMA IN 1957 TOTALED 8,378,000 POUNDS ACCORD-

Peru

ANCHOVY AND BONITO LANDINGS LOWER IN 1957/58 SEASON: Sharply cur-

tailed supplies of anchovies and bonito have resulted in higher prices for fish meal

and canned bonito produced in Peru.

It is estimated that the bonito pack for the

1957/58 season will be about 600,000 cases, only one-third of the pack for 1956/57.
A survey made by a leader in the industry showed that the canning and fish meal
plants in the Chimbote area were operating at about 20-25 percent of capacity for

this season of the year.

72 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Catches of anchovies for the fish meal plants have been good in a cold-water
area 150 miles south to 50 miles north of Callao, but because of the distance in-
volved these catches cannot be transported to the Chimbote area without spoiling,
the United States Embassy at Lima reports in a March 10 dispatch.

OK KOK Ok

REPORT OF JAPANESE FISHING OFF COAST UNCONFIRMED: None of the
public or private news sources contacted in Peru were aware of Japanese fishing
off the Peruvian coast. These sources stated that there is absolutely no arrange-
ment between the Government of Peru and the Japanese concerning fishing off the
Peruvian coast. No permits or licenses have been issued to Japanese vessels and
none have been applied for. Whether or not applications have been made to Peruvian
officials abroad is unknown, an April 15, 1958 dispatch from the United States Em-
bassy in Lima reports.

Poland

OCEAN FISH CATCH: Poland's total ocean catch of fish in 1957 amounted to
125,000 metric tons--21 times more than the catch in 1948, according to the April 4
issue of Trybuna Ludu. Plans for 1958 call for a 15- “percent increase over 1957,
with changes contemplated in the ''exploitation system"' of open sea fishing and in
the catch assortment. The 1958 plan calls for a catch of 6,000 tons of herring.

With an eye on the rapidly growing Polish population (500,000 increase annual-
ly), a catch of 200,000 tons in 1960 and 500,000 tons in 1975 will be needed, states
an April 8, 1958, dispatch from the United States Embassy in Warsaw.

The long-range plan obviously calls for rapid construction of a long-range,
modern fishing fleet, equipped with the appropriate catching and processing equip-
ment, and based on extensively developed shore and distribution facilities. To date
the inadequacy of shore processing and refrigeration facilities has limited the total
fish catch, and has been the cause of serious spoilage and waste.

Portugal

CANNED FISH EXPORTS, JANUARY 1958: During Jan-
uary 1958 Portugal’s exports of canned fish amounted to
3,078 metric tons (195,510 cases), valued at US$1.8 mil-
lion, as compared with 2,315 tons, valued at US$1.5 mil-
lion, for the same period in 1957. Sardines in olive oil ex-
ported during January 1958 amounted to 2,238 tons, valued
at US$1.3 million.

Sardines in olive oil

In January 1958 the leading canned fish buyer was Sardinelike fish in olive oil
Germany with 604 tons (valued at US$352,000), followed by Sardine & sardinelike fish
Italy with 322 tons (valued at US$178,000), the United States i
with 255 tons (valued at US$207,000), Belgium-Luxembourg
with 226 tons (valued at US$122,000), and Great Britain
with 224 tons (valued at US$125,000). Exports to the United

States consisted of 104 tons of sardines, and 151 tons of
anchovies. (Conservas de Peixe, March 1958.)

OK OK OK OX

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 73

CANNED FISH PACK, JANUARY-NOVEMBER 1957: The total pack of canned
fish for January-November 1957 amounted to 53,493 metric tons as compared with
50,644 tons in the first 11 months of 1956.
Canned sardines in oil (31,300 tons) ac- :

Net Canners

counted for 58.5 percent of the January- roan Weight aie
November 1957 total pack, higher by 8.3. ~}-————————+,, ,.- —.___3 4

Portuguese Canned Fish Pack, January-November 1957 |

Metric US$
percent than the pack of 28,902 tons for the _ Tons, 1,000
am i i In Olive Oil: 4

_ S Pero ta LAG, Sardines ner ecu oeret- 31,300 18,767

Sardinelike fish........ 11,049 pias

The Portuguese pack of canned sar- Anenory fillets........- 20 zee

dines in oil totaled 6,818 tons during No- Other species (incl, shellfish)| "744 490

] In Brine:

vember 1957. The pack of all canned fish | Sardinelike fish........ 4,976 1,248
in November 1957 amounted to 7,619 tons, | Other species ......... 1,049 297 |

Un® Weueen NOES Compsierives Glo IRORNS Bes Tea saan nn 53,493 aa

ports. NOTE: VALUES CONVERTED AT RATE OF 28.75 ESCUDOS EQUALS us$1 .

ROK OK ok ok

CONSUMPTION OF FISHERY PRODUCTS INCREASES: At a launching cere-
mony held at Viana do Castelo a government delegate to the fishing industry stated
that Portugal's consumption of fishery products had increased from about 68.3 pounds
per capita in 1942 to about 114.5 pounds in 1957. He also stated that Portugal ranks
third among European countries in per capita fish consumption. The increase has

been made possible in part by gains in the number and the efficiency of the fishing
fleet:

The 1958 catch, he stated, should be greater than in 1957, with four new cod
fishing vessels, 7 new ocean-going trawlers, and 10 new coastal trawlers.

EDITORS NOTE: PROBABLY REFERS TO PRODUCT WEIGHT RATHER THAN EDIBLE WEIGHT, BUT THE REPORT DID NOT

SPECIFY.
ROAR
ay
oe

South-West Africa

FISHING INDUSTRY REVIEW: Fishing, an industry that has gained major im-
portance only since the end of World War II, plays an important part in the economy
of South-West Africa. Investment in the industry amounts to over 14 million (US$11.2
million). Most of the fishery companies in South-West Africa are registered com-
panies which originally stemmed from Union of South Africa companies. The most
important products are sardines (pilchard) and spiny lobster.

Table 1 - South-West Africa's Production of Sardine and Spiny Lobster Products, 1950-57

SARDINES PILCHARDS) SPINY LOBSTER
Year Canned Meal Canned Frozen Tails Meal
Walue Quantity | Value aa laine Quantity | Value | Q

,000 | US$ ,000 US$ ,000 | US$
Lbs. 1,000 Lbs. 1,000 Lbs. | 1,000
1957 93,536 | 4,654) 21,586 T5518

1956
1955
1954

99.310 | 4,970| 26,190 | 2,030 1,995 | 1,674
103.756 | 5,194| 23,718 | 1,859 2,350 | 1,974
108,204 | 5,415 | 37,384 |2.618| 2,542 | 2,136

1953 123,010 | 5,166] 21,252 | 2,083 2,740 | 2,304
1952 74,646 | 3,136 | 16,204 | 1,588 2,893 | 2,430
1951 34,690 | 1,456 9,638 944 1,924 | 1,078
1950 6,808 286 © 2 1,688 899

NOTE: VALUES CONVERTED AT RATE OF +1 EQUALS US$2.80.

The principal market for frozen spiny lobster is the United States and the prod-
uct is shipped on United States vessels. There is also a well-established market
for canned lobster, equally divided between the United States, United Kingdom, and
Belgium.

74 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

Canned sardines are another important product of the fishing industry, but the
United States is not considered a good market. The primary markets for this prod-
uct are the United Kingdom, countries along the west coast of Africa, and Singapore.
Only when the California sardine catch fails does trade with the United States be-
come important. When this hap-
pens, as it has in recent years,
various United States firms send

Table 2 - Value of Principal Fishery Products
Exports from South-West Africa, 1955-57
representatives to South-West [“Broduct __—S—S—S*Y=«987 | 1956 | 1955]
Africa to supervise the canning ... (US$1,000)...
of sardines which are then sold ine, canned...... 6,339 | 6,376 /
under their labels.

2 6 © © © © © © ©

The principal income from ish 2 hss ee ean :
euciines HS cea ved tia at
meal and oil. Exports of these
products are restricted bythe Union of South Africa to 75 percent of production, The
United States and Europe provide a ready market for exported meal. All of the oil
production is consumed by the Union of South Africa. Production of meal and oil
has been more profitable than canning--in 1957 only 17 percent of the sardines
caught were canned and the remainder were processed into meal and oil.

There are at present 6 factories in Walvis Bay which process sardines and two
companies which handle ''white fish'' (snook, kobbeljou, kingklip, steenbrass, skates,
and others). In Luderitz there are 6 factories which process spiny lobster. The
number of sardine and spiny lobster factories is limited by the South-West Africa
government. There are no indications that the number of factories, for either spiny
lobster or sardines, will be increased in the near future.

In efforts to establish a stable industry, the Government has established catch
limits or quotas for spiny lobster and sardines. In addition, strict regulations con-
trolling the finished products have been applied to insure high quality in a competi-
tive foreign market. Except for catch limits, the fishing industry has not been reg-
ulated. The effect of the present regulations has been to force the industry to adopt
efficient methods in order to profit from the legally limited catch. There is no quota
on ''white fish,'' reports a dispatch from the United States Embassy at Pretoria,
dated April 3, 1958. But there is a catch quota on spiny lobsters. The present catch
quota for sardines will remain at 250,000 tons per season until the extent of the fish-
ing area has been determined by governmental research of currents, temperature,
and other factors that affect the fish population. It is the Government's wish to in-
sure a Stable fishing industry.

In regard to future sardine catches, one important warning sign that has appeared
recently is that too many immature fish are being caught. Considering the natural
mortality, plus the decline due to the catch, there is a question of replacement of
the breeding stock. It is the opinion of some fishery experts that the sardine fishing
industry is in danger, although up to the present stocks of sardines have been stable.

ok kk OK

SPINY LOBSTER FISHERY THREATENED BY OFFSHORE DIAMOND MINING:
The granting of another concession to a diamond dredging and mining company for
a ten-year period for prospecting along an area extending from the high-water mark
seaward for three miles, has raised fears as to the future of the spiny lobster fish-
ery. The area granted to the diamond prospecting firm includes some of the best
fishing grounds for spiny lobster and the packing firms at Luderitz depend on the
catches from this area for raw material. If dredging and similar operations take
place in this area, the grounds may be ruined and the spiny lobster industry, one of
the oldest in the history of the territory, may be placed in a serious position.

June 1958

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 75

A similar concession previously granted along the coast south of Luderitz men-
aces fishing grounds in that area. These spiny lobster fishing grounds have helped
to build up and sustain the spiny lobster fishery for 40 years.

Over US$2.8 million have been invested in the spiny lobster fishery at Luderitz
and, in spite of the income that the Territory has received from this industry, es-
pecially during some of the most difficult years of financial stringency, it now seems
that the fisheries will have to give way to diamonds (United States Consulate, Cape

Town, March 28, 1958).

Ey

Spain

VIGO FISHERIES TRENDS, JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1958:
Fish Exchange: Landings offishat Vigo, Spain, during
January 1958 amounted to only 7.0 million pounds. This
was a drop of 3.7 million pounds from the preceding month,
and about 0.7 million pounds from January 1957. The pri-
mary cause of this decrease was the bad weather which kept
the fishing fleet in port during the latter part of January
and early February.

Small hake was the leading species sold over the exchange
(2.0 million pounds), followed by dollarfish (1.4 million
pounds), and horse mackerel (0.9 million pounds).

The catch in January this year was valued at about
US$938,716 (at the official rate of exchange $1.00 = 42 pese-
tas) or about US$11,900 above January 1957. This higher
value was dueto the fact that the average price rose from
10.9 U. S. cents per pound to 13.6 U. S. cents apound this
January.

A closed season on sardine fishing or canning from Feb-
ruary 15 toApril15 is in effect. Sardine landings in Janu-
ary 1958 were 13,550 pounds, a drop from the previous
month’s 371,000 pounds and 289,000 pounds in January of
1957.

In February, the catches sold over the Vigo Fish Exchange
rose to 9.0 million pounds, almost 2.4 million pounds above
the February 1957 sales of 6.6 million pounds. Dollarfish was
the most prominent species landed with a total of 3.1 million
pounds. Catches of this species usually reach their peak in
February. Second highest landings were small hake (2.1 mil-
lion pounds).

Total value of the landings in February this year was about
US$907,000 at the official rate of exchange.

Fish Canning and Processing: Cannery activity was
practically nonexistent during the month of January. Can-
neries normally devoted themselves to canning anchovies
in brine. Only 7,000 pounds of fresh fish (mostly dollarfish)
were bought from the exchange for canning. Another 9,800
pounds were bought for smoking and drying. In January
1957, 172,000 pounds and 550,000 pounds were bought for
these two purposes,

During February 1958 cannery work picked up again with
a total of 366,000 pounds of fresh fish bought from the ex-

change for canning. Fish bought for smoking and salting,
droppedto 3,545 pounds, This compares with 88,200 pounds
of fresh fish bought during the same month last year for
canning and 618,000 pounds bought for other purposes.

Fishing Industry Taxes: On January 11,1958, the city
of Vigo lost the final round in its legal fight withthe fishing
industry when the Supreme Court ruledthat the municipality
could not extend its traditional tax of 2-1/2 percent to fish
and shellfish not using the facilities of the fishing port, such
as the Fish Exchange, packaging stalls, etc.

This followeda ruling made in the fall of 1957 by the Pro-
vincial Tribunal granting the fishing industry, on their pay-
ment of the provincial wealth tax (a depletion tax), anexemp-
tion to a maximum of 90 percent on taxes paid to the munic-
ipalities, with a 100-percent exemption in the case of cod,
smoked fish, and salted fish. The ruling that cod was semi-
processed when coming into port precluded the Port Works
Authority, which administers the fishing port, from assess-
ing their 2 percent surcharge on this type of fish. As a rule,
the Port Works Authority would impose their 2 percent
charge on all landings which they interpreted to be non-
processed, regardless of whether use had been made of port
facilities. These rulings, according to fishery members, are
a little too late in one respect, for the cod industry has al-
ready been driven to other ports.

At stake, however, is the newly-developing tuna industry,
and it is hoped that these rulings willserve as a basis to dis-
courage the province and municipality from what fishermen
consider overtaxation. At the moment, tuna landings are
considered by the Port Works Authority as coming under
their jurisdiction, i.e., non-processed, whereas, fishermen
consider that the tuna is landed preprocessed (frozen), and,
warn further that unless the port changes its mind the tuna
fleet will move elsewhere.

Exports: The Spanish-French commercial agreement of
December 4, 1957, will run to October 31, 1958. According
to this commercial agreement Spain will export to France
during this period over US$1 million worth of dried and
salted fish, anchovies, mussels, mollusks, and-crustaceans.
Almost half of the exportation will be dried and salted fish.
In return, France will ship approximately US$70,000 worth
of cod to Spain, the United States Consulate at Vigo reported
on March 7, 1958.

NEW DIVING EQUIPMENT MAY INCREASE HARVEST OF SEA SHELLS IN
RED SEA: A sea-Sshell fisheries expert of the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO), Rome, Italy, left in April for the Sudan where he will introduce new, simple
diving equipment foruse in the Red Sea in diving for trochus, mother-of-pearl, and
other sea shells used for making buttons. He will be ayear onhisassignment

in the Sudan.

76 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

"Introducing improved diving techniques will be only one part of my duties," the
expert explained in an interview before leaving Rome for Khartoum, Sudan. "I shall
be helping the Sudanese Government to improve the Red Sea shell fisheries, survey
the present and potential shell beds, and institute proper management of the fisher-
ies.

The new diving equipment, which was invented by an Italian engineer, is hand-
operated and simple in construction and use. Experimental dives by FAO's senior
fishing gear expert led to the decision to test whether it might be suitable for the
Red Sea shell divers, who do not even use goggles or swimfins.

"The equiciment enables a diver to go down quite deep," said the expert, "but I

expect generally to be working at about 30 to 50 ft."

"The meat of trochus are edible and when smoked are considered a delicacy in
such countries as Japan, although sea-shell fisheries are founded on the value of the
shells. Still, we can get a ton of meat from ten tons of trochus shells."

Surinam

SHRIMP FISHERY TRENDS: During the week of March 30, 1958, the news con-
cerning the Surinam Government's decision to assist a United States-Surinam shrimp
processing company by construction of an ice plant and wharf and payment of the ex-
penses of operating the factory and trawler Coquette became public.

The Coquette, meanwhile, has been operating offshore with modest success. De-
spite the fact that this is one of the rougher periods of the year off the Surinam
coast and the crew still new to the area, the vessel reportedly is averaging one trip
a week. In March, the Coquette, in four short trips, brought in about 4,400 pounds of
large shrimp and 3,300 pounds of marketable fish. In three successive nights of fish-
ing on one trip the catch was 2,500 pounds of large shrimp. The shrimp were frozen
for export and the fish sold on the local market.

Work on the ice plant and wharf has been delayed pending a change in the deed
for the shrimp-processing plant property to allow the Government to retake title to
those portions on which the new facilities will be built. This is now believed com-
pleted, so work should soon be started.

Early in April, a Japanese national residing in Canada, visited Surinam at the
instigation of the manager of the shrimp-processing firm. The Japanese national
is a managing director of a large Japanese fishing company, which reportedly has
associated companies in Brazil, Cuba, Canada, and Chile. This company operates
large vessels out of Pernambuco, Brazil, principally for fish. The shrimp company
manager hoped to interest the Japanese in using the local facilities, but the latter
did not appear enthusiastic, since his craft do not have to depend on ashore facilities
to a very great extent, an April 9, 1958, dispatch from the United States Consul at
Paramaribo reports. ‘

UsiS:)S0R-

FISHING ACTIVITY IN NORTHWEST ATLANTIC lantic Ocean by Russian vessels is obviously in-
INCREASES: Fishing activity in the Northwest At- creasing. According to a broadcast in Norwegian

June 1958

by Radio Moscow on January 5, 1958, large trawl-
ers from Murmansk now fish as far west in the At-
lantic as Greenland and Newfoundland waters.
Further, it was broadcast that the U.S.S.R. Polar
Institute inrecent years has tried to find new fish-
ing grounds in the West Atlantic; on the eastern
part of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland new ocean
perch fishing grounds were discovered, and named

the "Sverdlovsk Banks.'' (Fiskets Gang, January 30,,

1958.)

The broadcast gave the following review of the
Soviet fisheries in the North Atlantic: The popula-
tion in northern Russia has fished for many centu-
ries. At the end of the 16th century there were a-
bout 30,000 fishermen and fishery workers in the
North. At that time fishing occurred not only along
the Murmansk Coast but also at Cape Kanin anda-
long the coast to the mouth of the Petsjora. Rus-
sians also fished at Spitsbergen and Franz Josef
Land. The first one who indicated the great pos-
sibilities for the development of the fisheries in the
Barents Sea was the Russian scientist Nikolai Kip-
ovitsj in the beginning of that century. The trawl
fishery started and was particularly speeded inits
development from the 30's when the Soviet Union
obtained a large trawler fleet. Today about 1/4 of
the Soviet Union's fish catch comes from the
Barents Sea and the North Atlantic. The most im-
portant varieties are cod, haddock, pollock, ocean
perch, and herring.

Murmansk is the largest fishing port--not only in
the Soviet Union but in the whole world. The trawl-
er fleet in Murmansk includes the most modern
freezership trawlers with stern trawling. These
craft fish far out in the Atlantic Ocean and goclear
to the coast of Greenland and to the Newfoundland
Banks. A large number of fishing craft which fish
for herring in the North Atlantic also have their
base in Murmansk. In the harbor there are large
cold-storage warehouses, canneries, and other op-
erations which work for the fishing fleet.

In the offshore North Atlantic waters a large a-
mount of scientific work is conducted with the aim
of seeking fishery resources. It is the fishing in-
dustry's research institute--the Polar Institute--
which conducts the research.

The exploration of fish comes directly under the
fisheries administration. Along the Murmansk coast
there are regular reconnaissance fleets for herring
during thesummer. All vessels whichseek fish are
equipped with special hydro-acoustic equipment.

In recent years Soviet researchers in close co-
operation with the fishermen have discovered many
new areas for trawl and gill-net fishing both in the
Barent Sea and in the more distant waters. The
north and northwesterly areas which have been
fished inrecent years are of great interest for trawl

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 77

operations. In the summer there are many cod in
those areas and therefore these areas steadilyare
of greater importance for trawl fishing.

The study of the vertical distribution of cod and
haddock in the Barents §ea with the aid of hydro-
acoustic instruments and with the help of underwa-
ter equipment has shown that it is not wholly cor-
rect to place these varieties of fish in the category
of bottom fish. It has been found that for the most
part they remain in the middle water layers and
trawling gives poor results when one is notaware
of this.

In recent years the Polar Institute has conduct-
ed research to find a new area for trawling in the
western part of the Atlantic Ucean. In the eastern
half of the Newfoundland Banks new ocean perch

| grounds have been found--the Sverdlovsk Banks.

The trawl fleet also tags many ocean perch on the
Kompitov Banks which recently were found west of
Bear Island. The greatest part of the catch of cod,
haddock and ocean perch is taken to Murmanskand
frozen or cooked. —

The Soviet Union conducts a large herring fish-
ery both in and outside of the Barents Sea. Fat
herring are fished with gill nets in the open sea
and with purse seines along the coast. Even be-
fore World War II, Polar Institute had undertaken
comprehensive research on the biology of the her-
ring of Barents Sea. These experiments showed
that the herring have their nearest spawning places
in Lofoten. From there the young herring drift in
the warm North Cape current to the Murmansk
Coast. In the Barents Sea the young herring live
until they become sexually mature after which they
go back to the Norwegian Coast. Small herring
from 14 to 2 years of age are found almost every-
where in the southern part of Barents Sea but in
the greatest amounts along the coast and in the
fjords of Kolahalv Island. Herring that grow until
they are 3 or 4 years old have developed into the
fat herring which is very tasty and in greatdemand
in the markets of the Soviet Union. Research on
the biology of the herring has made it possible to
determine the most rational fishery methods.

The Polar Institute and the exploratory fishing
vessels in the North Atlantic conduct comprehen-
sive observations of the distribution and migration
of the herring by tagging. For many years the Po-
lar Institute has tagged young fish, herring, and
bottom fish in the Barents Sea. These experiments
have made it possible to predict the fertility of the
individual generations of fish and to set up predic-
tions for the outlook many years ahead. Most of
the Soviet fishery research workers believe that

| considerably more cod and herring can be fished

in the North Atlantic than at present, but the con-
clusion is that the young fish be spared. This is
true equally for both cod and herring.

KK OK OK OK

VESSELS USE FISH PUMP TO CATCH FISH ATTRACTED BY UNDERWATER
LIGHT: Attracting fish by underwater light into dense shoals, then sucking them up
by a fish pump has been successfully carried out by Russian fishermen in the Cas-

pian Sea.

78 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

This development, which was started in 1951, is the subject of a paper by I. V.
Nikonorov, of the Caspian Institute of Marine Fisheries submitted to the Internation-
al Fishing Gear Congress at Hamburg last October.

Inthatyear, 170 commercial fishing vessels were engaged in underwater light
fishing, with a total catch of 17 million pounds. By 1956 the fleet had grown to 450
vessels and the total catch was 150 million pounds. Eleven ships equipped with
pumps caught a total of 10 million pounds.

Before 1954 the fish "kilka" (including its anchovy form)--the most abundant
fish of the Caspian Sea--were caught with a cone-shaped net.

The reason why ''kilka'' and many other fish are attracted by underwater light
has not been established, and there is some controversy on the question. One view
is that the attraction by light is a feeding reflex.

Daylight acts as a stimulus for an unconditional feeding reflex. In the dark an
artificial light will produce the same effect stimulating a feeding reaction and in-
ducing the fish to swim toward the source of light.

This is confirmed by a marked increase of the catch before dawn, when the feed-
ing reaction becomes stronger and the approach of the fish to the source of light
more intense.

"Kilka' will not approach a source of light placed above or beneath the level of
optimum temperature, and all attempts to induce them were unsuccessful.

The electric lamps are enclosed in watertight fittings, and emit a flow in all
directions. The size of the lamp is very small in relation to its range of action.

The stronger the source of light, and the wider the radius of attraction, the
denser will be the concentration of ''kilka'' and the greater the catch.

There is some evidence that the density of ''kilka'' tends to decrease near a
lamp with too great a brilliancy.

Fish enter the field of light some seconds after the underwater light is turned
on, They approach close to the light, even brushing against the lamp. Commercial
quantities are formed in 2-5 minutes.

"Kilka'' approaching the critical zone try to get away. If the shoals are sparse
some fish do escape, but when the concentrations are dense the foremost fish are
prevented from swimming away by new arrivals who push them into the critical zone.

A nozzle with a sloping shear, which increases the area of the intake aperture,
has been devised for the suction pump.

Over 30 ships are now fishing "'kilka'"’ with pumps in the Caspian Sea, and their
fishing power is higher than that of ships fishing with cone nets.

It is claimed that pump-fishing gives greater labor efficiency, is labor saving,
with higher production and lower operation costs. Great economics were made with
the use of Diesel-electric motorships, fishing simultaneously with two pumps.

The author suggests further improvements, such as selecting the most suitable
source of light to ensure dense concentrations within the active sphere of the suck-
ing water current; and as an additional attraction, a path of light. He also advocates
the use of small pumps of great capacity.

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 79

Further research may prove the value of pumps for fishing in other regions and
for other pelagic fishes, such as sardines and saury, which react positively to under-
water electric light.

Active controlling of fish movements by man is not impossible, and their be-
havior related to different physical phenomena may greatly alter technique and gear
(The Fishing News, March 14, 1958).

a>

United Kingdom

EXPANSION OF FOREIGN MARKETS FOR SCOTTISH FROZEN FISH URGED:
In the British House of Commons, a member from Scotland said in March 1958 that
there was in America, Canada, Africa, and Europe a great and growing demand for
Scottish frozen fish.

He urged the Secretary for Scotland to take steps to empower the British White
Fish Authority to finance a publicity campaign to increase ''this potential source of
wealth for Scotland,"

The Secretary replied that the White Fish Authority's powers enabled them to
promote the export of white fish and they were in close touch with the industry about
the markets available overseas.

The member replied that, excellent though the work of the Authority was in
many respects, their publicity campaigns in many foreign countries were not suf-
ficiently extensive. Could the Minister do something to extend them? (Fish Trades
Gazette, March 8, 1958.)

ok KOK OK

nited Kingdom Imports of Marine Oils,
1956 and 1957

1957
-. (1,000 Lbs.) . -

MARINE OIL IMPORTS: Imports
of marine oils by the United Kingdom
during 1957 increased 36.6 percent
over 1956. Whale oil imports, the
most important during both years,
showed a marked increase of about
49 percent in 1957 as compared to
1956, the Foreign Agriculture Serv-
ice of the U. S. Department of Agri-
culture reports in an April 21, 1958,
dispatch from London.

ee © © © © © « «©

2K OOK OK OK OK

SILVER COD AWARD MADE FOR 1957: The British The trawler Lord Beatty did not start sailing until mid-
Trawlers’ Federation ‘‘Silver Cod’’ was awarded on February when other vessels had already landed two trips.
March 12, 1958, to the trawler Lord Beatty. The vessel The best trip of the vessel was on April 15 when landings
landed 2,469 metric tons (about 5.4 million pounds), of almost 392,000 pounds grossed & 12,574 (US$35,000).
valued at £114,927 (US$321,796) ex-vessel, in 302 days at "
sea. The captain of the vessel takes over the trophy from The Hull trawler St. Britwin was second. In 326 days
the captain of the Lancella which won the award in 1956 the vessel caught 2,379 tons (about 5.2 million pounds),
for landing 2,871 metric tons of fish. valued at £131,397 (US$367,912) ex-vessel.

The Silver Cod trophy was first awarded in 1954 by the The Diesel-electric Portia of Hull was third with 2,357
Federation as a means of encouraging the captains and tons (a little less than 5.2 million pounds), valued at $363,457

crews to land more fish. after 337 days at sea. (World Fishing, March 1958.)

80 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Federal Trade Commission

ANOTHER CANNED SEAFOOD FIRM
CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL
BROKERAGE PAYMENTS:

Another Seattle, Wash., firm was
charged on April 8, 1958, by the Federal
Trade Commission with paying unlawful
brokerage to some customers.

Alleging violation of Sec. 2(c) of the
Robinson-Patman Amendment to the
Clayton Act, a Commission complaint
(No. 7089, Canned Seafood) alleges the
company grants favored customers dis-
counts or allowances in lieu of broker-
age.

On direct sales not involving brokers,
the complaint charges, favored buyers
are granted a discount approximating the
normal brokerage fee of 25 percent. Al-
so, certain customers are given reduced
prices reflecting the brokerage general-
ly paid, the complaint says.

In other transactions where sales are
made through brokers, the complaint
continues, the company gives favored
customers reductions, offsetting them
by cutting the broker's commission.

In addition to selling its own pack of
canned salmon, tuna, and other seafood,
the complaint says, the company distrib-
utes seafood packed by others as well as
some jointly packed by itself and others.

The firm and its officials were grant-
ed 30 days in which to file answer to the
complaint. A hearing was scheduled
June 2 in Seattle, Wash., before a com-
mission hearing examiner,

Ess ES cd ES Ens

CANNED SEAFOOD PACKER-DISTRIB-
UTOR DENIES CHARGES OF ILLEGAL
BROKERAGE PAYMENTS:

A Seattle, Wash., packer and distrib-

utor of seafood has denied Federal Trade

au ACTIONS

Vol. 20, No. 6

Commission charges of making illegal
brokerage payments to some customers
(Answer 7089).

In answer to the Commission's com-
plaint of March 20, 1958, the firm and
its officials deny granting favored cus-
tomers discounts or allowances in lieu
of brokerage in violation of Sec. 2(c) of
the Robinson-Patman Amendment to the
Clayton Act.

The complaint charged that on direct
sales not involving brokers, favored buy-
ers are granted a discount approximating
the normal brokerage fee of 25 percent.
Also, it said, certain customers are giv-
en price reductions reflecting the bro-
kerage generally paid.

In transactions handled through bro-
kers, the company gives favored custom-
ers reductions, offsetting them by cut-
ting the broker's commission, the com-
plaint continued.

Categorically denying these charges,
the parties ask that the complaint be dis-
missed.

KOK OK OK OK

OWNERSHIP OF FEW SHARES OF
MEAT PACKER STOCK MAKES MEAT
PRODUCTS MARKETER A "PACKER:"
Purchasing a few shares of stock of
a recognized meat packer makes a mar-
keter of meat, dairy, and poultry prod-
ucts a ''packer,'' and thus prevents the
Federal Trade Commission from proceed-
ing against it on charges of violatinglaws
administered by the Commission, hear-
ing examiner of that agency ruled (Initial
Decision 6459, Food Products) on April 25.

The examiner held that a large Wash-
ington, D. C., supermarket chainis a
packer within the definition given in the
Packers and Stockyards Act because it
recently purchased some stock of alarge

June 1958

meat and poultry packing company.
Granting the super market chain's mo-
tion to dismiss a Commission complaint
charging it with inducing illegal pro-
motional allowances, he said the Secre-
tary of Agriculture has exclusive juris-
diction over the chain's interstate com-
mercial activities and the Commission
has none.

This is not a final decision of the
Commission and may be appealed, stay-
ed, or docketed for review.

In a previous dismissal order, the
examiner had ruled that the preparation
of sausage and meat loaf makes the su-
permarket chain a packer under the stat-
ute. The Commission later reversed
this decision, ruling that these meats
are already meat products when received
and supermarket chain's grinding and
seasoning of them are customary mer-
chandising operations which do not of
themselves make the chain a packer.

Another reason given in the reversal
opinion was that there was no showing
that the chain owns or controls any in-
terest in a packing establishment.

In the decision, the examiner said,
"Respondent has now supplied that de-
ficiency or taken that suggestion by pur-
chasing, as of March 28, 1958, 100
shares of the common stock of a meat
and poultry packing firm, and accord-
ingly now claims coverage under clause
(2) "(This provides that a marketer of
these products is a packer if it owns
or controls, directly or indirectly,
through stock ownership or control or
otherwise. . . any interest'' in a packer
as defined elsewhere in the statute).

The examiner emphasized this clause
"does not read or hint 'substantial in-
terest' nor is any quantum or percentage
of interest or ownership mentioned."

He then concluded: ''The contention
that this ruling opens the door for all
actual or alleged violators of the Feder-
al Trade Commission Act who happen to
market meats, meat food, dairy, and
poultry products or eggs, to escape cor-
rective action by the simple and relative-
ly inexpensive purchase of a few shares
of stock in a 'meat packer' overlooks the

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

81

unambiguous statutory command, I can-
not conscientiously twist or torture plain
English to forestall that result. The rem-
edy lies with those who wrote into law
that plain English--the Congress of the
United States,"

The amended complaint of May 7,
1957, charged the supermarket chain
with inducing special allowances from
suppliers for promotion of an anniver-
sary sale which it ''knew or should have
known" were not being offered to com-
petitors.

Department of the Interior
BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES

ASSUMES RESPONSIBILITY
FOR GRADING SERVICE
TO FISHING INDUSTRY:

The U. S. Department of the Interior
has assumed, under the authority of the
Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956, the re-
sponsibility for furnishing inspection and
grading services to the fishing industry.
The U. S. Department of Agriculture will
continue to furnish such services until
July 1, 1958, at which time the transfer
of functions will be effected.

Administrative authority has been
delegated to the Bureau of Commercial
Fisheries to supplement its standards
development program, Bureau technol-
ogists anticipate no significant changes
in inspection service personnel or pro-
cedures, The Federal shield and grade
symbols, to all intents and purposes, will
be identical with those now in use by
processors. Contract renegotiation will
consist of a simple change-order re-
quiring only the signature of the proc-
essor for consummation.

The inspection and grading services
for the fishing industry will be adminis-
tered by experienced fisheries personnel.

Continuous inspection and grading
services for fish sticks, fish blocks, and
breaded shrimp will be made available
to processors who request the services.
Continuous inspection services also will
be available for all fishery products even

82 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

though no grade standards have as yet
been developed for such products. In
addition, inspection services for specific
lots of fishery products will be furnish-
ed and may be requested.

ee
U. S. Tariff Commission

REPORT ON TUNA
INVESTIGATION RELEASED:

The United States Tariff Commission
made public on May 1, 1958, its report
on an investigation of tuna made in re-
sponse toaresolution of the Committee
on Finance of the Senate adopted Au-
gust 20, 1957. The investigation was
made pursuant to section 332 of the
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and was
similar in scope to a previous investiga-
tion made by the Commissionin response
to a resolution of the Committee adopted
June 26, 1952.

The Commission's report discusses
the consumption of tuna fish in the United
States in recent years; gives general in-
formation on the domestic tuna fishery
and detailed information on the opera-
tions of the bait-boat, purse-seine, and
albacore fishing fleets; discusses at
some length the operations of the do-
mestic tuna-canning industry; and gives
information on anumber of other subjects,
including tariff rates, tunaimports, and
the tunafisheries of Japan and Peru.

TARIp

& "o
ss
a =
NSE

te

Eighty-Fifth Congress
(Second Session)

Public bills and resolutions which may
directly or indirectly affect the fisheries
‘and alliedindustries are
reportedupon. Introduc-
tion, referral to commit-
tees, pertinent legisla-
tive actions, hearings,
and other chamber ac-

x tions by the House and
Senate, as well as signature into law or
other final disposition are covered.

Vol. 20, No. 6

FISHERMEN'S COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATIONS
BANK: H. R. 12466 (Tollefson) introduced in the
House on May 12, 1958, a bill to provide credit
facilities for use of fishermen's cooperative asso-
ciations through establishment of a Bank for Fish-
ermen's Cooperative Associations, and for other
purposes; to the Committee on Merchant Marine
and Fisheries. The Act to be known as the "Bank
for Fishermen's Cooperative Associations Act of
1958."' The associations eligible to utilize the
credit facilities are those defined in "An Act
authorizing associations of producers of aquatic
products," approved June 25, 1934 (15 U. S. C.
521, 522).

FISH aa WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PRO-
GRAM: 4H. R. 12371 (Curtis of Missouri) intro-
duced in ae House on May 7, 1958, a bill to amend
the Act of March 10, 1934, to provide for more ef-
fective integration of a fish and wildlife conserva-
tion program with Federal water-resource devel-
opment, and for other purposes; to the Committee
on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. This bill is
similar in purpose to other House and Senate bills
designed to protect fish and, wildlife resources and
provide for recreational benefits in plans for wa-
ter-resource development projects. A relatedbill,
H. R. 5497 (Cooley) was passed by the House on
February 17, 1958, and referred to Senate Com-
mittee on Agriculture and Forestry on February 19,
1958. (See Commercial Fisheries Review, April
1958, p. 83 for additional information onH. R. 5497.)

HAWAII STATEHOOD: H. R. 12040 (Libonati)
introduced in the House on April 21, 1958, a bill to
provide for the admission of the State of Hawaii in-
to the Union; to the Committee on Interior and In-
sular Affairs. Similar to seven or more other
House bills and one Senate bill previously intro-
duced in the First and Second Sessions of the 85th
Congress.

INTERIOR DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATIONS:
H. R. 10746 (Kirwin), a bill making appropriations
for the Department of the Interior (including Fish
and Wildlife Service) for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1959. Reported (S. Rept. No. 1479), with
amendments on April 28, 1958, by the Senate Com-
mittee on Appropriations. H. R, 10746 waspassed
by the Senate on April 30 with all Committee a-
mendments adopted en bloc'. Additional amend-
ments were made by the Senate before passage of
the bill.

t. No. 1479, Interior Department and Re-
tafe Bere es Appropriation Bill, 1959 (April 28,
1958, 85th Congress, 2nd Session, to accompany
H. R. 10746), 42 pp., printed. The report by the
Senate Committee on Appropriations as it concerns
the Fish and Wildlife Service increased funds for
fiscal year 1959 over the amounts provided by the
House (see Commercial Fisheries Review, April
1958, pp. 83-84 for H. Rept. No. 1346) as follows:

BUREAU OF SPORT FISH AND WILDLIFE:
Management and Investigations of Resources: The
Senate Committee recommended the sum of
$11,616,000 (House recommended $11,508,000).

In addition both the Senate and House Committees
added the sum of $454,625 to be derived from the
sale of Pribilof Islands fur-seal skins.

CONSTRUCTION: The sum of $1,458,000 rec-
ommended by the House was increased to $3,879,350

June 1958

by theSenate Committee. This increase of $2,421,350
included $1,691,310 for fish-hatchery facilities,
$30,000 for engineering and surveys on fishery re-
search facility for rice areas, and $700,000 for
wildlife-refuge facilities.

BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES: The
sum appropriated for this Bureau was unchanged
by the Senate Committee from the total of $6,854,000
approved by the House. An additional $454,625 de-
rived from the sale of Pribilof Islands fur-seal
skins was added and approved by both Committees.

SMALL BOAT REGULATIONS: S. 3658 (Magnu-
son) introduced in the Senate April 21, 1958, a bill
to promote safety on the navigable waters of the
United States, its Territories and possessions; to
provide coordination and cooperation with the States
in the interest of uniformity of boating laws; and
for other purposes; to the Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce. This bill is similar in
purpose to H. R. 8474 (Bonner) introduced in first
session of the 85th. Congress. S. 3658 spells out
the details of the proposed amendments to present
laws and regulations in greater detail than H. R.
8474. The bill would institute a system of number-
ing undocumented vessels, establish fees andpen-
alities, and a system for reporting collisions and
injuries. Both bills would apply regulations to all
motorboats or vessels on the navigable waters of
the United States, its Territories and the District
of Columbia, and every motorboat or vessel owned
in a State and using the high seas.

SMALL BUSINESS ACT AMENDMENT TO AID
FIRMS AFFECTED BY FOREIGN TRADE POLICY:
S. 3664 (Javitts, Ives, Potter, and Saltonstall) in-
troduced in the Senate on April 22, 1958, a bill to
provide assistance to small business concerns to
facilitate adjustment made necessary by the foreign
trade policy of the United States, and for other pur-
poses; to the Committee on Banking and Currency.
This bill would provide that where a finding ismade
by the Tariff Commission of a substantial injury to
an industry under the escape clause of the Trade
Agreements Act and where a recommendation has
been made to the President which the President
fails to approve, thereupon a small business con-
cern becomes eligible for loans from the Small
Business Administration. Such loans would be
based on the disaster loan provisions of the pres-
ent law. Secondly, provides for small business to
pool their productive capacities with the consent
of the Federal Trade Commission and Attorney
General without violating the antitrust laws. Third-
ly, provides amendments to the Internal Revenue
Code of 1954 providing for rapid ortization,
Numerous other bills have been introduced in both
sessions of the 85th. Congress to aid small busi-
ness in one way or another, but this is the first
bill that provides aid to firms injured by foreign
trade policy.

SMALL BUSINESS EQUITY AND LONG-TERM
LOAN CAPITAL: H. R. 12026 (Hill), H.R. 12027
(Riehiman), H. R. 12028 (Seely-Brown), H. R. 12029
(McCulloch), H. R. 12030 (Sheehan), H. R. 12031
(Moore) and H. R. 12032 (Patman), introduced in
the House on April 21, 1958, bills to amend the
Small Business Act of 1953 to provide a source of
equity and long-term loan capital for small busi-
ness concerns in the United States, and for other
purposes; to the Committee on Banking and Cur-

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

83

Currency. Also S. 3651 (Johnson of Texas and 11
other Senators) introduced on April 21, 1958, S.
3719 (Wiley) introduced on April 28, 1958, and

H. R. 12182 (Spence) introduced on April 28, 1958
and referred to the Committees on Banking and
Currency and similar in purpose to H. R. 12026
(Hill) and other bills introduced on April 21, 1958.
Hearings on bills to aid small business were held
by the Senate Committees on Banking, and Currency
beginning April 24, 1958. Other bills to provide
financing on equity capital for small business firms
are H, R. 10980 (Multer) introduced February 25,
1958, and S. 720 (Sparkman and others) introduced
January 3, 1957. (S. 3651 supersedes S. 720.)

SMALL BUSINESS TAX RELIEF: H. R, 12035
(Libonati) introduced in the House on April 21,
1958, a bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code
of 1954 so as to establish an initial program of tax
relief adjustment for small and independent busi-
ness and for persons engaged in small and inde-
pendent business; to the Committee on Ways and
Means. Similar to 12 or more other House bills
and one Senate bill previously introduced in First
and Second Sessions of the 85th. Congress.

STARFISH ERADICATION EMERGENCY PRO-
GRAM: H. R. 12092 (Wainwright) introduced in the
House on April 22, 1958, a bill to provide that the
Secretary of the Interior shall develop and carry
out an emergency program for the eradication of
starfish in Long Island Sound and adjacent waters
to the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fish-
eries; also H. R. 12236 (Cretella) introduced on
April 29, 1958; H. R. 12283 (Seely-Brown) intro-
duced on April 30, 1958. Also S. 3753 (Bush) in-
troduced May 6, 1958, referred to the Committee
on Interior and Insular Affairs. All similar to
H. R. 12092. The bills provide for the dredging
of starfish on a large scale by means of many
boats with special attention to protection of natural
oyster beds and provides $500,000 for this purpose.
In addition, another $500,000 is provided for the
liming of public oyster grounds and the use of lime
and other proven chemicals to destroy starfish on
shellfish beds. The appropriated funds provide
for a one year program with funds to be expended
by the Gloucester, Mass., Regional Office of the
U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries.

STATE DEPARTMENT APPROPRIATIONS:
H. R. 12438 (Rooney) introduced in the House on
May 12, 1958, a bill making appropriations for
Departments of State, Justice, the Judiciary, and
related agencies for the fiscal year ending June 30,
1959, and for other purposes. H. Rept. No. 1708
to accompany H. R. 12438 was filed by the Commit-
tee on Appropriations on May 9 and referred to the
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the
Union on May 12.

H. Rept. No. 1708, Department of State and
Justice, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Ap-
propriation Bill, Fiscal Year 1959 (May 9, 1958,
85th. Congress, 2nd Session, to accompany H. R.
12438), 25 pp., printed. The report by the Com-
mittee recommends the following amounts to cover
the United States share of the expenses of seven
international fisheries commissions: International
Pacific Halibut Commission, $111,000; Internation-
al Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commission, $233,000;
Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission,
$363,000; International Commission for the North-
west Atlantic Fisheries, $5,250; International Whal-

84 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

ing Commission, $600; International North Pacific
Fisheries Commission, $17,650; Great Lakes Fish-
ery Commission, $900,000; and $14,400 for ex-

penses of United States Commissioners. The total
amount recommended for fiscal year 1959 for in-
ternational fisheries commissions was $1,644,900.

Departments of State and Justice, the Judiciary,
and Related Agencies Appropriations for 1959
(Hearings before the Subcommittee of the Com-
mittee on Appropriations, House of Representa-
tives, 85th. Congress, 2nd Session, Department
of State, January 20-February 11, 1958, 872 pp.),
printed. Includes testimony offered by officials
of the Departments of State and Interior in support
of funds requested for the budget requirements of
seven International Fisheries Commissions for
fiscal year 1959.

TRADE AGREEMENTS ACT EXTENSION: Re-
newal of Trade Agreements Act (Hearings before
the Committee on Ways and Means, House of Rep-
resentatives, 85th. Congress, 2nd Session, Part 1,
February 17-20, 21, and 24-28, March 3-7, 1958,
1,499 pp., printed; and Part 2, March 10-14, 17-21,

Vol. 20, No. 6

and 24-25, 1958, 2,935 pp.), printed. Reports in
detail testimony presented to the Committee on
Ways and Means for and against the renewal of the
Trade Agreements Act as provided by H. R. 10368
(Mills). Part 2 contains, in addition to other test-
imony, detailed testimony, by various segments of
the fishing industry both for and against the re-
newal of Trade Agreements Act.

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF IN DEPRESSED
AREAS: H. R. 11,496 (Dellay) introduced in the
House on March 19, 1958, a bill to establish an
effective program to alleviate conditions of sub-
stantial and persistent unemployment and under-
employment in certain economically depressed
areas; to the Committee on Banking and Currency.
Similar to two or more other bills introduced in
the First Session of the 85th. Congress. Also
H. R. 12048 (Libonati) introduced on April 21,
1958, S. 3683 (Douglas and 28 other Senators) in-
troduced on April 23, 1958, andH. R. 12296 (Reuss)
introduced on May 1, 1958. These bills are simi-
lar to H. R. 11496, and other bills introduced in
the first session of the 85th. Congress.

NORTH ATLANTIC SEA SCALLOP GROUNDS

Many sea scallop grounds are known and fished. Port au Port Bay, New-
foundland; Northumberland Strait, Prince Edward Island; the Digby and Grand
Manan areas of the Bay of Fundy; the bays of the Maine coast; Stallwagen Bank
and Cape Cod Bay; the Hudson Canyon area; and the Virginia Capes, all sup-

port small local fleets of sea scallopers.

The total catch from all these areas,

however, is small whencompared to the crop which the New Bedford boats har-
vest from Georges Bank. About 60 percent of the total sea-scallop catch is
landed at New Bedford and almost all of it comes from Georges Bank. Seascal-
lops caught on Georges Bank are also landed at Gloucester, Mass.; Rockland,

Me.; and Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

The greatest known sea scallop grounds are found between the 20- and the
50-fathom curves on Georges Bank. A dredge set almost anywhere in this area
will bring up at least a fewsea scallops. Within this generalarea, the Northern
Edge, the Northeast Peak, the Southwest Part, and the South Channel grounds
have been, for the past 10 years, the most consistent producers of sea-scallop
crops. Many areas that are known to have concentrations of large sea scallops
are not usually fished because the rough bottom damages the gear excessively.

--Fishery Leaflet 442, Sea Scallop
Boats and Gear, August 1957.

June 1958

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 85

F

MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, AND RHODE ISLAND LEGEND:

es 1955

CUMULATIVE DATA —— —=-1957

4 MQS. 1958 - 149.9
4 1957 - 154
12 1957 - 972.8

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND GEORGIA
70
CUMULATIVE DATA
60] 4 mgs. 1958 - 31.1

A ey = seo
12 1957 - 280.0

JAN FEB MAR _APR_ MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

CUMULATIVE DATA

3 mgs. 1958 - 37.1
1957 - 36.8
1957 - 156.0

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

CALIFORNIAL!

CUMULATIVE OATA

4 mgs. 1958 - 146.0
4 |, 1957 - 216.1
12 1957 - 654.9

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV. DEC

U/ONLY PARTIAL--INCLUDING PRODUCTION OF MAJOR FISHERIES AND MARKET FISH
LANDINGS AT PRINCIPAL PORTS. x

SHERY
INDICATORS .

Zz

CHART I - FISHERY LANDINGS for SELECTED STATES

In Millions of Pounds

NEW JERSEY AND NEW YORK

CUMULATIVE DATA

- 1958 - 28.4
1957 - 38.5
1957 - 621.9

4 QS. 1958 - 24.3
Ayaan 1957 =nes

12 1957 - 513.0

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

CUMULATIVE DATA

4 mgs. 1958 -
eee 957)
12 1957 - 22.8

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

CUMULATIVE DATA

3 Mgs. 1958
3 n 1957
12

86

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Vol. 20, No.

CHART 2 - LANDINGS for SELECTED FISHERIES

In Millions of Pounds

|
HADDOCK

(Maine and Massachusetts)

CUMULATIVE DATA

LEGEND:

es 1958
oe me = 1957

4 mgs. 1958 - 45.6
24 1957 - 43.7
12 1957 - 116.9

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

1. SHRIMP
(Gulf States~including Florida West Coast)

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

1/LA. & ALA. DATA BASED ON LANDINGS AT PRINCIPAL PORTS AND ARE NOT COM-

pieces In Thousands of

MENHADEN
(East and Gulf Coasts)

4 mgs. 1958 -
1957 -
1957 - 841.6

In Thousands of

PILCHARD
(California)

CUMULATIVE DATA

1957/58 SEASON,
AUG. - JAN.
1956/57 SEASON,
AUG. - JAN.

- 20.5

- 31.7

LEGEND:

1957/58
seeeneenseees 1956/57

AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC | JUAN FE8 MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY

OCEAN PERCH
____ (Maine and Massachusetts)
CUMULATIVE DATA
4 MQS. 1958 - 36.5

1957 - 28.8
1957 - 133.4

WHITING
(Maine and Massachusetts)
CUMULATIVE DATA
4 gS. 1958 0.
1957, 7
12 1957 - 120,

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
Tons

PACIFIC AND JACK MACKEREL
(California)

CUMULATIVE DATA

CUMULATIVE DATA

4 MQS. 1958 -
Aa STE
12 1957

59.4
61.6
- 198.7

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 87

CHART 3 - COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS and FREEZINGS

of FISHERY PRODUCTS *

In Millions of Pounds

LEGEND:

U. S. & ALASKA HOLDINGS

U. S. & ALASKA FREEZINGS

= 1058

ee = 1957

CUMULATIVE DATA

4 gS. 1958 - 58.4
Ot 1957 -
12 1957 - 31

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY» JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

MIDDLE & SOUZH ATLANTIC HOLDiINGS2/

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
12/ALL EAST COAST STATES FROM N.Y. SOUTH.

4/

3 GULF & SOUTH CENTRAL HOLDINGS—

MIDDLE WEST HOLDINGs2/

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

JAN FEB) MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
4/ALA., MISS., LA., TEX., ARK., KY, & TENN.

"S/OW10, IND., ILL., MICH., WIS., MINN., IOWA, MO., N. DAK., NEBR. & KANS.

,

WASHINGTON, OREGON, AND ALASKA HOLDINGS CALIFORNIA HOLDINGS

0 5
UAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV. DEC

* Excludes salted, cured, and smoked products.

88

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

CHART 4 - RECEIPTS and COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS of FISHERY
PRODUCTS at PRINCIPAL DISTRIBUTION CENTERS

In Millions of Pounds

RECEIPTS _/ AT WHOLESALE SALT-WATER MARKET

(Fresh and Frozen)
CUMULATIVE DATA
S MgS. 1958 - 64.4

1957 - 67.3
1957 - 167.8

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

T/ANCLUDE TRUCK AND RAIL |MPORTS FROM CANADA AND DIRECT VESSEL LANDINGS

AT NEW YORK CITY.

RECEIPTS AT WHOLESALE MARKET
(Fresh and Frozen)
CUMULATIVE DATA

S mgs. 1958 - 37.6
5S, Wes SS
12 1957 - 91.2

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

SEATTLE

WHOLESALE MARKET RECEIPTS, LANDINGS,
& IMPORTS (Fresh and Frozen

JAN FEB MAR_APR_ MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

NEW YORE
CITY

CHICAGO

LEGEND:

ees 1955

ee = 1957

Vol. 20, No. 6

COLD- STORAGE HOLDINGS2/

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV. DEC
2/AS REPORTED BY PLANTS IN METROPOLITAN AREA.

COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

BOSTON

COLD-STORAGE HOLDINGS

FISH MEAL
In Thousands of Tons)

h

1958 - 11.7 L \
1957 - 16.9 N
1957 - 262.5

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV “DEC

FISH OIL
(In Millions of Gallons)

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

June 1958 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 89

CHART 6- CANNED PACKS of SELECTED FISHERY PRODUCTS

In Thousands of Standard Cases

LEGEND: MACKEREL2! - CALIFORNIA

= 1959

S057
CUMULATIVE DATA
senenseees 1956 DEEE

TUNA AND TUNA-LIKE FISH - CALIFORNIA

4 QS. 1958 - 103.0
4, 1957 604.6
12 1957 - 1,326.6

ANCHOVIES - CALIFORNIA

CUMULATIVE DATA

TOTAL 1957

SEASON - 2,441.9
TOTAL 1956

SEASON - 2,989.0

CUMULATIVE DATA

4 QS. 1958 - 29.9
4 |, 1957 - 329.9
12 1957 - 549.9

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

STANDARD CASES

CUMULATIVE DATA

tea! = 575e1.0 Variety No.Cans Designation NetWegt.
SARDINES..... 100 + drawn 35 02.
SHRIMP....... 48 == 5 oz.
LUNAR speech 48 #3 tuna 6&7 oz.
PILCHARDS... 48 # 1 oval 15 oz.
SALMON...... 48 1-lb. tall 16 oz.
ANCHOVIES... 48 4-1b, 8 oz.

SHRIMP - GULF STATES

SARDINES - CALIFORNIA

CUMULATIVE DATA

1957/S8 SEASON,

AUG. - MAY - 279.5
1956/57 SEASON,

AUG. - MAY - 612.3

CUMULATIVE DATA

TOTAL 1957/58
SEASON - 497.8

TOTAL 1956/57

SEASON - 732.7

ae toate eke
AUG SEPT OCT NOV.DEC !JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY |AUG SEPT OCT _NOV_DEC_|JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY

90 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Vol. 20, No. 6

CHART 7- U.S. FISHERY PRODUCTS !MPORTS

In Millions of Pounds

GROUNDFISH (including Ocean Perch) FILLETS
Fresh and Frozen
CUMULATIVE DATA
4.mgS. 1958 - 45.4

4 |, 1957 - 47.6
12

UAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV. DEC

SHRIMP FROM MEXICO
(Fresh and Frozen)
CUMULATIVE DATA
2 mgs.

2
12

my 195 24.3
1957 - 139.3

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV. DEC

U.S. IMPORTS OF CANNED TUNA AND TUNA-LIKE FISH
in Oil and in Brine
CUMULATIVE DATA

2 gS. 1958 - 6.5
2 , 1957 - 6,9
12 1957 - 59.7

7 \
i

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

FILLETS & STEAKS OTHER THAN GROUNDFISH
(Fresh and Frozen)
CUMULATIVE DATA

2 mgs. 1958 - 10.3
| 27 1957 - 9.1
p2 1957 - 63.3

JAN FEB MAR) APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

LOBSTER AND SPINY LOBSTER

CUMULATIVE DATA

2 mgs. 1958 - 6.1
2 Ht 1957 -
1957 - 50.4

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

SEA HERRING, FRESH, THROUGH MAINE PORTS

a

J
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

CANNED SARDINES

(in Oil and not in Oil)

CUMULATIVE DATA
2 mgs. 1958

e) Ueez!
12 1957

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT _NOV_DEC

June 1958

i —
_
=,

eS
>>, =

r AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
PUBLICATIONS

THESE PROCESSED PUBLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FREE FROM
THE DIVISION OF INFORMATION, U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERV-
ICE, WASHINGTON 25, D. C. TYPES OF PUBLICATIONS ARE DESIG-
NATED AS FOLLOWS:

CFS - CURRENT FISHERY STATISTICS OF THE UNITED STATES
AND ALASKA.
SSR.- FJSH.-SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC REPORTS--FISHERIES
LIMITED DISTRIBUTION),
SEP.- SEPARATES (REPRINTS) FROM COMMERCIAL FISHERIES

REVIEW.

Number Title

CFS - 1735 - Rhode Island Landings, 1957 Annual
Summary, 7 pp.

CFS - 1742 - North Carolina Landings, 1957 Annu-
al Summary, 5 pp.

CFS - 1746 - Gulf Fisheries, 1956 Annual Summary
7 pp.

CFS - 1747 - South Carolina Landings, January
1958, 2 pp.

CFS - 1748 - Fish Meal and Oil, January 1958, 2 pp.

CFS - 1749 - Georgia Landings, 1957 Annual Sum-
mary, 3 pp.

CFS - 1750 - North Carolina Landings, January
1958, 3 pp.

CFS - 1751 - California Landings, October 1957,
4 pp.

CFS - 1752 - Frozen Fish Report, February 1958,
8 pp.

CFS - 1753 - Georgia Landings, January 1958, 2 pp.

CFS - 1754 - Shrimp Landings, October 1957, 6 pp.

CFS - 1755 - Packaged Fish, 1957 Annual Summary
5 pp.

CFS - 1756 - Canned Fish and Byproducts, 1957
Annual Summary, 21_pp.

CFS - 1758 - New Jersey Landings, 1957 Annual
Summary, 5 pp.

CFS - 1759 - New Jersey Landings, January 1958,
3 pp.

CFS - 1760 - Florida Landings, January 1958, 6 pp.

CFS - 1761 - California Landings, November 1957,
4 pp.

CFS - 1762 - Maine Landings, January 1958, 3 pp.

CFS - 1765 - New York Landings, January 1958,
4 pp.

CFS - 1768 - Shrimp Landings, November 1957,
6 pp.

CFS - 1769 - Rhode Island Landings, January 1958,
3 pp.

CFS - 1782 - Maine Landings, February 1958, 3 pp.

CFS - 1784 - Florida Landings, February 1958, 6 pp.

SSR-Fish. No. 228 - Photographic Device for Ac-
curately Measuring Fish, by Clifford W. Long
and Raymond A. Arzylowicz, 17 pp., illus., No-
vember 1957. The photographic measuring de-
vice described in this paper was developed to
aid the work of the International North Pacific

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

FISHERY PUBLICATION

ee ee ed

91

Se.

a

NE Eeae,, -
- ? 7
1 &

S

tee ep cw mmeci eeE Bast PSEA.
Fisheries Commission. A photographic meas-
uring device using two cameras and strobe il-
lumination has been developed to improve the
accuracy of salmon body measurements in the
field. The optical theory is given and the de-
vice is described in detail. The technique in-
cludes calculating longitudinal distances from
photographs. The device is considered accu-
rate within t 0.05 centimeters when ideal sub-
jects are measured.

Sep. No. 509 - New England's Industrial Fishery.

Sep. No. 510 - Twenty-Five Years of Researchand
Service by the Seattle Technological Laboratory.

THE FOLLOWING SERVICE PUBLICATIONS ARE AVALLABLE ONLY
FROM THE SPECIFIC OFFICE MENTIONED.

Landings and Prices of Fishery Products, Boston
Fish Pier, 1957 (Includes "Trends in the Fish-
ing Industry at Boston"), by John J. O'Brien, 28
pp., processed, 1957. (Available free from the
Market News Service, U. S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 10 Commonwealth Pier, Boston 10,
Mass.) Fish marketing trends and conditions in
Boston, highlights of fisheries in other New
England ports, and highlights of selected foreign
fisheries are discussed for 1957. Detailed data
on landings and ex-vessel prices of fish and
shellfish at the Boston Fish Pier during 1957
are presented. Statistics are given by months
and species and by type of gear, together with
comparative data for previous years.

California Fishery Products Monthly Summary,
February 1958, 10 pp. (Market News Service,
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Post Office
Bldg., San Pedro, Calif.) California cannery
receipts of raw tuna and tunalike fish, herring,
mackerel, anchovies, and squid; pack of canned
tuna, herring, mackerel, anchovies, and squid;
market fish receipts at San Pedro, Santa Mon-
ica, San Diego, and Eureka areas; California
imports; canned fish and frozen shrimp prices;
for the month indicated.

(Chicago) Monthl Summary of Chicago's Fresh
and Frozen Fishery Products Receipts and
Wholesale Market Prices, February 1958;
Marc 8; 12 pp. each. (Market News Serv-
ice, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 565 W.
Washington St., Chicago 6, Ill.) Receipts at
Chicago by species and by states and provinces;
fresh-water fish, shrimp, and frozen fillet
wholesale market prices; for the months indicated.

Gulf Monthly Landings, Production, and Shipments

of Fishery Products, February 1958; March 1958;
5 pp. each. (Market News Service, U. S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, 609-611 Federal Bldg.,

92

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No. 6

New Orleans 12, La.) Gulf States shrimp, oys-
ter, finfish, and blue crab landings; crab meat
production; LCL express shipments from New
Orleans; and wholesale prices of fish and shell-
fish on the New Orleans French Market; for the
months indicated.

Monthly Summary of Fishery Products in Selected
Areas of Virginia, North Carolina, and Maryland,

March 1958, 7 pp. (Market News Service, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 18 So. King St.,
Hampton, Va.) Fishery landings and production
for the Virginia areas of Hampton Roads, Lower
Northern Neck, and Eastern Shore; the Mary-
land areas of Crisfield, Ocean City, and Cam-
bridge; and the North Carolina areas of Atlantic,
Beaufort, and Morehead City; together with cum-
ulative and comparative data; for the month
indicated.

New England Fisheries--Monthly Summary, Feb-
ruary ; March 1958; 21 pp. each. (Market

News Service, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
10 Commonwealth Pier, Boston 10, Mass.) Re-
views the principal New England fishery ports,
presenting food fish landings by ports and spe-
cies; industrial fish landings and ex-vessel
prices; imports; cold storage stocks of fishery
products in New England warehouses; fishery
landings and ex-vessel prices for ports in Mas-
sachusetts (Boston, Gloucester, New Bedford,
Provincetown, and Woods Hole), Maine (Portland
and Rockland), Rhode Island (Point Judith), and
Connecticut (Stonington); frozen fishery prod-
ucts prices to primary wholesalers at Boston,
Gloucester, and New Bedford; and landings and
ex-vessel prices for fares landed at the Boston
Fish Pier and sold through the New England Fish
Exchange; for the months indicated.

(New York) Monthly Summary - Receipts of Fish-

ery Products at the New York City Wholesale
Salt= Water Market, January 1958, 11 pp.; Feb-
ruary 1958, 12 pp. (Market News Service, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 155 John St., New
York 38, N. Y.) Receipts in the salt-water sec-
tion of the Fulton Fish Market by species and
by states and provinces for the months indicated.

Seattle and Astoria sobele Receipts, and Value
of Fishery Products, , by Charles M. Rear-

don, 45 pp., processed, 1958. (Available free
from Market News Service, U. S. Fish and Wild-
life Service, Pier 42, South, Seattle 4, Wash.)
The Pacific Northwest fisheries trends and their
effect upon Seattle fishery products receipts for
1957 are discussed in the first part of this re-
port. This section covers total receipts of
fishery products at Seattle; sources of supply of
frozen and fresh fishery products; trends in
Seattle receipts of salmon, halibut, tuna, otter-
trawl and long-line fishery landings, shellfish,
herring meal, and other miscellaneous fishery
products and byproducts. The tables present
fishery landings and wholesale receipts (includ-
ing approximate values) at Seattle for 1957 by
species, source of origin, and by months; month-
ly index of receipts of certain fishery products
at Seattle; carload shipments of fishery products
from Seattle by months; and names, classifica-
tions, and approximate standards for fresh and
frozen fishery products sold on the Seattle mar-
ket. The Astoria section includes a discussion

of fisheries trends and fishery products re-
ceipts at Astoria, Ore., for 1957. This section
covers the Columbia River gill-net fishery;
troll and otter-trawl fisheries; halibut, tuna,
and shellfish fisheries; imports; Columbia Riv-
er canned salmon and canned tuna packs; and
landings and wholesale receipts of fishery prod-
ucts at Astoria during 1957.

THE FOLLOWING SERVICE PUBLICATIONS ARE FOR SALE AND ARE

"Construction of a Two-Way Weir for the Enu-
meration of Salmon Migrants,'' by Donovan R.
Craddock, article, The Progressive Fish-Cul-
turist, vol. 20, no. 1, January > Pp. 33-37,
illus., processed, single copy 25 cents.

"The Cortland, New York, Fishery Station: ASum-
mary of Twenty-Five Years' Work," article,
The Progressive Fish -Culturist, vol. 19, no. 4,
October To57- pp. 172-178, processed, single
copy 25 cents.

Filtering Rates of the Hard Clam (VENUS MER-

CENARIA) Determined with Radioactive Phyto-
plankton, by Theodore R. Rice and Rebecca J.
Smith, Fishery Bulletin 129 (From Fishery Bul-
letin of the Fish and Wildlife Service, vol. 58),

12 pp., illus., printed,.15 cents, 1958.

"An Improved Portable Tattooing Device," by
Donald W. Chapman, article, The Progressive
Fish-Culturist, vol. 19, no. 4, October , Pp-
182-184, processed, single copy 25 cents.

"Maintenance of Immature Sea Herring in Captiv-
ity,"" by Alva E. Farrin, Leslie W. Scattergood,
and Carl J. Sindermann, article, The Progressive
Fish-Culturist, vol. 19, no. 4, October 138 7, Pp.
188-189, processed, single copy 25 cents.

Propagation and Distribution of Food Fishes for
the Calendar Years 1955-1956, Statistical Di-
gest 42, 46 pp., printed, 20 cents, 1958.

"Use of Stake-Type Boat Anchors in Wing-Net
Fishing,'' by Donald F. Hansen, article, The
Progressive Fish-Culturist, vol. 19, no. 3, July

» Pp. -143, illus., processed, single copy
25 cents. Material and construction of this de-
vice, consisting of vertical sleeves attached to
each end of a boat through which metal stakes
are driven into the bottom to anchor the boat,
are discussed. Its primary advantage is to per-
mit one man to lift and reset hoop nets.

MISCELLANEOUS
PUBLICATIONS

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND
WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE OR-—
GANIZATION ISSUING THEM. CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING PUBLICA-
TIONS THAT FOLLOW SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE RESPECTIVE OR-
GANIZATION OR PUBLISHER MENTIONED, DATA ON PRICES, IF

READILY AVAILABLE, ARE SHOWN.

BELGIUM:
Rapport Annuel sur 1'Evolution de la Flotte de
Peche en 1957 (Annual Report on the Progress

June 1958

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM

of the Fishing Fleet during 1957), 43 pp., proc-
essed in French. Ministere des Communications,
Administration de la Marine, Brussels, Belgium.
A statistical report on the status of Belgium's
fleet of vessels used in high seas and coastal
fishing.

BLOODWORMS:

Biology of the Bloodworm, GLYCERA DIBRAN-
CHIATA Ehlers, and Its ‘Relation to the Blood-
worm Fishery of the Maritime ‘itime Provinces, by
W. L. Klawe and L. M. Dickie, Bulletin No. 15,
37 pp., printed, 50 Canadian cents. Fisheries
Research Board of Canada, Ottawa, Canada,
1957. (For sale by Queen's Printer, Ottawa,
Canada.)

CANADA:

Annual Report of the Department of Natural Re-
sources of the Province of Saskatchewan f for tl the
Fiscal Year Ended March 31, 1957, 123 pp.,
illus., printed. De partmentof Na tural Resources,

Province of Saskatchewan, Regina, Saskatchewan,

Canada, 1957. A compilation of reports of the
branches of the Saskatchewan Department of Nat-
ural Resources, including a 19-page report of the
Fisheries Branch. The fisheries report covers
activities in management, research, fishculture,
and administration for commercial and sport
fisheries, and biological investigations. Also in-
cludes statistical tables on angling licenses;
commercial fish production by lakes, 1956/57;
commercial production by species, 1934/35
through 1956/57; sales details; commercial pro-
duction and value by species, 1956/57; annual
commercial production and value, 1946/47
through 1956/57; commercial andnon-commer-
cial production, 1939/40 through 1956/57; and
lake stocking with rainbow and brook trout, gray-
ling, and pickerel fingerlings.

Annual Report of the Fisheries Research Boardof

THE FISH AND WILDL

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 93

IFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

Canada, and various international commissions
and special committees. Asummary of progress
in the fishing industry is included, followed by
several tables of fisheries statistics and anap-
pendix presenting the financial statements of
the Department.

Fisheries Council of Canada, Thirteenth Annual
~ Meeting, April 14-16, 1958, Halifax, 79 pp., _
illus., printed. Fisheries Council of Canada, 77
Metcalfe St., Ottawa 4, Canada. The 1958 an-
nual review and program of the Fisheries coun-
cil of Canada. Contains, among other items,
the following articles: .''The Atlantic Fisheries,"
by G. J. Gillespie; ''The 1957 Fisheries," by
W. C. Mackenzie; ''Highlights of the Sales Pro-
motion Program," by Ben Dolan; "Marketing
New Frozen Fish Products,'' by Ross Clouston;
"Problems in the Lake Erie Fisheries," by
Leonard Omstead; ''Value of Metal Lobster
Traps;" ''Fisheries Utilization--The Individual
and the Community," by E. L. Harrison; ''Fed-
eration of West Indies;'' and ''The European
Common Market and Canada's Fish Exports."
Details of the annual meeting are also presented.

Fisheries Statistics of Canada, 1956 (New Bruns-
wick), 59 pp., printed in French and English, 50
Canadian cents. Queen's Printer and Controller
of Stationery, Ottawa, Canada, 1958. Consists
of tables giving the value of the principal spe-
cies of fish and shellfish in New Brunswick,
1949-56; quantity and value of landings by spe-
cies and fisheries districts, 1955-56; quantity
and value of manufactured fishery products by
species and fisheries districts, 1955-56; capital
equipment in the primary fisheries operations,
by fisheries districts, 1955-56; and the number
of persons engaged in the primary fisheries op-
erations, by fisheries districts, 1955-56.

Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Can-

~ Canada, 1956-1957 (For the Fiscal Year Ending
March 31, 1957), 195 pp., illus., printed. Fish-
eries Research Board of Canada, Ottawa, Can-
ada, 1957. Reports on the activities of the bio-
logical and technological stations of the Fisher-
ies Research Board of Canada--an organization
in charge of advisory, consultative, and admin-
istrative functions of fishery research stations
and investigations of practical and economic
problems connected with the fisheries of Canada.
Of particular interest is the report covering the
activities of the London, Ontario, biological sta-
tion which is charged with control investigations
for the Great Lakes sea lamprey. The report
also covers the work of the Arctic Unit at Mon-
treal in assessing the fishery and marine mam-
mal resources of the Arctic regions.

Department of Fisheries Twenty-Seventh Annual
Report, 1956-1957, 99 pp., printed. Department
of Fisheries, Ottawa, Canada, 1958. Reportson
the work of the various services of the Canadian
Department of Fisheries in conservation and de-
velopment, inspection and consumption, econom-
ics, information and education, and industrial de-
velopment. Also covers the activities of the
Fishermen's Indemnity Plan, Fisheries Prices
Support Board, Fisheries Research Board of

ada, vol. 15, no. 2, March 1958, pp. 115-274,
illus., printed. Queen's Printer and Controller
of Stationery, Ottawa, Canada. Contains the fol-
lowing articles: "Energy Considerations in the
Bay of Fundy System," by H. J. McLellan; 'Pro-
teins in Fish Muscle. II. On the Extraction of
Myosin from Cod Muscle with Potassium Io-
dide,'' by J. R. Dingle; ''Physical Oceanographic
Results of the 'Calanus' Expeditions in Ungava
Bay, Frobisher Bay, Cumberland Sound, Hud-
son Strait, and Northern Hudson Bay, 1949-1955,"
byM. J. Dunbar; 'Limnological Studies of Hem-
ing Lake, Manitoba, and Two Adjacent Lakes,'
by G. H. Lawler and N. H. F. Watson; ''Some
Aspects of Growth and Reproduction of the
Bearded Seal, Erignathus barbatus (Erxleben),"'
by I. A. McLaren; Some Effects of Temporar-
y Exposure to Low Dissolved Oxygen Levels on
Pacific Salmon Eggs," by D. F. Alderdice, W. P.
Wickett, and J. R. Brett; and ''Rapid Learning
of a Constant Course by Travelling Schools of
Juvenile Pacific Salmon,''by WilliamS. Hoar.

Progress Reports of the Atlantic Coast Stations,
no, 68, 27 pp., illus., printed in Frenchand Eng-

lish. Queen's Printer and Controller of Station-

ery, Ottawa, Canada, January 1958. Contains

the following articles: ''The Effects of Boring

94 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Vol. 20, No. 6

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

Sponges on Oysters," by F. E. Warburton; ''The
Commercial Longlining Experiment, St. Anthony,
Newfoundland, 1955,'"' by A. M. Fleming; ''How
Cod Spawn--Nielsen's Observations," by W.
Templeman; ''A Liver Preservation Procedure,"
by A. Guttmann and F, A. Vandenheuvel; and
"Preliminary Biology of Atlantic Salmon of the
Little Codroy River, Newfoundland,''by A. RB.
Murray. —

COD:

The Bear Island Cod: Migrations and Movements,
by G. C. Trout, 51 pp., illus., printed. Her Maj-
esty's Stationery Office, York House, Kinsway,
London W.C. 2, England, 1957. Reports ona
study of the movements of the shoals of cod at

Bear Island in the Barents Sea.

Estudio de los Lipidos de la Carne del Bacalao,
GADUS CALLARIAS L. (Study of the Lipids of
the Meat of Cod, Gadus callarias L.), by Maria
Dolores Garcia Pineda, Works of the Spanish
Institute of Oceanography, No. 23, 46 pp., illus.,
printed in Spanish. Instituto Espanol deOcea-
nografia, Madrid, Spain, 1957.

COLD STORAGE:

Holodil'noe Konservirovanie a Produktov
(Cold Storage of Fish), by V. P. Zajcev, 340pp.,
121 figs., 47 tables, printed in Russian. Pisce-
promizdat, Moscow, USSR, 1956. Discusses the
characteristics of fish as a foodstuff; effect of
low temperatures on microorganisms and post-

mortem changes in fish; physical properties of
fish and characteristics of refrigerating media;
chilling of fish (changes during chilling, duration
of refrigeration, heat loads, industrial methods
for the chilling of fish); freezing of fish (changes
during freezing, freezing rate, heat loads, vari-
ous freezing methods for fish). Also discusses
the production of chilled and frozen fish fillets;
storage of chilled and frozen fish, and the thaw-
ing of fish in air, ice, liquid media; and rate of
thawing and heat requirements.

COMMISSIONS:

Annual Report 1956, International Pacific Salmon
Fisheries Commission, 32 pp., illus., printed.
International Pacific Salmon Fisheries Commis-
sion, New Westminster, Canada, 1957. Areport
of the Commission, an international agency ap-
pointed under a convention between Canada and
the United States for the protection, preservation,
and extension of the sockeye salmon fisheries in
the Fraser River system. Discussed in this re-
port are the various activities of the Commission
during 1956; the regulations, the United States
fishery, the Canadian fishery, Indian catch sta-
tistics, escapement, rehabilitation of barren
areas, watershed protection, and general inves-
tigations.

CRAYFISH:

"Contractile Protein from Crayfish Tail Muscle,"
by K. Maruyama, article, The Biological Bulle-
tin, vol. 114, no. 1, February 1958, pp. 95-105,
illus., printed, single numbers $2.50. The Bio-
logical Bulletin, Marine Biological Laboratory,

Woods Hole, Mass.

ECHO SOUNDING:

Echo Sounding in East Anglia--It Works, Labora-
tory Leaflet 17, 9 pp., illus., processed. Min-
istry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Fish-
eries Laboratory, Lowestoft, England. Anum-
ber of questions and answers concerning an
echo-sounding survey in East Anglia.

ELECTRICAL FISHING:

"Factors Controlling the Input of Electrical En-
ergy into a Fish (Cyprinus carpio L.) in an
Electrical Field," = Lester V. Whitney and
Richard L. Pierce, article, Limnology and O-
ceanography, vol. 2, no. 2, April 1957, pp. 55-

» printed. Woods Hole Oceanographic Insti-

tution, Woods Hole, Mass.

FAR EAST:

"Marine Sciences in the Far East,''by Anton Fr.
Bruun, article, Current Affairs Bulletin, no. 20,
November 1957, pp. 3-8, printed. Indo-Pacific
Fisheries Council, Food and Agriculture Organ-
ization of the United Nations, Bangkok, Thailand.

FISH POPULATIONS:

The Dynamics of Exploited Fish Populations, by

"Raymond J. H. Beverton and Sidney J. Holt,
illus., printed, $22.68. British Information
Services, 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York 20,
N. Y. The international regulation of fisheries
in a region such as Europe, where there are
more than a dozen sovereign states keenly in-
terested, has made severe demands on fishery
research because year after year negotiators
require prediction of one effect or another of
man's pressure on the fish population. Tomeet
this demand the authors have written a handbook
of all the methodology involved. With the aidof
the cases stated and the worked examples given,
an approximate solution can be found to any
problem of fishery regulation in the world--pro-
vided the right data are available; or, if not,
this work shows precisely what data areneeded.
In, addition to making available adequate knowl-
edge of population dynamics to all workers in
the field of fisheries, many of the authors!
methods will be applicable to other living popu-
lations, and their theoretical framework should
form part of the syllabus of teaching in agricul-
ture, in ecology, in geography, in sociology, and
in nature preservation.

FISHWAYS:

"A New Approach to Fish Pass Design," by
Drummond Sedgwick, article, The Atlantic
Salmon Journal, no. 1, February 1957, pp. 33-36,
printed. The Atlantic Salmon Association, Inc.,
1559 McGregor St., Montreal 25, Canada.

FLORIDA:

Catches of Fish by Charter Boats on Florida's
East Coast, by Robert W. Ellis, Special Service
Bulletin No. 14, 13 pp., illus., processed. The
Marine Laboratory, University of Miami, Coral
Gables, Fla., December 1957. This report is
concerned with data on the catches of different
species of fish by anglers on charter boats op-
erating on Florida's east coast. The present
study was made to determine the major species

June 1958

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 95

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATI[ON ISSUING THEM.

of fish occurring in the catches of charter boats
operating on Florida's east coast, the relative
frequency of occurrence of these species, the
total amount of fishing time, and the total catch
of each major species in this fishery.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION:
The Food and Agriculture Organization has pub-

lished reports describing that Agency's activities
under the Expanded Technical Assistance Pro-
gram for developing the fisheries of many coun-
tries. These reports have not been published on
a sales basis, but have been processed only for
limited distribution to governments, libraries,
and universities. Food and Agriculture Organi-
zation, Viale delle Terme diCaracalla, Rome,
Italy.

we -Report to the Government of Brazil on Tuna Fish-

eries Development (Northeastern Coast of Brazil),
based on the work of Robert E. K. D. Lee, FAO
Report No. 739, 49 pp., illus., processed, 1957.
Technical assistance in fisheries was provided
the Government of Brazil to advise and assist
the Government in carrying out experimental
fishing operations and to advise on various types
of fishing craft and gear that may be used most
effectively within the country. This report de-
scribes general observations on the fisheries of
the northeastern ceast of Brazil, fishing boats
used for demonstration, fishing methods, Jap-
anese tuna fishing off the Brazilian coast, cur-
rent progress on tuna fishing development, and
conclusions and recommendations to the Gov-
ernment of Brazil.

Report on the South Pacific Fisheries Training

~ Course, by H. V. Pel and P. Lusyne, FAO Re-
port No. 753, 17 pp., processed, 1957. This re-
port discusses the organization of a fisheries
training course, work of the course, and results
achieved. The purpose of this course was to
train selected men from as many as possible of
the South American territories in some basic
knowledge of fisheries and related skills. These
men were needed in practically all territories
in the area for the development and protection
of the fisheries.

FREEZING:
"Chilling and Freezing of Fish," by F. Bramsnaes,

Revista del Frio, Special Issue, I, July 1957, pp.
49-54, printed in Spanish. Revista del Frio,
Centro Experimental del Frio, Serrano 150,
Madrid, Spain.

"Freezing and Cold Storage of Pacific King Crab

Meat,'"' by K. Amano, K. Yamada, M. Bito, and

I. Kaneko, article, Refrigeration, vol. 32, no.
358, August 1957, pp. 1-3. I fig., 26 tables, 19
references, illus., printed in Japanese. Nihon
Reito Kyokai (Japanese Society of Refrigeration),
No. 3, 1-Chome, Ginza Nishi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo,
Japan.

FUR SEALS:
North Pacific Fur Seals (Interim Convention Be-
tween the United States of America, Canada,

Japan, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Repub-
lics--Signed at Washington, February 9, 1957),

Treaties and Other International Acts Series
3948, 60 pp., printed in English, Japanese, and
Russian, 20 cents. (For sale by the Superin-
tendent of Documents, Washington 25, D. C.)
Department of State, Washington, D. C. An in-
terim convention on the conservation of North
Pacific fur seals was signed at Washington on
February 9, 1957, by the respective representa-
tives of the Governments of the United States,
Canada, Japan, and the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics, and entered into force October 14,
1957. The text of the convention is presented
word for word in the English, Japanese, and
Russian languages.

GEAR:
Analysis of the Action of Spherical Trawl Floats,
by I. G. ‘Smyslov, lov, 7 p pp., Roce ssec: (Reprinted

Research Institute of Sea Fishery and Qceanog-
raphy, vol. 30, 1955, pp. 31-35), Ministry of Ag-
riculture, Fisheries and Food, Fisheries Lab-
oratory, Lowestoft, England. The author de-
scribes in detail the action of spherical trawl
nets, and states that ''With spherical floats itis
impossible to increase to any great extent the
vertical opening of a trawl at the usual trawling
speeds, or to maintain the existing vertical
opening at increased speeds. Instead of spheri-
cal floats, therefore, it is necessary to use
spacing devices in which the hydrodynamic
forces of the contrary flow during trawling are
utilized. These spacing devices may consist of
hydrodynamic floats, sheets of foam plastic,
wooden support boards, sheets in the form ofan
aeroplane's wing and many other hydrodynamic
forms."

"Is 'Bang Up' Bang On?" article, World Fishing,
vol. 7, no. 3, March 1958, pp. 39-40, illus.,
printed. John Trundell (Publishers) Ltd., Tem-
ple Chambers, Temple Ave., London E. C. 4,
England. Discusses the difference between the
German and Scottish method of handling large
trawls. The merits and disadvantages of the
"bang up'' method, as it is known, are discussed.

Results of Hydrodynamic Tests on Trawl Floats,
by A. I. Yakovlev, 22 pp., processed. (Reprint-
ed from Proceedings of the All-Union Scientific
Research Institute of Sea F. Fishery and Oceanog-
raphy, vol. 30, 1 1955, pp. 36-56), Ministry of Ag-
riculture, Higheries) and Food, Fisheries Lab-
oratory, Lowestoft, England, 1957. Describes
in detail the floats and various devices for fit-
ting to the head ropes of trawls, hydrodynamic
characteristics of floats, method of conducting
hydrodynamic tests with trawl floats, results of
hydrodynamic tests with experimental trawl
floats, and conclusions.

GENERAL:

The Chemical Control of Sapatic Nuisances, by
~Kenneth M. Mackenthun, 64 pp., illus., printed.

Committee on Water Pollution, "Madison, Wis.,
January 1958. Areport onthe use of chemicals on
lakes, ponds, and streams for the control of algae,
weeds, and other aquatic nuisances. In the intro-
duction, the author discusses the general methods
of control, history of the control program, general

96 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE

OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATION ISSUING THEM,

procedure, and statutory procedure. Undersec-
tions on aquatic rooted vegetation, algae, and
swimmers' itch, the author discusses the nature
and development of the nuisance, chemical con-
trol equipment and application details, and ef-
fects of treatment.

Fisherman's Guide to the Fishes of the Eastern
Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic Coast, com-
piled by Russell W. Cumley, 64 pp., illus.,
printed. Professional Publication Producers,
1603 Oakdale St., Houston 4, Texas, 1957.

Fishes of the World, by Edouard le Danois with
the collaboration of Jacques Millot, Theodore
Monod, and Paul Budker, 190 pp., illus., with 80
photogravure plates, 30 color photographs, and
text illustrations, printed, $12.50. The Country-
man Press, Woodstock, Vt. A comprehensive
encyclopedia of the world's fishes, including
scientific data on the various species and habi-
tats. The book is beautifully illustrated withex-
cellent photographs, many of them in color.
There are six chapters on some natural laws in
the ocean; the northern, temperate, tropical, and
southern regions; and the depths of the ocean.

Handbook of Selected Biological References on Wa-
ter Pollution Control, Sewage Treatment, Water
Treatment, by William Marcus Ingram, Public
Health Service Publication No. 214 (revised
1957), 107 pp., illus., printed, 45 cents. (For
sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S.
Government Printing Office, Washington 25,

D. C.) U.S. Public Health Service, Washington,

D. C. A section on fish is included in the select-
ed biological references applicable to water pol-
lution control.

The World Beneath the Waves, by Gilbert Doukan,
translated by A. and R. M. Case, 356 pp., print-
ed, $6. John De Graff, Inc., 31 East 10th St., New
Workwsre Ney .

HALIBUT:

Pacific Halibut Fishery Regulations (Effective
March 29, 1958), pp., printed. International
Pacific Halibut Commission, Fisheries Hall No.
2, University of Washington, Seattle 5, Wash.,
March 1958.

Vol. 20, No. 6

FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

A Fishing Calendar for the East Coast of Madras
State, by P. I. Chacko and S. George, Contribu-
tion from the Marine Biological Station, West
Hill, No. IV, 16 pp., printed. Superintendent,
Government Press, Branch Press, Pudukkottai,
India, 1956.

A Fishing Calendar for the West Coast of Madras
" State, by P. I. Chacko and S. George, Contribu-
tion from the Marine Biological Station, West
Hill, Malabar Coast, No. II, 31 pp., printed.
Superintendent, Government Press, Branch

Press, Pudukkottai, India, 1956.

Madras Fish Facts, 1956, edited by P. I. Chacko,
12 pp., printed. Superintendent, Government
Press, Madras, India, 1956.

JAPAN:

Annual Report of Catch Statistics on Fishery and
Aquiculture, 1956, Agriculture, Forestry, and —
Fishery Statistics Bulletin 32-32, 378 pp., print-
ed in Japanese and English. Association of Ag-
riculture- Forestry Statistics, No. 4, 1-chome,
Onden, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan, December
1957. Contains statistical information on the
1956 production from marine fisheries --whaling,
factoryship-type pelagic fishery on high seas,
and domestic marine fisheries; culture in shal-
low seas; inland water fisheries and fish cul-
ture; and processing. Also presents market
prices of fishery commodities and consumption
of petroleum products for fisheries. Two glos-
saries containing the classification of type of
fisheries and classification of fish species are
also included.

Journal of the Faculty of Fisheries and Animal
Husbandry, Hiroshima University, vol. I, no.
3, pp. 303-397, December 1957, illus., printed.
The Faculty of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry,
Hiroshima University, Fukuyama, Japan. Con-
tains, among others, the following papers: ''Ra-
dioactivity in the River Water, Brackish-Water,
Sea Water, and the Laver at River Mouth, De-
rived from Radioactive Rain Water," by Isao
Takesita and Shunpei Kakuda; and''On the Form-
ing Season of Annual Rings (Opaque and Trans-
lucent Zones) in the Otoliths of Several Marine
Teleosts," by Takaaki Irie.

HERRING:
Extent of Herring Spawning in British Columbia
in 1957, by D. Outram, Circular No. 46, 12 pp.,
illus., processed. Fisheries Research Board of
Canada, Biological Station, Nanaimo, B. C., Canada.

On the Herring of the Southern North Sea (Contri-

~ butions to Special Herring Meetings, 1956), Rap-
ports et Proces-Verbaux des Reunions, vol. 143,
Part I, 42 pp., illus., printed, Kr. 10 (US$1.45).
Conseil Permanent International pour 1'Explo-
ration de la Mer (International Council for Ex-
ploration of the Sea), Charlottenlund Slot, Den-
mark, October 1957.

INDIA:
Fish Farming, 26 pp., illus., printed. Govern-
ment Fisheries Information Bureau, Madras-8,
India, 1956.

Postwar Developments in Japan's Foreign Trade,
253 pp., processed. U.S. Tariff Commission,
Washington 25, D. C., March 1958. Anextensive
report on Japan's foreign trade, containing five
chapters on (1) factors shaping the foreign trade
of Japan, (2) Japan's foreign trade policy, (3)
Japan's foreign trade, (4) Japan's balance of pay-
ments, (5) trade between the United States and Ja-
pan, and (6) competition between United States and
Japanese exports in third markets. Fishery
products and byproducts are included in the ta-
bles on exports of selected miscellaneous prod-
ucts; and United States imports from Japan, by
principal commodities.

Technical Report of Fishing Boat, No. 11, 55 pp.,
~ illus., printed in Japanese with brief English ab-
stracts. Fishing Boat Laboratory, Production
Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry,

June 1958

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

97

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATION |SSU|NG THEM,

Tokyo, Japan, January 1958. Contains the fol-
lowing reports, with very brief abstracts in Eng-
lish: ''Propagation Characteristic of 1 Mc Ul-
trasonic Sound in Sea Water," by Tomiju Hashi-
moto, Yoshimitsu Kikuchi, Yoshinobu Maniwa,
and Minoru Nishimura; ''Study on Ultrasonic Re-
flection Loss on Fish-Body (On the Influence of
the Air Bladder),'' by Tomiju Hashimoto and
Yoshinobu Maniwa; and "Study on the Ultrasonic
Wave Form Reflected on the Sea Bottom, Fish
Schools, and Seaweeds,"' by Yoshinobu Maniwa.

KENYA:
Lake Victoria Fisheries Service, Annual Report
1956/57, 22 pp., illus., printed. East Africa

High Commission, Nairobi, Kenya, 1957. Re-
ports on the general activities of the Lake Vic-
toria Fisheries Service, including studies on.
motor fishing vessels, radio equipment, motor
transport, fishing craft, experimental fishing,
tilapia fish ponds, fish marking, illegal fishing,
deep-water surveys, net trials andfish culture.
Also presents summaries of annual catches in
1956 at recording stations in Uganda, Tangan-
yika, and Kenya.

NIGERIA:
Annual Report of the Federal Fisheries Service
or the Year 1955-56, II pp., illus., printed.

Federal Government Printer, Lagos, Federation
of Nigeria, 1957. Contains a history of the
growth of fisheries work in Nigeria, and a dis-
cussion of the federal research program which
covers scientific research and technological in-
vestigations. Activity reports of the Sea Fish-
eries Section and the Fish Culture and Inland
Fisheries Section are also included,

OCEANOGRAPHY:

"Oceanography and its Necessity for Fisheries
Programme in the Indo-Pacific Region," by
H. U. Sverdrup, article, Current Affairs Bulle-
tin, no. 20, November 1957, pp. 1-2, printed.
Indo-Pacific Fisheries Council, Food and Ag-
riculture Organization of the United Nations,
Bangkok, Thailand.

Travaux du Centre de Recherches et D'Etudes
Oceanographiques (Works of the Center for
Oceanographic Research and Studies), Fasc. I,
Tome III, March 1958, 68 pp., illus., printed in
French. Centre de Recherches et D'Etude
Oceanographiques, 1 Quai Branly, Paris 7 ,
France. Contains the following articles: 'Re-
sultats de Quelques Mesures de Courants Pro-
fonds" (Results of Some Measurements of Depth
Currents), by V. Romanovsky; ''Le Couranto-
graphe BBT-NEYRPIC" (The BBT-NEYRPIC
Current-Graph), by J. Duroche and J. Serpaud;
"I.es Causes d'Erreurs dans la Mesure des
Courants au Point Fixe" (The Cause of Errors
in Measurements of Currents at a Fixed Point),
by V. Romanovsky; and "Observations Oceanog-
graphiques des Navires Stationnaires Meteor-
ologiques"' (Oceanographic Observations of Sta-
tionary Meteorological Vessels).

OYSTERS:
"Pond Culture of Oysters at Bears Bluff Promis-
ing," article, South Carolina Wildlife, vol. 5,

no. 1, Winter 1958, pp. 4-5, 18, illus., printed.
South Carolina Wildlife Resources Department,
1015 Main St., Columbia, S. C. Describes brief-
ly the life history of the oyster, the construction
of ponds, and the early work in South Carolina
on the culture of oysters. The pond culture of
oysters was begun in 1944 but had been practi-
cally abandoned since 1950, due to lack of funds
and personnel and a series of drought years.
Since funds from a grant have become available,
a one-acre pond has been partially cleaned of
accumulated silt and a part of the floor shelled,
hardened, and planted with seed oysters. Engi-
neering work for the control of salinity is also
under way, with pipe lines and a pump installed.
The article states that ''In addition to producing
better quality oysters, the cultivationand grow-
ing of oysters in ponds provides valuable infor-
mation, particularly in solving such problems
as how to control oyster diseases and predation."

"Some Aspects of Behavior of Oysters at Differ-
ent Temperatures," by V. L. Loosanoff, article,
The Biological Bulletin, vol. 114, no. 1, Febru-
ary 1 > pp. 57-70, illus., printed, singlenum-
bers $2.50. The Biological Bulletin, Marine
Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass.

PLANKTON:

"Life History of a Dinoflagellate Bloom," by
Robert A. Ragotzkie and Lawrence R. Pomeroy,
article, Limnology and Oceanography, vol. 2,
no. 2, Apri , pp. 62-69, printed. Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution, Wood Hole, Mass.

PRESERVATION:

"How Antibiotic-Treated Fish Reacts Under Ac-
tual Storage Conditions,"' by Lionel Farber and
Peter Lerke, article, Quick Frozen Foods, vol.
XX, no. 8, March 1958, pp. 154-157, printed,
single copy 50 cents. E. W. Williams Publica-
tions, Inc., 82 Wall St., New York 5, N. Y. This
report presents the results of experiments on
the keeping quality of antibiotic-treated fish un-
der practical operating conditions existing in
fish plants. Storage experiments in fish plants
of fillets of rockfish and of sole were carried
out, comparing the effect of a 5-percent saline
dip with a dip in 5-percent salt solution con-
taining 5 or 10 p.p.m. of chlortetracycline (CTC).
The CTC-dip treatment definitely prolonged the
storage time of the fillets. On being taken out
of the water on shipboard, various whole flat-
fish were placed in plain ice and in ice contain-
ing 10 p.p.m. of CTC until they were landed a-
shore. Then they were stored at atmospheric
temperature. The preliminary CTC -ice treat-
ment aboard ship had a definite prolonging ef-
fect on the subsequent storage time compared
to fish stored originally in plain ice. The pos-
sible influence on the storage times of suchfac-
tors as storage temperature, initial bacterial
loads, and history of the fish between the time
of removal from the water and landing ashore
were also briefly discussed.

"Storage Test of Sea Fish in Aureomycin Ice Un-
der Tropical Climate,'' by J. Ducroz, article,
Rev. d'Elevage et de Medecine Veterinaire, No.
2, 1957, pp. 147-150, 2 diagrams, illus., printed

98

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Vol. 20, No. 6

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATION ISSUING THEM.

in French. Revue d'Elevage et de Medecine
Veterinaire des Pays Tropicaux, 23 Rue de
L'Ecole de Medecine, Paris 6, France.

"Temperature Distribution in Fish Cooled in a
Liquid Medium" (Raspredelenije Temperaturyv
Tele Ryby pri Ohlazdenii Jeje v Zidkoj Srede),
by G. Konokotin, article, Kholodil'naia Tekhnika,
USSR, No. 1, January-March 1957, pp. 27-30, 4
figures, illus., printed in Russian. Kholodil'naia
Tekhnika, c/o Four Continent Book Corp., 38 W.
58th St., New York 19, N. Y. Recommendations
are made in this article to precool trawled fish
in additionally salted sea water at temperatures
not lower than -4 C. (+26 F.). The prelimi-
nary cooling leads to a 3-4 fold decrease in ice
requirements, increasing the effective tonnage
of the trawler. The storage life of the fish is in-
creased by 3-4 days. Experimental data are
presented on the temperature distribution in the
fish body (large cod) on cooling in brine at var-
ious temperatures. Care should be taken to pre-
vent freezing of the fish during cooling.

RADIATION:

The Effects of Atomic Radiation on Oceanography
and Fisheries, by Roger Revelle, Publication

No. 551, 137 pp., illus., printed, $2. National
Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Ave.,
N. W., Washington, D. C. Summarizing present
knowledge and areas of ignorance that must be
taken into account in considering the biological
effects of radiation.

Radieactivity in Reef Fishes of Belle Island,
Eniwetok Atoll, April 1954-November 1955, by
Arthur D. Welander, 43 pp., illus., processed,
$1.25. Applied Fisheries Laboratory, Univer-
sity of Washington, Seattle, Wash., May 17, 1957.
(For sale by the Office of Technical Services,
Commerce Department, Washington 25, D. C.).

REFRIGERATION:

Rybopromyslennye Refrizeratornye Suda (Refrig-
erated Fishing Beats), by V. P. Zajcev, A. E.

Nitockin, and V. L. Survillo, 302 pp., 144 figs.,
27 tables, printed in Russian. Gosudarstvennoe
Sojuznoe Izdatel'stvo Sudostroitel'noj Promyslen-
nosti, Leningrad, USSR, 1957. Covers the im-
portance of refrigerated fishing boats, their
characteristics and installation. Discusses the
technical basis of refrigeration on board and
transport of fish (various processes for the
chilling and freezing of fish, production of chill-
ed and frozen fish fillets, etc.); refrigeration
machines, their installation and basis of opera-
tion; machines and plants on board ships for the
chilling of fish; types of refrigerated boats used
in the fishing industry and their general arrange-
ment; heat transmission through the insulation
of boats and testing of refrigerated boats; and
some problems on the rational operation of
refrigerated boats.

RIVER POLLUTION:

The Treatment of Trade-Waste Waters and the
Prevention of River Pollution (Proceedings of
a Course held in the Department of Civil Engi-
neering, King's College, Newcastle upon Tyne,
April 1-12, 1957), 326 pp., printed. Public

Health Engineering Section, University of Dur-
ham, King's College, in association with Con-
tractors' Record Ltd., London, England, 1957.

SALMON:

"Effects of DDT Spraying on Young Salmon and
Their Food," article, The Atlantic Salmon
Journal, no. 4, December 1956, pp. 33-34,
printed. The Atlantic Salmon Association, Inc.,
1559 McGregor St., Montreal 25, Canada.

"The Potential Application of Antibiotics in the
Salmon Canning Industry. Il--Chemical and
Bacteriological Evaluations," by J. A. Stern,
H. L. Liebman, G. Kudo, J. Chapel, R. A. Olsen,
L. L. Farber, and M. Grennan, article, Food
Technology, vol. 12, no. 3, March 1958, pp.
132-137, illus., printed, single copies of peri-
odical--domestic US$1.50, foreign US$1.75.
(Published by the Institute of Food Technolo-
gists.) The Garrard Press, 510 North Hickory,
Champaign, Ill. Describes an investigation
conducted to determine the effects of antibiotics
on the retardation of spoilage of sockeye salm-
on. Under the conditions of this investigation,
oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline retarded
the spoilage of sockeye salmon. The over-all
storage life appeared to be extended by afactor
approximating 1.5 over the cases where no
antibiotics were used. Extension of storage
time was dependent on temperature. At the
high storage temperatures (65 + 5° F)), the ab-
solute time of extension was relatively small,
while at 32° F., the absolute time of extension
was considerable. Chemical and organoleptic
examinations substantiated the above conclu-
sions. Results of the bacterial examination
were inconclusive, probably due to the fact that
the samples were stored at freezing tempera-
tures prior toexamination. Assays for residual
antibiotic activity in the canned product were
negative.

Recent British Columbia Spring and Coho Salm-
on Tagging Experiments and a Comparison
with those Conducted from 1925 to 1930, by
D. J. Milne, Bulletin No. 113, 56 pp., printed,
90 Canadian cents. Fisheries Research Board
of Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 1957. (For sale by
Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Canada.)

Salmon Research and Hydroelectric Power De-
velopment, by J. R. Brett, Bulletin No. 114, 26
pp., printed, 50 Canadian cents. Fisheries Re-

search Board of Canada, Ottawa, Canada, 1957.
(For sale by Queen's Printer, Ottawa, Canada.)

Salmon Spawning Report--British Columbia,

5 id pp., processed. Department of Fish-
eries, Vancouver, B. C., Canada, March 17,
1958. A report covering the seeding of the
salmon spawning areas of British Columbia for
1957. Developments or trends of the 1957 mi-
gration and spawning escapement of salmon, by
species and areas, are discussed.

"Sweden Adopts Artificial Propagation," article,
The Atlantic Salmon Journal, no. 1, February
1957, pp. 11-12, printed. The Atlantic Salmon As-
sociation, Inc., 1559 McGregor St., Montreal 25,

June 1958

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 99

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATION ISSUING THEM,

Canada. In order to find answers to the many
problems created by hydroelectric development
of Sweden's rivers, the Migratory Fish Com-
mittee was formed which collaborated with the
Swedish State Power Board and private com-
panies in several studies. These studies re-
vealed that salmon reared to 6 inches before
stocking attained a weight of 4 pounds after 18
months in the sea, 12 pounds at the end of the
third year, and 20 pounds after 4 years, and that
only 2 of 80 tagged fish recaptured inshore had
strayed from their "parent" stream. According
to calculations, a return of at least 5 percent
would be necessary to make artificial propaga-
tion a "paying proposition."

SEA MAMMALS:

Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses (A Review of the
Pinnipedia), by Victor B. Scheffer, 189 pp.,
illus., printed, $5. Stanford University Press,
Stanford, Calif., 1958. A systematic account of
the pinnipeds. Drawing upon man's increased
knowledge of life in the sea, especially in the
polar regions, and on his greater understanding
of the processes of animal evolution, the author
has examined in a fresh light the pattern of dis-
tribution and variation displayed by the seals
and their relatives. Taxonomic history, geo-
graphic range, and population estimates are
given for each of the forty-seven kinds of pinni-
peds, and an attempt has been made to estimate
their world population. Pinniped adaptations in
body form and function to life in the sea are ex-
plained, and the author traces the evolution of
the order and its subdivisions from its pre-
carnivore ancestors. A synoptic key enables the
reader to identify each of the twenty genera on
the basis of distinctive features of size and
shape, pelage, skeleton, and behavior.

SEAWEED:
"Studies on the Physiology of a Laver, Porphyra

tenera Kjellm. III. - Chemical Factors Influenc-

ing Upon the Photosynthesis,'' by Hideo Iwasaki
and Chikayoshi Matsudaira, article, The Tohoku
Journal of Agricultural Research, vol. VIII, no.
I, July 1957, pp. 47-54, illus., printed. Office,
Faculty of Agriculture, Tohoku University,
Sendai, Japan.

SHRIMP:

Observations on the Structural Development of
the Genitalia and the Impregnation of the Pink
Shrimp, PENAEUS DUORARUM Burkenroad, by
Bonnie Eldred, Technical Series No. 23, 26 pp.,
illus., printed. Florida State Board of Conser-
vation Marine Laboratory, St. Petersburg, Fla.,
January 1, 1958.

SPAIN:

Estadistica de Pesca, Ano 1956 (Fishery Statis-
tics, Year 1956), 272 pp., printed in Spanish.
Ministerio de Comercio, Direccion General de
Pesca Maritima, Madrid, Spain. A purely sta-
tistical report presenting the weight and value
of fish and shellfish by ports, regions, species,
and months. Also contains tables on fishing
gear, vessels, and canning factories.

III Reunion sobre Productividad y Pesquerias
(Third Meeting on Production and Fisheries),

121 pp., processed in Spanish. Instituto de In-
vestigaciones Pesqueras, Patronato "Juan dela
Cierva" de Investigacion Tecnica, Barcelona,
Spain. A collection of 31 articles presented at
the third meeting on marine fishery and produc-
tion held during September 10-14, 1957, in
Spain, by the Institute of Fishery Investigation
of the "Juan de la Cierva" Foundation for Tech-
nical Investigation. The various articles cover,
among others, the following topics pertaining to
Spanish fisheries: sardine (Sardina pilchardus
Walb.) fishery; trawling problems in deep wa-
ters; limits and seasons for trawling in the
Mediterranean Sea; and biological and statisti-
cal data on tuna (Thunnus thynnus L.).

TAGGING:

"Preliminary Experiments on the Use of Spaghet-
ti Tags," by L. B. Tebo, Jr., article Proceed-
ings of the Tenth Annual Conference, Southeast-
ern Association of Game and Fish Commission-
ers, October 1957, pp. 77-80, printed. South-
eastern Association of Game and Fish Commis-
sioners, Columbia, S. C.

TARIFFS:

United States Customs Valuation Procedure, 54
pp., $1. National Council of American Import-
ers, Inc., 45 East 17th St., New York 3, N. Y.
This booklet outlines the new United States Cus-
toms Simplification Act of 1956, which became
effective on February 27, 1958. Part I consists
of explanatory notes showing parts of the com-
plete text of the new value section 402; part II
gives the text of the two value sections in parel-
lel columns to permit a comparison of the dif-
ferences in phraseology; and part III contains
the final list of articles that will continue to be
appraised under the old valuation method, sec-
tion 402a.

TERRITORIAL WATERS:
United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea.
United Nations, New York, N. Y. The following
processed reports have been issued:

A/CONF.13/1.110 pp., September 20, 1957.
Memorandum concerning historic bays. Pre-
paratory document no. 1. By the Secretariat of
the UN.

A/CONF.13/2. 28 pp., including annex, Septem-
ber 30, 1957. Scientific considerations relating
to the continental shelf. Preparatory document
no. 2. Memorandum by the Secretariat of
UNESCO.

A/CONF.13/3. 46 pp., October 4, 1957. The e-
conomic and scientific basis of the principle of
abstention. Preparatory document no. 3. By
Richard van Cleve, Director and Professor,
School of Fisheries, University of Washington.

A/CONF.13/4. 30 pp., October 4, 1957. Thelaw
of the air and the articles concerning the law of
sea adopted by the International Law Commis-
sion at its 8th session. Preparatory document
no. 4. By E. Pepin, Director of the Institute of

International Air Law, McGill University.

100 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

Vol. 20, No. 6

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERV CE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

OBTAINED FROM THE ORGANIZATION ISSUING THEM.

A/CONF.13/5. 98 pp., October 23, 1957. Com-
ments by governments on the articles concern-
ing the law of the sea prepared by the Interna-
tional Law Commission at its 8th session. Pre-
paratory document no. 5.

A/CONF.13/5/Add.1.--14 pp., November 7, 1957.

A/CONF.13/6. 93 pp., maps. October 23, 1957.
A brief geographical and hydrographical study
of straits which constitute routes for interna-
tional traffic. Preparatory document no. 6. By
Commander R. H. Kennedy, O. B. E., R. N. (Retd.).

A/CONF.13/8. 8 pp., October 29, 1957. Memo-
randum on pollution of the sea by oil. Prepara-
tory document no. 8. Prepared bythe Secretariat
of the UN,

A/CONF.13/9. 1 p., November 5, 1957. Pro-
visional agenda. Prepared by the Secretariat of
the UN,

A/CONF.13/10. 19 pp., November 5, 1957. Pro-
visional rules of procedure. Prepared by the
Secretariat of the UN,

A/CONF.13/11. 12 pp., November 5, 1957. Mem-
orandum concerning the method of work and
procedures of the Conference. By the Secretariat
of the UN.

A/CONF.13/12. 26 pp., including annex., Novem-
ber 6, 1957. Technical particulars concerning
the methods of fishing conducted by means of
equipment embedded in the floor of the sea.
Preparatory documentno.9. By the Secretariat
of FAO.

A/CONF.13/13. 33 pp., November 6, 1957. Ex-
amination of living resources associated with
the sea bed of the continental shelf with regard
to the nature and degree of their physical and
biological association with such sea bed. Pre-
paratory document no. 10. By the Secretariat
of FAO.

A/CONF.13/14. 9 pp., November 12, 1957. Guide

to instruments affecting the legal status of straits.

Preparatory document no. 11. Prepared by the
Secretariat of the UN.

A/CONF.13/15. 100 pp., November 13, 1957. A
brief geographical and hydrographical study of
bays and estuaries, the coasts of which belong
to different states. Preparatory documentno.
12. Prepared by Commander R. H. Kennedy,
O. B. E., R. N. (retd.).

A/CONF.13/16. 41 pp., November 20, 1957. The
economic importance of the sea fisheries in
different countries. Preparatory document no.
13. By the Secretariat of FAO.

A/CONF.13/17. 56 pp., Trilingual text (English,
French and Spanish), November 21, 1957. Bib-
liographical guide to the law of the sea. Pre-
paratory document no. 14. Prepared by the
Secretariat of the UN.

A/CONF.13/18. 38 pp., November 29, 1957.
Certain legal aspects concerning the delimita-
tion of the territorial waters of archipelagos.
Preparatory document no. 15. By Jens Even-
sen, Advocate at the Supreme Court of Norway.

A/CONF.13/19. 299 pp., December 3, 1957.
Verbatim record of the debatein the 6th Com-
mittee of the General Assembly, at its 11thses-
sion, relating to agenda item 53(a). Volume 1.

A/CONF.13/20. 12 pp., January 30, 1958. Re-
port of the Secretary-General on the prepara-
tion of the conference.

A/CONF.13/21. 182 pp., December 12, 1957.
Reference guide to resolutions and records con-
cerning the law of the sea adopted by world-
wide or regional international conferences and
meetings.

A/CONF.13/22. 16 pp., December 17, 1957.
Guide to decisions of international tribunals re-
lating to the law of the sea. Preparatory doc-
ument no. 17. By the Secretariat of the UN.

A/CONF.13/22/Corr.1. 1 p., January 13, 1958.
English only.

A/CONF.13/23. 43 pp., December 17, 1957.
List in chronological order of international a-
greements relating to fisheries and other ques-
tions affecting the utilization and conservation
of the resources of the sea. Preparatory doc-
ument no. 18. Prepared by the Secretariat of
the UN. Trilingual text (English, French and
Spanish).

A/CONF.13/25. 35 pp., January 3, 1958. Re-
cent developments in the technology of ex-
ploiting the mineral resources of the Continen-
tal Shelf.

A/CONF.13/27. 244 pp., January 9, 1958. United
Nations Legislative Series. Supplement tolaws
and regulations on the regime of the high seas,
vols. I and II, and laws concerning the national-
ity of ships.

A/CONF.13/28. 7 pp., January 13, 1958. Re-
solutions by and communication from the Inter-
national Council of Scientific Unions concerning
part II, section III of the articles concerning the
law of the sea (continental shelf). Transmittedby
UNESCO.

A/CONF.13/29. 67 pp., January 14, 1958. Mem-
orandum concerning the question of free access
to the sea of land-locked countries.

A/CONF.13/31. 9 pp., January 24, 1958. Com-
ments on the articles concerning the law of the
sea adopted by the International Law Commis-
sion at its eighth session.

A/CONF.13/32. 25 pp., January 24, 1958. Text
of the articles concerning the law of the sea a-
dopted by the International Law Commission at
its eighth session.

June 1958

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

101

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILOLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

A/CONF.13/33. 7 pp., February 4, 1958. Initial
list of documents for the United Nations Con-
ference on the Law of the Sea.

TEXAS:

A Checklist of Texas Fresh-Water Fishes, by
Clark Hubbs, IF Series No. 3, 11 pp., printed.
Division of Inland Fisheries, Texas Game and
Fish Commission, Austin, Tex., 1957.

TILAPIA:

"Preliminary Studies on Tilapia Mossambica
Peters Relative to Experimental Pond Culture,'"'
by H. D. Kelly, article, Proceedings of the Tenth
Annual Conference, Southeastern Association of
Game and Fish Commissioners October 1957,
pp. 139-149, printed. Southeastern Association
of Game and Fish Commissioners, Columbia, 8. C.

TRADE LISTS:

The Office of Economic Affairs, Bureau of For-
eign Commerce, U. S. Department of Commerce,
Washington 25, D. C., has published the following
mimeographed trade lists. Copies may be obtain-
ed by firms in the United States from that office
or from Department of Commerce field offices
at $2 each.

Oils (Animal, Fish, and Vegetable)--Importers,
Dealers, and Producers, Bolivia, 4 pp. (Febru-
ary 1958). Lists the name and address, size of
firm, and type of product handled by each firm.
Includes firms dealing in fish oils.

Oils (Animal, Fish, and Vegetable)--Importers,
Dealers, Producers, Refiners, and Exporters-
Lebanon, 8 pp. (February 1958). Lists thename
and address, size of firm, and type of product
handled by each firm. Includes firms dealing
in fish and fish-liver oils. Statistics are given
covering the different kinds of oils (including
cod liver and other fish oils) imported into or
exported from Lebanon during 1956. No fishoil
is produced in Lebanon.

Canneries--Portugal, 14 pp. (February 1958).
Lists the names of canneries and addresses,
size of firm and types of products handled, and
registered annual capacity of firms. The report
is divided into three parts, including Part I--Fish
Canneries. The report states that the fish can-
ning industry in Portugal is one of its major in-
dustries. The country's total exports of canned
fish in 1956 amounted to 139.3 million pounds.
Imports of canned food products totalled 9.4
million pounds of which fish products accounted
for 44.6 thousand pounds.

Oils (Animal, Fish, and Vegetable)--Importers,

~ Dealers, Producers, Refiners, and Exporters,
Syria, 17 pp. ‘February 1958). Lists the name
and address, size of firm, and type of product
handled by each firm. Includes firms dealingin
fish and fish-liver oils.

TRANSPORTATION:

"The Transport of Foodstuffs by Air in Warm
Climates,"' article, Revue Pratique du Froid,
May 1957, pp. 36-38, illus., printed in French.
Revue Pratique du Froid, 254 Rue de Vaugirard,

Paris 15, France. Describes some achieve-
ments in air transport of perishable foodstuffs
with regard to waterproof packaging to main-
tain the moisture content and the normal ground-
level pressure. Insulated packaging and packag-
ing with water ice and carbon dioxide ice are
described.

TROPICAL FISHES:

Encyclopedia of Tropical Fishes (with Special
Emphasis on Techniques of Breeding), by
Herbert R. Axelrod and William Vorderwinkler,
732 pp., illus., printed, no price given. T. F.H.
Publications, Inc., 57 Academy St., Jersey City,
N. J.. (Distributed to the Book Trade by Ster-
ling Publishing Co., Inc., 121 East 24th St., New
York, N. Y.)

TUNA:

"The Food of Tunas,'' by Donald deSylva, article,
Bulletin of the International Oceanographic
Foundation, vol. 2, no. 1, March > pp. 37-48,
printed. The Marine Laboratory, University of
Miami, Coral Gables, Fla.

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY:

"A New Deep-Sea Underwater Camera," by A.S.
Laughton, article, Deep Sea Research, vol. 4,
no. 2, April 1957, pp. 120-125, printed. Deep
Sea Research (Papers in Marine Biology and
Oceanography) Pergamon Press, 122 East 55th
St., New York 22, N. Y.

UNITED KINGDOM:

Herring Industry Accounts, 1956-1957, 7 pp.,
printed. Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Lon-
don, England. Shows the sums received and
paid out of the Herring Marketing Fund for the
purpose of making loans in connection with ex-
port, or for undertaking operations involving
the outlay of working capital (all of which was
required for the Board's herring oil and meal
schemes). No advances were required by the
Board during the year in respect to schemes
connected with export. Also shows an account
of the Herring Industry Board's receipts and
payments of grants for the purchase of vessels
and engines, and a statement with respect to the
application of money advanced to the Board out
of the fisheries (Scotland) and herring industry
vote.

Journal of the Marine Biological Association, vol.
37, no. 1, February 1958, pp. 1-266, illus.,
printed. Cambridge University Press, 32 East
57th St., New York 22, N. Y. Includes, among
others, the following papers: ''Sea Tempera-
tures in Plymouth Sound," by L. H. N. Cooper;
"A Single-Solution Method for the Determination
of Soluble Phosphate in Sea Water," by J. Mur-
phy and J. P. Riley; ''Note on the Temperature
Tolerances of Some Intertidal Animals in Re-
lation to Environmental Temperatures and Geo-
graphical Distribution," by A. J. Southward;
"The Modes of Action of Toxic Agents. III. Mer-
curic Chloride and n-Amylmercuric Chloride on
Crustaceans," by E.D.S. Corner and F. H. Rig-
ler; ''Eudactylina rachelae n.sp., a Copepod
Parasitic on the Electric Ray, Torpedo nobiliana
Bonaparte," by J. Green; "The Chemistry of _

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW Vol. 20, No.6

102

THESE PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT AVA!LABLE FROM THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BUT USUALLY MAY BE

Ethylenediamine Tetra-Acetic Acid in Sea Wa-
ter,'' by C. P. Spencer; ''Nematodes Parasitic on
Sea Weeds of the Genera Ascophyllum and Fu-
cus,'' by John W. Coles; '"The Distribution of In-
tertidal Organisms Along the Coasts of the Eng-
lish Channel," by D. J. Crisp and A. J. South-

business of fishing is described from the view-
point of fishermen, and although it contains
specialized technical knowledge it is so arranged
and vividly displayed as to appeal to anybody
with a normal layman's interest in marine
matters.

ward; and "Studies on Marine Flagellates. IV.
Morphology and Microanatomy of a New Species

of Chrysochromulina,'' by Mary Parke, Irene
Manton, and B. Clarke.

Living Silver: An Impression of the British Fish-
ing Industry, by Burns Singer, 232 pp., illus.,
printed, 25s. (US$3.50). Secker & Warburg,
London, England. A well-written account of the
British fishing industry, containing a detailed
description of all the mainfishing methods. The

WISCONSIN:

"Federal Fisheries Activities in Wisconsin," by
Ancil D. Holloway, article, Wisconsin Conserva-
tion Bulletin, vol. 23,no.3, March 1958, pp. 24-25,
printed. Wisconsin Conservation Department,
Madison1, Wis. Describes the functions and
activities of the Fish and Wildlife Service in
Wisconsin. In addition to operating three hatch-
eries in Wisconsin, the Service is concerned
with both sport and commercial fishing.

DO NOISES SCARE FISH AWAY?

The opinions of the experts vary on whether or not noises
scare fish away. It appears that although fish in the immediate
vicinity of the noises may be frightened and leave the area, those

a short distance away are not affected. Surface-living fish are
probably more apt tobe frightened away than bottom-dwellers, but
it is unlikely that they stay away permanently. In fact, fish have
been observedreturning to anarea soon after explosionshave been

set off there. (''Sea Secrets,'' September 1957, The International
Oceanographic Foundation, Coral Gables, Fla.)

Editorial Assistant--Ruth V. Keefe Illustrator--Gustaf T. Sundstrom

Compositors--Jean Zalevsky, Alma Greene, Helen Joswick, and Vera Eggleston

x OK KO

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.

Cover--Fred Hipkins; pp. 7, 8, 11, 12--Virginia Fisheries Laboratory, Glou-
cester Point, Va.; p. 10--E. P. Churchill, Virginia Fisheries Laboratory, Glou-
cester Point, Va.; p. 32--G. T. Sundstrom; p. 37--B. Munns; p. 52--J. Pileggi;

p. 58--Wendy Veevers-Carter, wife of the Eastern Aden Protectorate Fisheries
Officer, Mukalla, Aden.

June 1958

COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW

CONTENTS (CONTINUED)

OMAN sooooooonesoagceand poor cds 0.0 05
International:
Food and Agriculture Organization:
Atomic Energy as Power for Fishing Vessels Predicted
Great Lakes Fishery Commission:
Meeting Held in Washington, D.C. .............
International Pacific Halibut Commission:
Canada Approves Revised Regulations...........
International Whaling Commission:
Convention Amendment Ratified by France........
Japan-Russia Fisheries Negotiations for 1958:
Japan and Russia Sign Agreement on Salmon Quota
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Commission:
Annual Meeting for 1958 Announced ............
Regulations of the Trawl Fisheries for Cod and Had-
dock Effective .........+-+.-2- 20-2 s2e ees
Whaling:
Antarctic Whale-Oil Output Down Slightly but Sperm-
Oil Output Up
Aden:
Commercial Fisheries in Eastern Aden Protectorate

Brazil:
Frozen Tuna Marketed by Japanese-Sponsored Firm . .
Retail Price for Albacore Set by State Commission ...
Canada:
Atlantic Salmon Meeting ...........-.+-++++--+-
Consumption of Fishery Products, 1955 and 1956 ...
Containers of Shellfish Meats Must be Labeled with Net
WGN og ooodsoocods aoe eobonoosoDo BOOS
Fur-Seal Investigation in North Pacific ...........
New Type Headline Rope Developed for Midwater
WEE coggoc ao ooo nooo OOOO DONC OOOO GED
Ocean Perch Deep-Water Explorations in West Atlantic
North of Flemish Cap.............-+2+--20-
Refrigerated Sea Water Use Tested in North Pacific
Halibutekisheryseeioieiieesiel a cnonen een omeicien stent -y=nenen-|
Research on the Use of Metal Lobster Traps ...
Salt Subsidy for Salted Fish Producers .,.........
Studies on Holding Lobsters in Artificial Sea Water...
Chile:
New Regulations for Foreign Fishing Vessels Proposed
Colombia:
License Fees for Commercial Fishing............
Cuba:
Cooked Tuna Loins Shipped to the United States
Closed Season for Mojarras and Sponges ..........
Denmark:
Method of Coating Frozen Fish with Hot Polyethylene
Ecuador:
New Fishing Laws Proposed ..............-+---
shrimpetisheryecrend Shesweieicl-Wallciclelen-tel-n-alieleleler«
Honduras:
BisheniesMUreng spre e-lellet-hetieh-l-i-tel-i-i-leltciels woe
Iceland:
Electric Trawl Developed for Herring Fishery ......
Selected Fishery Exports, 1957
Japan:
King Crab Cannery Vessel Sails for BeringSea .....
Salmon Fishing Fleets Left for North Pacific on May 5.
Mexico:
Ensenada Fishery Trends, First Quarter 1958
Gulf of Mexico Ports Restrict Services to Foreign Fish-
ing Vessels
Norway:

Failure of Winter Herring Fishery Due to Cold Surface Water

75 YEARS
OF SERVICE TO AMENCE

FOREIGN (Contd.):
Norway (Contd.):

Fisheries Trends through March 15,1958 .........

Herring Fishermen Granted Special Financial Credit . .

Herring Oil Production Down Sharply in 1958 .......
Panama:

Expansion of Shrimp Industry Slows Down .........
Peru:

Anchovy and Bonito Landings Lower in 1957/58 Season .

Report of Japanese Fishing off Coast Unconfirmed ....
Poland:

OWE INN CEN sogoonooooaboooceoaDNoesoD
Portugal:

Canned Fish Exports, January 1958 ..............

Canned Fish Pack, January-November 1957 ........

Consumption of Fishery Products Increases ........
South-West Africa:

Bishinpplndustinyete vie Was et-wea inna n nie ne

Spiny Lobster Fishery Threatened by Offshore Diamond

WENN soooodooce cob co Oooo OD OOUNDOU OS 50

Spain:

Vigo Fisheries Trends, January-February 1958......
Sudan:
New Diving Equipment May Increase Harvest of Sea
Sra ANINIGED osacsareopsucasccoadn onO8
Surinam:
Shrimp Fishery Trends
U.S.S.R.
Fishing Activity in Northwest Atlantic Increases .....
Vessels Use Fish Pump to Catch Fish Attracted by
Underwater Light
United Kingdom:
Expansion of Foreign Markets for Scottish Frozen Fish
Urged
Marine Oil Imports .........
Silver Cod Award Made for 1957
FEDERAL ACTIONS:
Federal Trade Commission:
Another Canned Seafood Firm Charged with Illegal
Brokerage Payments
Canned Seafood Packer-Distributor Denies Charges of
legal Brokerage Payments
Ownership of Few Shares of Meat Packer Stock Makes
Meat Products Marketer A ''Packer"
Department of the Interior:
Bureau of Commercial Fisheries:
Assumes Responsibility for Grading Service to Fishing
Industry
U. S. Tariff Commission:
Report on Tuna Investigation Released
Eighty -Fifth Congress (Second Session) .....
FISHERY INDICATORS: .................
Chart 1 - Fishery Landings for Selected States

Chart 2 - Landings for Selected Fisheries...........
Chart 3 - Cold-Storage Holdings and Freezings of Fishery

IDRC coop otoo oA booob DOs ood DDeaNoOOND
Chart 4 - Receipts and Cold-Storage Holdings of Fishery
Products at Principal Distribution Centers .........
Chart 5 - Fish Meal and Oil Production - U. S. and
INEGI So po ot bo ooops oon o os ON SUDNOUGAPOOOD
Chart 6 - Canned Packs of Selected Fishery Products ...
Chart 7 - U.S. Fishery Products Imports...........
RECENT FISHERY PUBLICATIONS:
Fish and Wildlife Service Publications
Miscellaneous Publications.................-...--

CIVIL SERVICE

INT.-DUP. SEC., WASH., DICH ican

103

MN

01

—

NUTRITIONAL VALUE re
(dea

FOR TEEN-AGERS

Wheat ao Z-ounce serving of conned tuna {drained solicis} contributes to daily nutritional necd=

rami, MINERALS
G ‘AMINO ACIDS'AND tMBORTANT
TRACE ELEMENTS ESEEWTIAL FORREALTHY

_ MERVES, GOOD APPETITE, MORMAL'GROWTH,

sca BUILDS RED BLOOD
CLEAR SKIN, RESISTANCE-T® INFECTION Send

HELPS BUILD _K 4

BONES AND TEETH

| SUPPLIES IMPORTANT
7 VITAMINS

EVERY DAY THERE'S A DELICIOUS WAY TO SERVE TUNA

Prepored by the TUNA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, Terminal istand, California

TEMPTS TEEN-AGERS

DP

A food thar gives energy calories, together
with abundant nutrients for growth, safe-

guards children’s health, Such a food ser-
ved in many ways, encourages good food
habits, too,

An appetite-satisfying food, high in pro=
tein for building muscle and stimulating
pep tempts teen-agers, They know that
strength and sparkle are dependent on

right eating,

Grandparents find satisfaction in a food
which is easily eaten, And when such a
food has high nutritive quality it serves
to bolster their dwindling strength and
appetite,

Solid Pack Tuna~-7-ojmce can--three large pieces of loins with smaller pieces to fill the can,
Chunk-Style Tima--6-ounce can--smaller pieces, ideal for salads, sandwiches, and soups,

Soybean oil in which tuna is packed is excellent used as a base for sauces, salad dressings,
and for sauteing,

Parents are pleased to fit into family menus
a food which has protein, minerals, vitamins,|

and trace elements needed by all the family,
They cail this nutrition economy.