1938: Fisheries

World Fisheries.

The fisheries of the world annually yield 34,000,000,000 pounds of fishery products, valued at $744,000,000 to the fishermen, according to most recent tabulations by the United States Bureau of Fisheries. The annual yield by countries on the North American continent is 6,400,000,000 pounds, valued at $124,000,000 dollars, with the fisheries of the United States and Alaska contributing 4,800,000,000 pounds, worth $92,800,000 dollars.

United States.

The United States' fisheries are prosecuted commercially along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and Alaskan coasts; in the Great Lakes and Mississippi River; and in other interior lakes and streams navigable to fishing craft. These fisheries employ, 129,000 fishermen, 4,800 vessels, and 72,000 small boats. Shore operations in fish-packing plants employ 87,300 people, while some 300,000 others are engaged in allied industries, such as boat building, can and box making, rope and net manufacture, and the like.

General Situation.

During recent years the fishery industry in the United States has experienced difficulty in marketing its output. This situation continued on into 1938 and during the early months of the year resulted in the accumulation of surplus stocks of various frozen and canned fish. Members of the industry packing these products feared that unless these surpluses were removed before the summer fishing season these stocks would depress the market for the current fishermen's catch. They appealed to the United States Congress for aid and secured legislation authorizing the Federal purchase of surplus fishery products for distribution to persons on the relief rolls. This Federal activity had a stimulating effect on the industry, and enabled packers to resume normal purchases of raw fish from the catchers.

In an effort to extend further aid in promoting the more orderly marketing of fishery products, the Congress recently appropriated funds for the conduct of a fishery market news service by the United States Bureau of Fisheries. As a result, market news offices have been opened in New York City; Boston. Mass.; Chicago, Ill.; Seattle, Wash., and Jacksonville, Fla. Each day these offices issue a report supplying information on arrivals, movement, prices, and holdings of fishery products in the markets of these cities.

Important species in the United States harvest, from the standpoint of volume, are pilchard (sardine), salmon, menhaden, sea herring, haddock, mackerel, cod, tuna and tunalike fishes, shrimp, oysters, and halibut. These make up about 80 per cent of the catch.

Pilchard.

This fish is caught off the Pacific Coast. It is the basis of a large sardine-canning industry in California, as well as being used for reduction into fish meal and oil at plants in Washington, Oregon, and California, and at plants aboard factory ships operating on the high seas off these states. During the season ending in March 1938 there were 2,315,000 standard cases of sardines packed in this area. The output of meal amounted to 71,000 tons, while the yield of oil amounted to 12,760,000 gallons. The catch of pilchards during the first few months of the 1938-39 season, starting with August, has been considerably larger compared with the early months of the previous season. If this trend continues, the output of manufactured sardine products will be considerably larger this season.

Salmon is the basis of a canning industry on the Pacific Coast from Oregon to the Bering Sea. The great bulk of the pack is canned in Alaska. There the production during the 1938 season, according to preliminary reports, amounted to 6,583,500 standard cases compared with 6,670,000 standard cases, valued at $44,550,000 in 1937. The total North American pack of canned salmon in 1938, according to preliminary reports, amounted to 8,763,000 standard cases, compared with a pack of 9,064,000 standard cases in 1937.

Menhaden.

This fish is taken along the Atlantic Coast south of Cape Cod and in waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It is used for reduction into fish meal and oil. In 1937 the production amounted to 67,400 tons of meal and scrap, valued at $2,199,000; and 3,891,000 gallons of oil, valued at $1,456,000. Observations indicate the 1938 output of these products may be about the same as in 1937.

Sea Herring.

The Maine sardine-canning industry is based upon sea herring. In 1937 the pack there amounted to 1,680,000 standard cases, valued at $4,998,000. Because of a shortage of raw sea herring the 1938 pack will be considerably less.

Haddock and Cod.

This fish is taken on the fishing banks off the North Atlantic seaboard, form the basis of the fresh and frozen packaged-fish industry. Their combined pack as packaged-fish in 1937 amounted to 57,579,000 pounds, valued at $5,870,000. It is estimated the production of these species as packaged fish in 1938 will be about the same as in the previous year.

Mackerel.

This species is found along the North Atlantic Coast where the catch is marketed mainly as fresh and frozen fish, although some are canned; and off California, where it is the basis of a canning industry. The catch along the North Atlantic in 1937 was one of the lowest in recent years, but in 1938 it resumed more normal proportions. The output of canned mackerel in 1937 amounted to 841,000 standard cases, valued at $2,674,000. The pack in 1938 for the first nine months is slightly in excess of the corresponding period in 1937.

Tuna and Tuna-like Fishes.

These fishes, which have been taken mainly in the Pacific from California to equatorial waters, furnish the material for a large canning industry in California. Because of market conditions it is expected the pack in California will be less in 1938 than in 1937 when the pack amounted to 3,145,000 standard cases, valued at $18,996,000. During 1938 fishermen found new banks for tuna in waters off Oregon and Washington, as well as off New England. Catches from these areas have been canned at plants in Washington, Oregon, California and Massachusetts.

Shrimp.

The main production areas for shrimp are along the South Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Until recently most of the catch has been canned, but larger quantities are now marketed fresh and frozen. Production of canned shrimp in 1937 amounted to 1,268,000 standard cases, valued at $7,045,000. It is estimated the 1938 pack will be less.

Halibut.

The principal halibut fishery of North America is located along the Pacific Coast from Oregon to the Alaska Peninsula. It is regulated according to the terms of a conservation treaty between the United States and Canada. A maximum annual take, or quota, is established under the Treaty. When the combined catches by American and Canadian fishermen reach this quota the fishery ceases for the year. In 1938 the quota was set at 48,000,000 pounds, and the quota was reached by Oct. 29. By treaty arrangement the fishery usually opens in February or March each year.

Whaling.

During recent years various nations of the world, notably Norway and Great Britain, have shown renewed interest in the whale fishery. Operations are conducted mainly in the Antarctic. A convention has been concluded between 26 nations of the world to conserve this fishery, with the United States a party to the convention. In 1938 two whale factory ships from the United States conducted operations in Antarctic regions, and land plants for whale reduction were operated in Alaska and California. The total production by United States whale enterprises in 1937 amounted to 9,226,000 gallons of whale oil, valued at $4,170,000 and $32,800 worth of whale meat and bone. According to preliminary figures, the 1938 output of whale oil amounted to 7,741,000 gallons.

Fish Landings at Certain Ports.

For the year 1938, the total vessel landings of all kinds of fish at Boston and Gloucester, Mass., and Portland. Maine (the principal New England fishing ports), amounted to 400,611,000 pounds, valued at $8,957,000, compared with 387,960,000 pounds, valued at $9,700,000 during 1937. Principal species landed were haddock, cod, rosefish, mackerel, pollock, whiting, and flounders. During the year 1938, the landings at Seattle, Wash., amounted to 50,834,000 pounds, valued at $3,275,000, compared with 52,320,000 pounds, valued at $3,664,000 for the year 1937. Landings at Seattle consisted mainly of salmon, halibut, flounders, crabs, and ling-cod.

Frozen Fish Trade.

During the year ending with December 15, 1938, there were 180,000,000 pounds of fishery products frozen compared with 168,000,000 pounds during the same period of 1937. On December 15, 1938, there were 90,711,000 pounds of frozen fish and shellfish in cold-storage warehouses of the United States compared with a five-year average of this date of 76,135,000 pounds. Principal species frozen are, cod, haddock, pollock, halibut, salmon, rosefish and whiting.

Fish Consumption.

The per capita consumption of fish in the United States is about 13 pounds annually. This compares with an annual per capita of 20 pounds in Canada, 39 pounds in Denmark, 44 pounds in England, 52 pounds in Sweden, and 64 pounds in Japan.