70 



GENERAL REVIEW 



FROZEN FISHERY TRADE 



Freezings. The 1975 production of frozen fish and shellfish by firms reporting to NMFS was 299.7 million 

 pounds— a decline of 12 percent compared with 1974 and well below the record 410.4 million pounds frozen in 

 1973. The decline was caused primarily by decreased freezings of crabs (down 37 percent) and bait and 

 animal food (down 30 percent). Not included were freezings by firms not reporting to NMFS on a monthly 

 basis and a considerable volume of frozen fillets and steaks produced by firms operating plate freezers at the 

 end of fillet production lines. It is estimated that landings of 468.8 million pounds (live weight) of fish and 

 shellfish were required for the frozen production in 1975. 



The New England area led all other areas in freezings with 82.6 million pounds (28 percent of the 

 total); followed by Pacific with 63.7 million and South Central with 61.8 million (21 percent each); South 

 Atlantic with 48.3 million (16 percent); and Alaska with 28 million pounds (9 percent). 



Cold Storage Holdings. Monthly holdings of frozen fish and shellfish by cold storage warehouses reporting to 

 NMFS were at a high of 401.8 million pounds on January 31 and a low of 296.4 million pounds on June 30. 

 Holdings of frozen shrimp products (raw, headless, breaded, peeled, and unclassified) were highest on January 

 31 when 75.3 million pounds were in storage and lowest on August 31 when 46.7 million pounds were in 

 storage. 



Cured Fish Cold-Storage Holdings. Monthly average holdings of salted and smoked fish were 6.1 million 

 pounds. Salted herring (4.5 million pounds) and mild-cured salmon (980,000 pounds) accounted for 91 percent 

 of the monthly average cold storage inventories of cured fish. 



Information on the freezings and holdings of fishery products for 1975 by firms supplying monthly data 

 on their operations and a list of these firms were published previously in Current Fishery Statistics No. 6906. 

 Data on freezings and holdings were also published in preliminary and final monthly reports, 

 Frozen Fishery Products , also in the Current Fishery Statistics Series. 



SUMAAARY OF FREEZINGS, BY SEaiONS AND MONTHS, 1975 



NOTE: --THE STATES INCLUDED IN THE VARIOUS SECTIONS ARE INDICATED ON PAGE 78. 

 FISHING OR TRANSPORTING CRAFT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS TABLE. 



PRODUCTION OF FISH FROZEN ON U.S. 



