REVIEW 



U.S. LANDINGS . Commercial landings (edible and 

 industrial) by U.S. fishermen at ports in the 50 states 

 were a record 9.6 billion pounds or 4.4 million metric 

 tons valued at $3.7 billion in 1992-an increase of 153.1 

 million pounds (up 2 percent) but a decrease of $369.7 

 million (down 11 percent) compared with 1991. The 

 1992 landings showed an increase in major species 

 such as Pacific hake, flounders. Alaska pollock, clams, 

 oysters, and shrimp when compared with 1991. The 

 1992 average exvessel price per pound paid to 

 fishermen was 38 cents compared to the 35 cents they 

 received in 1991 . Finfish accounted for 85 percent of 

 total landings, but only 55 percent of the total value. 



Commercial landings by U.S. fishermen at ports 

 outside the 50 states or transferred to internal water 

 processing vessels (IWPs) were an additional 597.7 

 million pounds (271,000 metric tons) valued at $205.5 

 million. This was a 9 percent, or 59.4 million pound 

 (26,900 metric ton) decrease in quantity and a $8.6 

 million (4 percent) decrease in value compared with 

 1991 . Most of these landings consisted of tuna landed 

 at canneries in Puerto Rico, American Samoa and 

 other foreign ports and IWP transfers of sea herring, 

 mackerel, and menhaden. 



Edible fish and shellfish landings in the 50 states 

 were 7.6 billion pounds (3.5 million metric tons) in 1992- 

 an increase of 587,000 pounds (266,300 metric tons) 

 compared with 1991. Landings of tuna, clams, 

 flounders, and Alaska pollock increased while landings 

 of salmon. Pacific cod, shrimp, crabs, and sea scallops 

 decreased. 



Landings for reduction and other industrial 

 purposes were 2.0 billion pounds (915,800 metric tons) 

 in 1992-a decrease of 18 percent compared with 1991. 



The 1992 U.S. marine recreational finfish catch 

 (including fish caught and released alive) on the 

 Atlantic and Gulf coasts was an estimated 285.5 million 

 fish taken on an estimated 52.1 million fishing trips. The 

 harvest (fish kept) was estimated at 144.2 million fish 

 weighing 233.0 million pounds. 



WORLD LANDINGS . In 1991, the most recent year for 

 which data are available, world commercial fishery 

 landings were 96.9 million metric tons-a decrease of 

 508,000 metric tons (down 1 percent) compared with 

 1990. 



China was the leading nation with 14 percent 

 of the total catch; Japan, second with 10 percent; the 

 former USSR, third with 10 percent; Peru, fourth with 7 

 percent; Chile, fifth with slightly over 6 percent; and 

 United States, sixth with slightly under 6 percent. 



PRICES . Exvessel price indices declined for 1 3 of the 33 

 species groups being tracked, and increased or 

 remained constant for the remaining 20 species groups. 

 The sockeye salmon price index had the largest 

 increase (55 percent) while the bluefin tuna price index 

 had the largest decrease (59 percent). The 1992 

 annual exvessel price index for edible fish and shellfish 

 increased 3 percent from 1991. The annual index for 

 industrial fish increased 25 percent from 1991. 



PROCESSED PRODUCTS . The estimated value of the 

 1992 domestic production of edible and nonedible 

 fishery products was $7.5 billion, $521.0 million (7 

 percent) higher than the $7.0 billion in 1991 . The value 

 of edible products was $7.1 billion-an increase of 

 $495.4 million (7 percent) compared with 1991. The 

 value of industrial products was $438.7 million in 1992- 

 an increase of $25.6 million (6 percent) compared with 

 1991. 



FOREIGN TRADE . The total import value of edible and 

 nonedible fishery products was $9.9 billion in 1992-an 

 increase of $436.2 million (5 percent) compared with 

 1991. Imports of edible fishery products (product 

 weight) were 2.9 billion pounds (1 .3 million metric tons) 

 valued at $5.7 billion in 1992-a decrease of 120.8 

 million pounds (4 percent), but an increase of $34.0 

 million (1 percent) compared with 1991. Imports of 

 nonedible (i.e., industrial) products were $4.2 billion-an 

 increase of $402.2 million (11 percent) compared with 

 1991. 



Total export value of edible and nonedible 

 fishery products of domestic origin was a record $7.1 

 billion in 1992-an increase of $577.9 million (9 percent) 

 compared with 1991. United States firms exported a 

 record 2.1 billion pounds (946,900 metric tons) of edible 

 products valued at a record $3.5 billion-an increase of 

 28.9 million pounds (13.100 metric tons) and $310.0 

 million compared with 1991. Exports of nonedible 

 products were valued at a record $3.7 billion, $267.9 

 million more than 1991. 



