ECONOMICS OF THE FISHERIES 339 



wholesalers entirely apart from the channels for the distribution of fresh 

 and frozen fish. Some of our comments (on religious custom, etc.) apply to 

 fish in any form, but otherwise we confine ourselves here mainly to the 

 commerce in fresh and frozen fish. 



a. Esthetic Characteristics. The delicacies are mostly shellfish, oysters, 

 shrimp, clams, scallops, crabs, lobsters, and certain forms of finfish, caviar, 

 anchovies, sardines, and smoked products, such as herring, whitefish, 

 salmon, sturgeon, etc. These are mostly expensive appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, 

 or special dishes. The delicacies as here defined account for a substantial 

 part of the money value of the fisheries, but a smaller part of the tonnage. In 

 the United States in 1940 the shellfish alone before any kind of preparation 

 amounted to about 25 per cent of the total value, and 11 per cent (much of 

 it wholly edible, without waste) of the total pounds of the catch of fish of the 

 country. The shellfishes stand in a class by themselves as gourmet items 

 whose value is mainly esthetic since in quantity they contribute only a trifle 

 in the total of national nutrition (2.5 per cent as much as all meat and only 

 about 40 per cent as much as the domestic cheese). They are high in water 

 content and low in fat and calories and when rated in terms of nutritional 

 value only are excessively expensive. 



Fishery products of the luxury class, including most of the shellfish, and 

 some finfish such as whitefish and pompano, are sui generis in the market, are 

 not substitutable by similar products, so that on scarcity their prices usually 

 rise disproportionately, yielding to the fishermen more money for less pro- 

 duction. On the other hand, the market for such items is definitely limited 

 and excessive production will cause a sharp drop in prices. Staple or finfish, 

 on the other hand, mostly have little or no sui-generis-ness (to coin a needed 

 word) ; i.e., most of the bulk of common finfishes are ready substitutes 

 one for another; it is a matter of indifference to the restaurateur and his 

 guests whether he serves fillet of sole, flounder or haddock. There are a 

 few differences or price classes, the fat and the lean ones, etc., but generally 

 consumers can distinguish but poorly between approximate equivalents. For 

 this reason the bulk of finfishes tend to act as an economic unit, all tend to 

 move up and down together, and no one can depart far from its particular 

 level in the general price scale. 



Finfish generally are characterized by a fish flavor or odor, to which many 

 people object, especially that of stale fish which develops quickly and 

 easily, while meats and poultry are improved in flavor by the post-mortem 

 process of ripening. Fishy odors are undoubtedly a hindrance to demand; 

 they are also a troublesome factor in tainting kitchen utensils, refrigerators, 

 the hands, and the air of kitchens; they are a considerable commercial 

 impediment in that fish cannot be stored in refrigerated warehouses where 

 eggs, butter and meats are stored, so that when trade is insufficient to 



