ECONOMICS OF THE FISHERIES 341 



c. Discontinuity of Supply and Consumers' Habits. Habit is well known 

 to be an important determinant of the choice of foods. Some of our food 

 habits are temporary, but many or most of them are of long standing, 

 acquired in childhood and passed from generation to generation. Not only 

 are the consumers' habits themselves tenacious, but industries, often them- 

 selves complex, are built around them to supply the demand and become 

 deeply embedded in the general economy. Any attempt to change or dis- 

 establish a fixed food habit is sure to be met, not only by the passive 

 resistance to change on the part of the consumers, but by active fighting 

 back of the challenged and well established producers. 



Continuity of supply is highly important to the establishment or mainte- 

 nance of a habit for any particular kind of food. In this respect a large 

 part of the fisheries is at a disadvantage in the discontinuous, fluctuating, 

 and seasonal nature of its supply. While some of our fishes, such as cod 

 and haddock, are in year-round supply, and others, such as salmon, are 

 made regularly available by preservation, a large part of the fisheries is 

 without either of these aids. This is especially true of the miscellaneous 

 fisheries for migratory species scattered along the coasts which are sepa- 

 rately and locally too small to support manufacture and are without the 

 militant power which would be required to force them into the market 

 against established habit and competitive opposition. The industry relies 

 for a large part of its market on the demand for fish of unspecified kinds, 

 which is obviously not a firm foundation on which to hope to base a new 

 habit. The motivation for heavy advertising drive is not present for the 

 obvious reason that the benefits inure only in part to the advertiser of 

 unbranded commodities; cooperative or trade association advertising is dif- 

 ficult to maintain, and governmentally subsidized help is certain to arouse 

 political opposition. 



d. Religious Customs and Traditions. The Jewish dietary laws permit 

 only fishes with both scales and fins (Ginsberg, 1944). The fast days in 

 Lent, Fridays throughout the year, and certain other days long established 

 by the Roman Catholic and other churches have been adopted by the trade 

 and public generally as fish days, with far-reaching effect. Whether the 

 dedication of a particular day to fish is an advantage to the fisheries or 

 not is at least doubtful. In effect it provides for 52 (sometimes 53) Fridays, 

 plus Wednesdays in Lent and several Ember days. Insofar as each week's 

 business is concentrated on Friday, each Friday represents 2 per cent of 

 the year's trade. When a feast day, such as Christmas, falls on Thursday 

 or Friday, that week's business is greatly reduced, even though the Roman 

 Catholics observe the previous day as fast day. New Year's Day always falls 

 on the same day as Christmas, and Thanksgiving Day practically eliminates 

 one week every year, by reason of the left-over turkey; it would benefit the 



