PART 3 



PROCESSING AND MARKETING TUNA 



SOURCES OF TUNA CONSUMED IN THE UNITED STATES 



by 

 Victor J. Samson and Anthony D. Sokolich 1/ 



The consumption of tuna in the United States is increasing rapidly as has been 

 the pattern for many years. For all practical purposes, consumption equals production 

 plus imports because exports are relatively small. Consumption is confined to canned 

 tuna, the use of fresh, frozen and cured products being insignificant. Figure 1 and 

 table 1 show the rapid increase in consumption since 19U8 - from 352 million pounds in 

 19U8 to 669 million pounds in 1958. All amounts shown are on a round or landed weight 

 basis. The figure indicates the quantities canned in the United States according to the 

 source of raw material, i.e. as domestic landings or foreign imports, and indicates the 

 quantity of the canned product imported as such. 



Since 1950, imported fish has sup- 

 plied the increasing consumption. 

 Although the total supply of all species 

 of tuna in the United States is increasing 

 steadily, (table 1) domestic landings are 

 providing both a smaller actual and pro- 

 portionate share. Imports have risen 

 from 6 percent of the United States supply 

 in 19U8 to I46 percent in 1957 and 5U per- 

 cent in 1958. Domestic canners have been 

 able to expand production; domestic fish- 

 ermen have not. 



Various factors motivate domestic 

 cannery purchases of imported tuna. The 

 principal one is the price differential. 

 In addition imports are almost the only 

 source of supply for some canners. For 

 others, for example tuna processors in the 

 Pacific Northwest, domestic albaoore land- 

 ings are inadequate. If the price dif- 

 ferential did not exist, other advantages 

 gained by importing fish would not be so 



important to those canners located near 

 the source of domestic landings. The 

 other advantages include better yield per 

 ton from imported fish because it i3 



700 MIOJON POUNDS 



DOMESTIC IMPORTS 



CANNED 



500 ■■ ■ u 



_ -■■■! 



Ill 



1948 50 



55 



1/ Market News Reporters, Bureau of Com- 

 mercial Fisheries, San Pedro, California 



Figure 1. — Supply or consumption of tuna 

 in the United States in recent years. 



73 



