THE VENEZUELAN SALT-FISH INDUSTRIES 



It is understood that Venezuelan law states that for industrial purposes salt may be 

 sold at Bs 2.00 per 50 kilos (J12.00 per ton). So far this has not been applied to salt 

 for the fisheries; it should be. Equivalent grades of salt in other countries sell for 

 about $10 to -$12 per ton and it is understood that costs of production at Araya are suf- 

 ficiently low to enable the Government to sell at Bs 2.00 per 50 kilos and still make a 

 small profit. Cheap and abundant salt is a prime necessity for a salt-fish industry. 



The Ministerio de Agricultura y Cria is now initiating a project whereby deposits of 

 salt will be established at all major salt-fish producing centers. Prices will be based 

 on Bs 3.50 per 50 kilos, and freight and handling charges will be added to the price at 

 the deposit. This is a most useful development and it should be pushed to completion. The 

 Venezuelan Government also should endeavor to cut the base price at the salt ivorks to Bs 

 2,00 per 50 kilos, if possible. Although the chemical purity of the salt is satisfactory 

 for tne preparation of salt-fish products for consumption in Venezuela and nearby Carib- 

 bean countries (Trinidad, Curacao, Aruba) , its bacterial purity is not. Practically all 

 solar-evaporated salts contain "salt tolerant" (haliophilic) microorganisms which, If not 

 controlled, will affect markedly the api earance and ultimate keeping quality of salted fish- 

 ery products through the formation of "reddening". This condition is not restricted to 

 Venezuela alone. Reddening has plagued the salt-fish industry of the world for many years 

 and is still a serious problem. Salt-fish producers have tried various methods for con- 

 trolling reddening — among them: (1) the sterilization of salt, (2) sterilization of saltery 

 equipment, and (3) the addition of chemical inhibitors to salt and salt-fish. 



The need for controlling reddening, under the present conditions, for fish sold in 

 Venezuela has not been emphasized since most fishery products are sold and consumed locally 

 before serious reddening occurs. However, an increase in salt-fish production for local 

 consumption (necessitating storage) and for export will make it mandatory that some control 

 be instituted, since fish as now prepared have a storage life of only three to six weeks-" 

 not long enough for those export markets into which these products may find their way. Con- 

 trol measures used at present in other salt-fish producing countries may have to be modified 

 or new ones developed, for the Venezuelan industry is operated under entirely unique con- 

 ditions and improper or inadequate control may add to the final cost of the products to make 

 production for export economically unsound. 



Experiments are now under way at the United States Fishery Research Laboratory at May- 

 aguez, Puerto Rico, to determine the best means for controlling reddening. 



Depending upon the results obtained in the experiments on reddening, it nay be neces- 

 sary to process and condition the salt obtained at Araya. This may take several forms. 

 It may necessitate the sterilization or baking of salt to destroy the reddening organism; 

 if so, the salt works at Araya has a dryer that could be used in this connection. It may 

 be found necessary to add a chemical inhibitor to the salt. This might also be done at 

 Araya. As a last resort it may be necessary to re-crystalize the salt. With certain new 

 equipment this could also be done at the salt works. Naturally, these conditioning opera- 

 tions would increase the cost of the salt, the benefits derived from these operations, 

 however, would more than offset the slight additional cost of the salt and if the condition- 

 ing were efficiently handled on a large scale the costs need not be high. 



Even if it were necessary for the Government to subsidize part of the production and 

 conditioning costs of salt the benefits accruing to the fishing industry and to the country 

 would be well worth the expense. 



STUDIES TO GONTROL "REDDENING" 



It is evident that control of "reddening" is the most important factor in determin- 

 ing if Venezuela is to become a producer of salt-fish for export. Although producers of salt- 

 fish in other countries take certain precautions to reduce the development of the color- 

 ation, it is found that a-plication of similar measures to Venezuela under existing condi- 

 tions of the industry would be impossible from the standpoint of costs and practicability. 

 A simple, not too costly control is desired, since practically all salting is carried out 

 at fishing camps by fishermen in a multitude of scattered and isolated localities and too 



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