Table 9.— Cost rates, as percentage of gross receipts, for different fishing vessels at the harvesting level. (Average of 



3 yr— 1966-68. unless otherwise marked). 



' Printout of salmon troller earnings and costs for 68 vessels surveyed by the Laboratory in 1968. 



- Estimation of the economic benefits tofisliermen, vessels, and society from limited entry to the inshore U.S. northern lobster fishery. 

 by Frederick Bell. March 1970. Unpublished manuscript. #36, p. 11-23. 

 ■■' Shucking done on boat. 

 Source: Basic economic indicators. National Marine Fisheries Service. National Oceanic and .Atmospheric Administration. 1970. 



depth is the first step toward evaluating the effec- 

 tiveness of a marketing system. 



Over half of the margin at the harvesting level is 

 labor cost. Wage rates have been increasing faster 

 than most costs, and this trend is likely to continue. 

 The slow recruitment of resources of certain species 

 and the lag in harvesting efficiency in some other 

 fisheries (Bell, 1971)" will further accelerate the 

 increase in their ex-vessel prices or fishermen's 

 margin compared to other levels. 



Component costs at the wholesale level are mostly 

 administrative. Margins at this level will increase 

 much slower than at the ex-vessel level, although 

 wholesale price will increase according to the pur- 

 chase cost paid to the processor. 



Processor's costs are comparatively less involved 

 in labor than fishing vessels, but more than at the 

 wholesale and retail levels. Its margin tends to rise at 



' ' Bell. Frederick. 1971. The measurement and analysis of labor 

 productivity changes in United States fisheries. File manuscript 

 #106. p, 1(17-112. i:i-i:9. 148-I.M. l.'^M60. 169-193. 



a pace between the rates of increase in wholesale and 

 ex-vessel prices. 



At the retail level, observations made at the varia- 

 tion of marg^ins for different products have borne out 

 the expectation that: 



1. margins vary directly with the perishability of 

 products and the distance of shipment; 



2. margins vary inversely with the rate of turn- 

 over, the level of unit price, and the amount of im- 

 ports of identical products; and 



3. retail margins are higher on manufacturer's 

 brands than on private brands. 



When price spreads of different periods are com- 

 pared, the year-to-year changes for all fish products 

 are ascribed to one or more of the following seven 

 factors: 1) demand and supply, 2) cost of production 

 factors, 3) different profits made by producers and 

 dealers, 4) degree of processing and extent of ser- 

 vices, 5) quantities of imports, 6) revaluation of 

 foreign exchange, and 7) efficiency of the marketing 

 system. 



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