Precise measurement of the last factor is not pos- 

 sible on an aggregate basis as there exists a paucity of 

 sources for detailed data and information. In addi- 

 tion, tremendous imponderables and uncertainties 

 are entailed in the assessment. The quality and cost 

 of similar products may differ between firms because 

 of the following reasons: 1) the intensity of labor 

 employed, 2) the degree of freshness in different 

 shipments, 3) the degree of streamlining of the dis- 

 tribution system in different regions, 4) the changing 

 of demand for a product at different levels at a par- 

 ticular period, 5) the manner in which the product is 

 packed, 6) demands by labor differ according to the 

 strength of labor unions in different places where the 

 processors are, 7) trucking freights differ by the 

 state, 8) freight rates differ according to distance and 

 quantity shipped, 9) the amount of products mas- 

 queraded as fresh products but defrozen from 

 imported products, and many others. These mi- 

 crofactors are details necessary for the study of 

 marketing efficiency of individual firms, case by 

 case. Their information is not collected since it will 

 not be fit for the macroanalysis of the industry on 

 an aggregate basis as the case is in this study. 



Individual fish dealers at either the producing or 

 distributing level, however, will have a chance to 

 identify whether there is room for improvement in 

 their performances by examining and comparing the 

 magnitudes of their margins, component costs, and 

 profits with those of similar products presented in 

 this report as national averages. 



RECOMMENDATIONS 



I. Continuous Price Spread SfudiesSmce the 

 creation of the Joint Commission of Agricultural 

 Inquiry by Congress in the early 1930"s to investi- 

 gate the cause of the difference between the prices of 

 agricultural products paid to the producer and the 

 ultimate costs to the consumer, the U.S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture has been publishing the quar- 

 terly price spreads of different farm products. Price 

 spreads between the fisherman and the consumer 

 have only recently begun to attract the attention of 

 the public. To serve the interest of the public a 

 continuous inquiry into the subject matter as attemp- 

 ted by this report appears to be necessary. 



Table 10. — Average annual margins offish products at four market levels, 1969-71. 



Products 



Harvesting 



Processing 



Wholesale 



Retail 



Groundfish fillets: 

 Fresh: 

 Haddock 

 Flounder 

 Cod 

 Frozen: 

 Ocean perch 

 Steaks: 

 Halibut 

 King salmon 

 King salmon (dressed) 

 Canned Products: 

 Salmon (1963-65)' 

 Tuna, chunk (1963-65)= 

 Tuna, chunk (1969-71) 

 Fresh shellfish products: 

 Live American lobster 

 Blue crab meat 

 Sea scallop meats 

 Frozen shellfish products: 

 Peeled shrimp 



110.62 



49.90 



32.87 



46.07 



' Figures not available in later years. 



- Use the same period to compare with salmon. 



•' Sold live. 



' Landed shucked. 



20 



