United States Deportraent of the Interior, J. A. Ivrug, Eecretrry 

 Fish and V/ildlife Service, Albert U. Day, Director 



Fishery Leaflet 266 



Yfeohing ton 25 , D. C. 



September 19/.7 



FISHETIES OF IIP>UGUAY 



Marine Biological Labor. k.,; ! 

 Ey Alfredo Comelli and Del7itt L. Storn-* J^iBit^kitTr ' j 



Contents 



WOODS HOLE, MASS. 



Page 



Eackground 



Location 



Employment 



Fishing Vessels 



Fishing Methods Employed. 



Species 



Fish Taken, 1937 to date. 



Eackground . 



Page 



. . 1 Production and Methods of 



. . 2 Processing, 1937 to date. . 8 



. . 3 Production of Ey-products, . . 8 



. . 3 Consumption. 9 



. . /, International Trade Control 



, . 5 and Pattern 10 



. . 7 Prices 12 



Internal Trade Pattern .... 12 

 Fishery Pesearch .... 13 



Outlook Summai'' 



. 13 



a . EconoiTiic importance of the fishing industry in the cconony of th e 

 country or reg^ion; social and polit i c?, 1 asixcts . 



Uruguay has always based its national economy on livestock and agri- 

 cultiiral produce, activities v^hich constitute 95 per cent of all Uruguayan 

 experts and v;hich utilize 83 per cent of the country's arable or pasture lands. 

 This does not imply that Uruguay is totally lacking in other sources of natural 

 wealth. Several other resource's, not the least of which is fishing, are open 

 to possible exploitation. 



The fishing industry in Uruguay, hOT/ever, is not yet an im.portant factor 

 in the country's economy. In technological development, the industry is still 

 in the elementary stages, although recent renewed activity on the pairt of SOlF 

 (Servicio Oceanograf ico y de Pesca) rr£.y lead to miodernization and subsequent 

 improvement. 



The potential importance of the fishing industry docs not depend upon a 

 reorientation of the eating habits of the populace, which at present greatly 

 prefers m.eat to fish, but upon the export possibilities. The exportation of 

 shark livers and other products necessary tc the pharm,aceutical industry, es- 

 pecially in the preparation of vitamdn extracts, is believed to offer the m.ost 

 attractive comm.ercial incentives. Of secondary importance is the more remote 

 possibility of an industry vrhich vjculd process fish for export purposes. Trade 



*Clerk and Third Secretary, respectively, at American '^ibassy, Montpvideo, 

 Uruguay. Report No. 92, April 30, 1947. 



