United States DepEirtraent of the Interior, J. A. Ivrug, Secretrry 

 Fish and VJildlife Service, Albert I.i. Day, Director 



Fishery Leaflet 266 



Viashington 25 , D. C, 



September 19A7 



FISHEIIEL' OF TOUGUAY 



Marine Biological Labor^o, .■ ! 

 By Alfredo Comelli and DeV/itt L. Stora* I t^xmnA-n-sc ' | 



MAR 3-1941= 



Contents 



WOODS HOLE, MASS. 



Background, 



Location 



Employment 



Fishing Vessels 



Fishing Methods Employed. 



Species 



Fish Taken, 1937 to date. 



Background . 



Page 

 . . 1 Production and Methods of 



. . 2 Processing, 1937 to date. 



. . 3 Production of By-products. . 



. . 3 Consumption 



. . /, International Trade Control 



, . 5 and Pattern 



. . 7 Prices 



Int^.rnal Trade Pattern . . . 

 Fishery Pesearch .... 13 

 Outlook Summai-y .... 13 



Page 



8 

 8 

 9 



10 

 12 

 12 



a. Economic importance of the fishing indi^ s try in the cconony of the 

 country or region; s ocial and politicfl asprcts . 



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

 cultural produce, activities v/hich constitute 95 per cent of all Uruguayan 

 experts and which 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 nattiral 

 wealth. Several other resources, not the least of which is fishing, arc open 

 to possilrle exploitation. 



The fishing industry in Uruguay, however, 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 pa.rt of SOlP 

 (Servicio Oceanografico y de Pesca) may lead to modernization and subsequent 

 improvement. 



The potential importance of the fishing industry does 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 to the pharm^aceutical industry, es- 

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

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

 possibility of an industry v-hich v/ould process fish for export purposes. Trade 



*Clerk and Third Secretary, respectively, at American "^ibassy, Montevideo, 

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



