Commercial Shark Fishing in the Caribbean Area 55. 



with the bones and other parts, can be converted into fish 

 meat and fertilizer (see Section 7). 



Immediately after skinning, therefore, separate the 

 white meat from the dark meat. Cut this white meat the 

 long ways, into fillets, 9 by l A inches. These fillets 

 should be thoroughly washed in either clean salt water or 

 clean brine (4 pounds salt to 10 gallons clean fresh 

 water) . 



If ice or cold storage is available, the fillets should now 

 be iced down for 24 hours and should not be packed too 

 closely or kept below the freezing point. This will re- 

 move the "shark" smell and taste. The fillets are then 

 soaked in clean brine and stirred for 2 hours. After this 

 process they are ready for sale as fresh fillets or for dry- 

 salting. 



If ice is not available, most of the characteristic smell 

 and taste can be removed by soaking, with constant 

 stirring, in the brine solution for 6 hours. It is preferable 

 to change the brine after three hours. After the 6 hours, 

 wash each fillet with clean brine, and it is now ready for 

 sale as fresh fillets or for dry-salting. 



Fillets prepared in this way must be eaten at once or 

 kept on ice or in cold storage. Fresh shark fillets taste 

 best boiled, but the popularity of the English "Fish and 

 Chips" shops indicates that they taste well fried, too. 



If the shark fillets are not to be eaten as fresh fillets, 

 they should be dry-salted, and this process must be com- 

 menced immediately. 



Dry-Salting Shark Fillets — The Salt to Choose 



In salting, the quality of the salt is of great importance. 

 Mineral salt or "sterilized" salt is safest. If neither of 

 these is available and you have to use unsterilized sea 

 salt, insist on mature, dry salt — that is, salt that has been 

 stored for a year since it was made. It must not have 

 even the faintest tint of pink color. Sea salt can be im- 

 proved by a few hours drying on the drying pan de- 

 scribed for the preparation of "Fish Meal" (see Section 

 (7). All salt should be fairly fine, medium grade. "Fish- 

 eries" salt is very satisfactory. 



If during salting and drying or during storage, your 



