56 Commercial Shark Fishing in the Caribbean Area 



product develops reddish pink pieces and "weeps", it is 

 probably your salt which is causing tbe trouble. The 

 only thing to do is to sterilize everything. Change to a 

 mineral salt or, if this is not possible, heat the salt longer 

 and at a higher temperature on the drying pan. Above 

 all, take no chance of contamination with the spoiled 

 fish. Act as though you were dealing with scarlet fever 

 and remove or disinfect all sources of infection. 



Above all, never be sparing with your salt. The process 

 known as "corning" in which a mere sprinkling of salt is 

 used is all too common in the West Indies. This skimping 

 on the salt produces a very poor product which will not 

 keep for more than a few days. 



Salting 



Salting should be done on a sloping platform, protected 

 from sun, rain, dew and insects, and about 1 foot clear 

 of the ground. It should be placed at some distance from 

 the place where sharks are skinned, hides fleshed or 

 where any offal is to be found. If ground insects prove 

 troublesome these can lie eliminated by standing the legs 

 of the platform in tins of water. The platform should be 

 made of solid boards with a number of 34-inch holes bored 

 through them. 



On top of the platform spread a layer of salt. On 1 1 1 i .^ 

 layer of salt, spread a layer of fillets, each of which has 

 been well rubbed in salt. The layer should be only one 

 fillet thick. On top of this layer of fillets spread a layer 

 of salt and then another layer of salt-rubbed fillets, an- 

 other layer of salt, then another layer of fillets and so on 

 till the pile is 3 or 4 feet high. On top of the pile of fillets, 

 place some extra salt and a few heavy flat pieces of wood. 



After the pile has been in place for 24 hours, it should 

 be unpacked and repacked as before, using fresh salt, but 

 in the reverse order, now placing the fillets that were at 

 the top at the bottom. This repacking can be simplified if 

 the platforms are built in pairs and only one used at a 

 time. 



Leave the pile now for 3 or 4 days longer. If possible 

 wait for a bright, dry day with little dampness in the ai 

 and a good breeze to begin the next step, the drying. 



