in Atlantic doast and Golf waters and it is probable that the catch w5.11 in- 

 crease considerably as more is learned of their habits and additional tiina- 

 canning operations become established in the Sfeist Coast and Gulf States, 

 The major portion of the catch of little t-'ona is tsil:en with poiind nets and 

 haul seines„ The fish usiially sell at from 3^ to %* Per pound, 



THE U NI TED STATES TUM THDUSTBY 



The United States catch, which has averaged about 350 million poxinds 

 einniially in recent years, is taken pr5.ncipally off the three Pacific Coast 

 States, Central arid South America, The catch is used almost entirely for 

 canning. In recent years, tuna have vied with salmon as the most valuable 

 fishery product taken by United States fishermen, and as the country's most 

 valuable canned fishery product. 



The record 195G United States catch of tuna and tunalike fishes, amounted 

 to 395,764,000 pounds, valued at $61,729,000 to the fishermen. This catch 

 and imports of 56,711,596 pounds of fresh and frozen tuna in that year were 

 used to produce 17^,794,^36 pounds of canned tuna and tunalike fishes, valued 

 at $112,830,094 to the packer and by-products valued at about $5,000,000. 

 The value of the canned pack declined to $99,046,206 in 1951, but in 1952 with 

 even heavier imports of fresh and frozen tuna, it rose to a value of $113,000,833 

 (exclusive of the pack of tuna and noodles). The value of the 1950 pack is still 

 the record, however, since data on the pack for Hawaii are included in the 1952 

 figure whereas they are not included for 1950. 



The taking of important qusintities of tuna in the Western Hemisphere is of 

 comparatively recent origin. For many years, small catches of bluefin tima 

 or horse mackerel had been taken off the New England and Middle Atlantic States 

 for the fresh fish market, but the catch, seldom exceeded a few hundred thousand 

 pounds. On the Pacific coast, tuna were well known to southern Ca].ifornia 

 anglers prior to the twentieth century. However, the fish were not considered 

 edible and after the angler had his picture taken with his catch, the fish were 

 usually discarded, Tuiia. was so lightly regarded as food that David Starr Jordan 

 in writing concerning the albacore in American Foo d a nd Ga me ?i sh, published in 

 1902, stated that, "As a food-fish, it is of little value, its flesh being coarse 

 and oily. ....,,.. **„ At that time, albacore was so plentiful off Sau Pedro that 

 commercial fishermen often brought in considerable quantities v;ith other species, 

 even though there was no market for them. 



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