sumption is the keystone in the arch of the economic elements which 

 govern the tuna industry, Tima i/are products of a renewable natural 

 resource, a resource which has not been exploited to the ibll and one 

 v*iich has produced bountifully. The demands of consumers for the products 

 of such a resource exert a profound influence on the economic well-being 

 of the industry corrmercially producing those products. In situations of 

 this kind, supply and suppliers are not the potent force which they would 

 be if supplies were limited. Consumer danand is the more potait force in 

 industries of this type and in the tuna industry. 



There are many examples of conditions such as this throughout the 

 fisheries of the Nation. It is quite possible, for example, to harvest 

 annually many millions of pounds more of whiting from the Atlantic Ocean, 

 yet fishermen are held in check from doing this by consumers. A brake is 

 exercised on the production urges of fishermen, because consumers will 

 use currently only from 80 to 90 million pounds (round weight) of whiting 

 annually at prices sufficient for the producer to harvest this product. 

 Any increase in production above this level drives the price of vrtiiting 

 down to a point where production brakes are set into motion as a result 

 of consumer dictates. There are also many unused fishery resources such 

 as the menhaden v^ich are not exploited to any degree for food purposes 

 simply because consumers do not fancy the product. On the other hand, 

 sometimes changes in consumer desires open a flood-gate of demand for a 

 particular fishery product to the ultimate benefit of fish producers. 

 There was a time when "pink" or "brown" shrimp could not be sold to con- 

 sumers in the United States because the colors supposedly were an in- 

 dication of spoilage. Experience , promotion, and price reversed con- 

 sumer attitudes. Today they purchase many millions of poxinds of "pink" 

 and "brown" shrimp. With respect to natural resources such as these, 

 including the tuna industry, the consumer is "king". 



The pronounced effect of consumer demand on the economics of the 

 tuna industry has been apparent, particularly in recent years. With the 

 decline in production of canned salmon and the rise in consumer's incomes, 

 the demand for tuna intensified and has been a stimulant to increase tuna 

 production. Considerable statistical analysis of the danand for tuna was 

 undertaken in conjunction with this survey. For all practical purposes 

 consumption of tuna is synonymous with consumption of canned tuna. Con- 

 sumer use of fresh, frozen, and cured tuna is insignificant. It amounts, 

 combined, to an estimated ,05 pounds per capita per year as compared to 

 lo5 pounds of canned tuna consumed in 1952, Nor is the outlook for in- 

 creased consumption of the former products bright as will be discussed 

 at a later point in this report. Hereafter in this chapter only canned 



^7 Unless otherwise noted "tuna" is used hereafter in this chapter to 

 include albacore, bLuefin, skipjack, yellowfin, and little tuna and 

 bonito and yellowtail which are "tunalike" fishes. This is done in 

 order to avoid repetition of the phrase "tuna and tunalike fishes". 



39 



