the lack of similar activities on the part of the salmon industry, also 

 probably had a significant influence. Canned tuna has been established 

 as a staple product in most markets during the past decade under these 

 favorable circumstances. No longer a specialty item, canned tuna has 

 overtaken salmon in volume and value sold in many northeastern and west- 

 ern markets. There can be no doubt that the relatively high prices and 

 low production of canned salmon had an important influence in bringing 

 this about. 



Other factors affecting danand also were developed in this study. 

 In table 13 data are presented showing the relationship of tuna consump- 

 tion by income groups as found in the recent Fish and Wildlife Service 

 consumer preference survey previously referred to. Both this table and 

 the data developed from the "1948 food consumption surveys" conducted 

 by the Bureau of Human Nutrition and Home Economics of the C.So Department 

 of Agriculture shown in table 14 indicate that demand is elastic with 

 respect to percentage of housdiolds consuming canned tuna throughout 

 most of the income range covered. By "elastic denand" is meant the 

 tendency for purchasers of canned tuna to increase rapidly with increases 

 in family income. That is to say, in general, there are substantial in- 

 creases in the number of households consuming canned tuna as income moves 

 upward. 



The tabulation for the Fish and Wildlife Service consumer prefer- 

 ence survey has a breakdown by regions — Northeast, North Central, 

 South, and West. The boundaries of these regions are the same as shown 

 in figures 3 and 9. The general pattern for each of the four regions 

 was that of positive income elasticity. The South, throughout 



all inccme brackets, had a lower percentage of tuna consumers than the 

 other regions. This situation in the South has been previously referred 

 to. The Northeast and West showed the highest percentages of users. 

 The survey indicates that as inccme increases, particularly in the lower 

 brackets, canned tuna consumption will be expanded by bringing new con- 

 sumers into the market. 



While positive elasticity in the percentage of users may be noted, 

 it should also be observed in table 14 that there is a tendency for the 

 amount of canned tuna consumed to level off and become relatively stable 

 in the hi^er income brackets. That table shows that as incone increased 

 in these brackets the quantity of tuna consumed per family varied only 

 slightly. This toidency is a limiting factor on the over-all elasticity 

 of demand for canned t\ina. It is the influence of the physiological in 

 that the human stomach will take just so much of a product. The income 

 of consumers could be increased infinitely, or the price of canned tuna 

 could be reduced tremendously, but there is a fixed limit to the amount 

 of canned tuna which will be bought and consumed, 



92 



