FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1931 99 



in this area since 1929 (about 50 per cent of the total yield of fishery 

 products in the Mississippi Valley consists of mussel shells) and for 

 Lakes Pepin and Keokuk since 1927. 



In addition to the general catch statistics, the collection and (or) 

 publication of statistics on special subjects was continued during 1931, 

 as follows : The landings of fish by American fishing vessels at the ports 

 of Boston and Gloucester, Mass., Portland, Me., and Seattle, Wash.; 

 landings of halibut at North Pacific coast ports (published monthly, 

 and annual bulletins summarizing these landings for the year) ; catch 

 of mackerel in the North /Atlantic fishery; cold-storage holdings of 

 frozen and cured fish and amount of fish frozen, which are furnished 

 by the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (published monthly); pro- 

 duction, consumption, and holdings of marine-animal oils of the 

 United States and Alaska (published quarterly by the Bureau of the 

 Census); production of manufactured fishery products and by- 

 products of the United States and Alaska during 1931; the catch of 

 shad in the Potomac and Hudson Rivers, and the catch of alewives in 

 in the Potomac River during 1931; transactions on the sponge ex- 

 change at Tarpon wSprings, Fla., during 1931; volume of fishery prod- 

 ucts handled at the municipal fish wharf and market, Washington, 

 D. C, during 1931; and the volume of United States imports and 

 exports of fishery products during 1931, furnished by the Bureau of 

 Foreign and Domestic Commerce. 



In the above surveys the division continued to receive cooperation 

 from many of the State fishery agencies, which aided materially in 

 the work. This, together with the use of automobiles by the agents 

 for travel, has enabled the bureau to canvass the territory more 

 expeditiously, efficiently, and economically. 



STATISTICAL CONFERENCE 



On February 19, 20, and 21, 1931, the division held its second 

 conference with its statistical agents from all sections of the country 

 at the headquarters of the bureau in Washington, D. C. This was 

 for the purpose of acquainting the agents with new methods for col- 

 lecting fishery statistics which are intended to show the scope of the 

 diversified interests in the industry, and also to give the agents an 

 opportunity to discuss and solve various perplexing problems relat- 

 ing to the work. 



The morning session of the first day Commissioner O'Malley deliv- 

 ered an address of welcome, which was followed by an address on 

 statistical research in the fisheries by the writer. The program for 

 the remainder of that day and the next two days was devoted to 

 general discussion of the work with Fred F. Johnson as chairman. 



CATCH ANALYSIS, COLUMBIA RIVER CHINOOK-SALMON FISHERY 



The statistical analysis of the records of daily catches of chinook 

 salmon made by individual fishermen on the Columbia River was 

 continued during 1931 by Joe A. Craig, director of the Seattle (Wash.) 

 Laboratory. The data were treated statistically in order to deter- 

 mine the average catch per constant unit of effort and gear of chinook 

 salmon on the Columbia River during the period from 1905 to 1930,. 

 inclusive. 



