he U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
The fresh-fish fillet, as now produced in Boston, New York, and elsewhere 
(a piece of solid fish meat, skinless, boneless, wrapped in parchment paper, 
and shipped in handy packages) has proved that the American public will eat 
more fish if it gets it in a tashion that will insure less trouble in handling, 
preparing, and eating it; and when one notes the favorable reception accorded 
fish marketed in this manner, it is not impracticable to state that all fish, 
whenever possible, should be filleted at producing points and marketed as a 
piece of solid meat, wrapped in parchment or packed in such fashion that it 
can be handled with a minimum of trouble by the retail dealer, the chef, and 
the housewife. My observations over many years, in connection with various 
branches of the fishing industry and fish trade, have convinced me that unless 
we market most of our fish in this manner we shall never succeed in creating 
the larger market we hope for. 
There is yet another obstacle to overcome in enlarging the market. This is the 
matter of quality—of freshness. The fresh fish, as received by the housewife or 
the restaurant in most localities, is a burlesque of the real thing. Even in the 
best hotels, we, who know fish, receive portions that are decidedly stale and 
unappetizing. A vast amount of stale fish is being served—enough to deter 
many people from eating it except at irregular intervals. Not only is the 
ultimate consumer receiving fish in a condition that fails to arouse enthusiasm, 
but the trade itself faces selling difficulties and heavy losses because of staleness 
and spoiling incurred by the present universal methods of shipping fish packed 
in ice in boxes and barrels. 
There is a solution to this problem, and leaders in the trade have expressed 
their opinion that this solution lies in shipping fish in a frozen state. The draw- 
back, however, is the public prejudice against frozen fish—a prejudice inspired 
by the unpalatability of fish frozen by the usual methods. Certain species— 
halibut and salmon, for instance—lend themselves admirably to freezing, but 
there are other species that, when thawed, taste like nothing at all. Experi- 
ments in brine freezing and with other methods have proved that fish can be 
frozen, kept for long periods in storage, shipped for considerable distances in 
adverse weather, and ultimately cooked and eaten without the consumer being 
able to detect any difference between frozen and strictly fresh fish. The success 
attending these experiments opens a new and desirable prospect for the fish 
trade, for freezing methods that will not change the composition of the fish or 
destroy its palatability make it possible for us to store fish when they are 
being caught, thus insuring a more even distribution later at a more even 
price. It means that we can ship greater distances, reduce the heavy losses in 
transit. and enlarge the market; it provides the retail dealer with a product 
that will not spoil before he can sell it: and the consumer will receive a piece 
of fish in a condition closely approximating that of freshly caught fish. 
Some very bright minds in our industry are working along these lines. 
Personally, I believe that they are on the right track and that the future 
development of the fish trade rests upon giving the consumer a ready-to-cook 
boneless fish fillet with its quality and freshness maintained by shipment in 
a frozen state. In bringing about this desirable end the various governmental 
bodies, paternally interested in developing the fishing industries, can do much 
in stimulating action by the trade itself. There is a conservative element in 
our fishing industries that does not welcome innovations. ‘Get the fish on 
the market with the minimum of expense, labor, and trouble” is their motto, 
and this apathetic and stubborn attitude has not helped the business. In 
fact, it would almost appear that the adoption of modern methods in most 
cases was brought about by force, in the form of legislation, or by the competi- 
tion of More progressive members. The Bureau of Fisheries and other organi- 
zations, by recognizing the absolute soundness of marketing fish in filleted 
and frozen form, are in a splendid position to convert the industry to this 
practice, and much more quickly than would be the case if the industry were 
left to discover this for itself. 
Marketing of fish in fillet form involves numerous problems. The most 
important, perhaps, are those of labor and the profitable utilization of the 
waste. The labor problem is claiming the attention of many firms in the fillet 
business, and a way of mechanically cutting the fillets is being sought. Machin- 
ery is being used in some stages of the work, and one firm in Gloucester has 
evolved an ingenious series of machines which will virtually eliminate all 
hand labor in cutting the fillets. The Bureau of Fisheries might detail one 
of its officers to investigate labor-saving devices for fish cutting in use here 
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