FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1938 543 
of each species caught by each vessel (for our purpose craft of 5 net 
tons’ capacity or more are called ‘‘vessels’’). As in the shore fisheries, 
the availability of figures collected by State fishery agencies may 
SE aac the necessity of our agents collecting these data for each 
vessel. 
Statistics on the quantity of gear operated indicate the maximum 
number of units fished at any one time during the year. Gear carried 
in reserve for replacement is not enumerated. 
All persons engaged in commercial fishing operations are included 
as fishermen. For our purpose these have been divided into ‘‘regu- 
lar’ and ‘“‘casual’’ fishermen. Regular fishermen are those who 
receive more than one-half of their annual income from fishing; and 
casual fishermen are those whose principal business is something 
other than fishing, and who receive less than one-half of their annual 
compensation from fishing. 
The catch of fish is credited to the principal port of arrival and 
departure of the craft rather than its point of ownership, registration, 
documentation, or its port of landing. This accounts for catches 
of fish being shown in areas where they are not common, since fishing 
vessels frequently fish in areas far from their principal fishing port. 
Wholesale and manufacturing trade —All persons or firms engaged in 
the wholesale buying and selling of fishery products or who produce 
manufactured fishery products are surveyed under this title. Where 
the business of fishing and wholesaling or manufacturing is combined, 
that part of the business devoted to either of the latter two phases 
is included in the wholesale and manufacturing survey and the part 
devoted to fishing is included in the shore or vessel fisheries. If a 
wholesale business is conducted with no manufacturing and the 
business is so small that the full time of one man over the whole vear 
or season is not required, it is then disregarded as a wholesale business. 
If commodities other than fishery products are handled, the persons 
engaged, and salaries and wages paid, are prorated; and only that 
part concerned with fishery products is included. If such a firm 
required less than the full time of one man over the whole year or 
season and if it does not manufacture, it is not included in the can- 
vass. Retail firms that manufacture or whose wholesale business 
exceeds the retail part are included. Persons or firms engaged in 
the motortrucking of fishery products are included as wholesalers if 
they are engaged in wholesale buying and selling. 
Buyers for a central firm are not canvassed as wholesale dealers 
unless they ship direct to the firm’s customers from the buying point. 
Fishermen or fishing concerns, except manufacturers, who do not 
buy fishery products are not included under this heading except that 
oyster-shucking firms are included provided shuckers are employed, 
and irrespective of whether all or part of the oysters used are taken 
from the firms’ privately owned beds. 
Manufacturing concerns include those which prepare packaged 
fishery products; salted, spiced, smoked, dried, or otherwise cured 
fishery products; canned fishery products; or fishery byproducts. 
Fishermen who manufacture are surveyed to obtain the number of 
persons so employed and the volume and value of the products 
prepared. ; 
In collecting statistics of manufacturing firms, the agents obtain 
data on the production for each plant in producing areas of products 
