FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES 1927 413 



In the New England States the development of the packaged-fish 

 trade has been remarkable. The degree of this development is shown 

 in no uncertain terms by the 37 per cent increase in landings at New 

 England ports of haddock — the fish used most in this trade. The 

 demand for haddock seems beyond the capacity of the present fishing 

 fleet to supply, even though the steam trawlers averaged more trips 

 with larger fares and a larger total catch per vessel in 1927 than in 

 previous years. Fishing concerns are endeavoring to enlarge the 

 fleets; vessels are being built and old vessels are being reconditioned. 

 It is not impossible that the size of the fleet may be doubled by 1929. 

 Flounder draggers also are turning to haddock fishing, though the 

 catch of flounders has increased notably. Meanwhile, the shore 

 facilities for handling the fish are being enlarged and improved. 

 There is a decided tendency to consolidate fishing companies and to 

 erect large plants for use in the filleting and packaging of haddock. 

 Other branches of the New England fisheries show no marked develop- 

 ments. The sardine-canning season in Maine was poorer than for 

 some years past, suffering a 27-per cent decrease in output in 1927 

 as compared with the previous year. 



The situation in the Middle Atlantic States is not as encouraging. 

 Though New York City shared in the increases in the vessel landings 

 that feed the packaged-fish market, the shore fisheries, which are 

 predominant in this section, do not appear to be increasing in pro- 

 ductivity. Though 1927 statistics are not available for these fisheries, 

 the 1926 statistics are published in this report. They show alarming 

 decreases in some of the staple fishes of the region as compared with 

 the preceding canvass of 1921. The yield of bluefish decUned 72 per 

 cent; scup, 37 per cent; and squeteague or weakfish, 36 per cent. The 

 catches of other important species, while not lower than in 1921, are 

 still far below those of former years. A few species show greater 

 catches, notably the butterfish, which registered an 18 per cent in- 

 crease over 1921. The yield of oysters and scallops has increased 

 moderately. 



No very recent general statistics are available on the fisheries of 

 the Chesapeake Bay States, but it should be remarked here — and this 

 applies to the entire Atlantic coast — that the menhaden industry 

 experienced another very poor year. The output of the factories 

 was slightly better than in 1926 but was still about half of what has 

 been considered normal in recent years. This was the third poor 

 season in the last four years and, in consequence, some of the firms 

 have gone out of business. 



In the South Atlantic and Gulf States recent general statistics 

 also are lacking. Judging from the pack of canned oysters and 

 shrimp in 1927, a good year was experienced in this branch of the 

 industry, for the oyster pack was greater than last year's by 8 per 

 cent in quantity and 17 per cent in value, and the shrimp pack was 

 the highest on record, exceeding that of 1926 by 16 per cent in quan- 

 tity and 29 per cent in value. 



On the Pacific coast the smaller pack of salmon in Alaska was the 

 outstanding feature of 1927. The decline was 46 per cent as compared 

 with 1926. It should be said, however, that 1926 was an unusually 

 successful year, and when compared with an average for the previous 

 five years the pack of 1927 was only 36 per cent smaller. The catch 

 of halibut in 1927 was greater than last year in spite of the depleted 



