450 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Days' absence from port of American otter trawlers landing fish at Boston and 

 Gloucester, Mass., and Portland, Me., 1927 



Annual statistics on the landings of fish by vessels at Boston and 

 Gloucester, Mass., are available for the years 1893 to 1927, and at 

 Portland, Me., for the years 1916 to 1927. Analysis of the landings 

 reveals an almost steady increase in the landings of fresh fish and a 

 steady downward trend in the landings of salt fish. Beginning with 

 landings of about 46,000,000 pounds in 1893, salt-fish landings in 

 1927 diminished to about 6,700,000 pounds, or only a fraction of the 

 amount landed in former years. This decrease is attributed mainly 

 to the fewer landings of salt cod. Whereas in 1893 the landings of salt 

 cod amounted to over 34,000,000 pounds, or about 14,000,000 more 

 pounds than the amount landed fresh, in 1927, they amounted to 

 only about 2,000,000 pounds, or 59,000,000 less than the landings of 

 fresh cod. In contrast to the total landings of all salt fish, the land- 

 ings of all fresh fish at the principal New England ports in 1893 (which 

 amounted to about 96,000,000 pounds, or a little over twice the land- 

 ings of all salt fish) increased to 257,000,000 pounds in 1927, or about 

 38 times the landings of all salt fish for the same year. 



The change in character of the landings at the New England ports 

 is due to consumer preference for fresh and frozen fish, to improved 

 boats and methods of catching fish, and to improved methods of 

 handling fish aboard vessels. Formerly, because of the lack of 

 refrigerants aboard vessels, it was necessary to preserve the fish 

 with salt. At that time, also, many sailboats were in operation, and 

 the common mode of fishing was with hand lines. Thus, with the 

 slower means of catching and conveying to market and the fishing 

 on banks farther from ports, sufficient ice to preserve the fish could 

 not be carried, hence they were salted. 



With the introduction of otter-trawl vessels in the early part of 

 the century, which were adapted to fishing on grounds nearer the 

 home port, more fish were landed fresh. In 1921, finding that the 

 supply of fresh fish was increasing and realizing that the consumer's 

 taste had changed from salt to fresh fish, producers and wholesalers 



