FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1933 / 



Until recent years, most of the waste fish and the fish waste from 

 the various fisliory industries had not been manufactured into any 

 products of economic vahie. As a result of our teclinolo^ical investi- 

 jrations, it is now possihh> to make fish meal of hiiz;h cjuality for animal 

 feedinix from this waste. The fish-meal industry has now developed 

 to a })oint where it nuikes valuable use of most of the wnste or raw 

 material availal^le for its manufacture. There are still many places, 

 however, where technical and economic obstacles prevent the profit- 

 able utilization of some of this waste. 



Our studies of the waste from the vast filleting industry in New 

 England have shown that a liighly nutritious and palatable fish flour 

 can be made, which is rich is calcium and phosphorus — those minerals 

 so essential to the growth and maintenance of bones and teeth in 

 children. Fish flour makes good soup stock and lends itself favorably 

 to incorporation in bakery products. 



Other studies which we have made of the great diversity of nutri- 

 tional factors in fishery products have revealed many facts of immense 

 value to the national dietary, such as the demonstration that oysters 

 rank liigh as a source of those minerals of vital importance in the pre- 

 vention and treatment of certain types of nutritional anemia. 



Considerable interest has been shown in our recent pubhshed report 

 that kelp meal is a valuable supplement to the rations of farm animals. 

 This is particularly important since very little commercial develop- 

 ment exists in the various seaweed industries of the United States, 

 whereas in Japan seaweeds alone are the basis of an $8,000,000 

 industry. 



It has been estimated tliat about 20 cents of every dollar that the 

 fisherman gets for his catch is spent to replace fisliing nets. This 

 amount can now be reduced by the application to the nets of chemical 

 preservatives wliich have been developed by the technological staff 

 of this Division. A conservative estimate places the savings, which 

 can be made annually, at approximately $2,000,000. 



RESEARCH ASSOCIATE 



In the above lines of technological research the Bureau has attacked 

 those fundamental problems which promise to be of greatest value to 

 the largest number and which are possible with the funds and per- 

 sonnel available for the purpose. For this reason the Division has 

 not been able to study special problems affecting certain products, 

 processes, or methods. In order to serve the industry in this con- 

 nection, the Bureau by congressional authorization has provided 

 research associate facilities whereby firms or groups having special 

 technological problems to solve will furnish the investigator and pay 

 his salaiy and expenses. The investigation is carried out in coopera- 

 tion with the Bureau's staff in its laboratories and under its control. 

 Thus the industry can be provided with laboratory, consultation, and 

 library facilities which in many instances it is unable to obtain else- 

 where. 



LABORATORIES 



During the past year, the Division carried on its technological 

 investigations under the direction of John Iluel Manning, chief 

 technologist, at laboratories in Washington, D.C., Gloucester, Mass., 

 Seattle, Wash., and Charleston, S.C. All of the above are Bureau of 



