BUREAU OF FISHERIES 85 



Cured pi'0(luctf<. — Statistics ol' tiie i)ro(liicti()ii of cured fishery 

 products were not obtained for the year 1U;VJ, but in 1931 the output 

 amounted to 98,91)1) ,000 pounds, valued at $12,804,000. 



Canned products. — Canned fishery products pro(hiced in 1932 

 amounted to 41G,0G2,000 pounds, valued at $-43,749,000 — a decrease of 

 18 percent in quantity and 31 percent in vahie as compared with 

 1931. Canned sahnon amounted to 283,031,000 pounds, vahied at 

 $26,460,000; other important products were tuna and tunalike fishes, 

 sardines, shrimp, clam products, and oysters. 



Byproducts. — Durin<^ the calendar year 1931 the value of produc- 

 tion of fishery byproducts amounted to $12,460,000 — a decrease of 

 25 percent as compared with the preceding year. Important prod- 

 ucts in this group w^ere marine animal oils and meals and aquatic 

 shell products. 



MARKETING INVESTIGATIONS 



The shrivip industry. — A survey of the shrimp industry of the 

 South Atlantic and Gulf States, which in 1932 ])roduced 96,000,000 

 pounds, valued at $2,700,000 to the fishermen, points out the advisa- 

 bility of study of conservation measures, technological development, 

 and improved business methods, and includes much data on the eco- 

 nomic aspects of this industry. 



Standardization or grading -fish and -fishery products. — At the re- 

 quest of various States, members of the industry, and others inter- 

 -ested in the fisheries, the Bureau has continued its study of the possi- 

 bilities for establishing and applying voluntary marketing grades or 

 standards for -fishery products. 



TECHNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 



Technological investigations include studies of methods of manu- 

 facture, preservation, storage, and marketing of both the prinuiry 

 products of the fisheries for food and the byproducts for animal 

 nutrition; biochemical tests to determine the food value of these 

 products; the development of fishing gear; and experiments in pre- 

 paring cliemical treatments to fishing nets to lengthen their useful- 

 ness. These investigations have involved the application of the sci- 

 ences of chemistry, engineering, bacteriology, and general technology 

 to the solution of the problems arising. The accomplishments of the 

 Bureau's technological staff, during recent years, have resulted in 

 notable contributions of outstanding value to both American fisheries 

 and American agriculture. Among these achievements is the discov- 

 ery of ample domestic sources of vitamin-bearing fish oils for both 

 hunum and animal nuti-ition. These fish oils, ridi in vitamins, such 

 as halibut Ii\er. cod liver, swordfish liver, sardine, salmon, and many 

 others, are absolutely essential to the nuiintenance of a high standard 

 of nutrition among our people and are of economic necessity to the 

 American farmer in raising further food for our national dietary. 

 Other accomplishments during the past year by the technological staff 

 of direct economic value to the fishery industries are the development 

 of chemical preservatives for lengthening the useful life of fishing 

 nets and gear, the discovery of important facts concerning the pecul- 

 iarly valuable food properties of fishery products as one of our great 



