FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1933 231 



Beginning in 1929 general fishery statistics have been collected on an 

 annual basis for all of the marine and lake sections of the United States 

 and Ahiska. except that wholesale dnta were omitted for 1932. 



In conducting these surveys it is the custom of the Bureau to dis- 

 patch agents to the districts to be surveyed early in the calendar year. 

 (It shoidd be noted that statistics on the catch of oysters for 1930 

 and subsequent years cover the calendar year. In previous years 

 statistics for this'mollusk were for the oyster season.) They obtain 

 statistics on operations during the previous year. The agents con- 

 ducting these surveys are trained men or recruits working under the 

 close supervision of trained men. Recruits are permitted to work 

 individually only after proving a satisfactory aptitude for the work 

 during their training period. \Vldle it is impossible for the few agents 

 available to interview each fisherman in a given locality, the more 

 important ones are visited and a sufficient number of those of lesser 

 importance are interviewed to obtain reliable information on their 

 production. In practice, virtuallj^ all wholesale firms are visited, as 

 well as captains of fishing vessels (those of 5 net tons or over) and 

 also all the more important shore fishermen and representative small 

 producers. 



As an aid in locating fishermen, lists of vessels and motor-boat 

 o\Miers are obtained from local customhouses. It is also often pos- 

 sible to obtain the names of licensed commercial fishermen and occa- 

 sionally some statistics of the catch from the various State fishery 

 agencies. In the Great Lakes and Pacific Coast States such excep- 

 tional cooperation has been obtained from the State agencies in 

 recent years that only fragmentary surveys are made by the Bureau 

 to supplement missing data. Virginia and Maryland have recently 

 adopted very complete statistical systems. 



For the Great Lakes and international lakes of northern Minne- 

 sota the Bureau obtains most of the catch statistics and usually the 

 value of the catch direct from the State records. To obtain data on 

 the fishermen, boats, vessels, and gear the Bureau conducts such per- 

 sonal surveys among the fishermen as may be necessary to supple- 

 ment the State records. Annual catch statistics are available since 

 1913. 



Agents are stationed at Seattle, Wash., and Terminal Island, Calif., 

 who survey each of the Pacific Coast States annually to supplement 

 data that are missing from the State records. In most cases the value 

 of the catch is derived from dealers' records and from estimates of 

 prices. In Washington and Oregon the offshore fisheries are surveyed 

 separately for units of operation, catch, and value of the catch. In 

 almost all other respects the statistics are as collected by the States. 

 Statistics of the wholesale industry for this section are obtained 

 largely by personal interview. • 



The fisheries of Alaska are conducted primarily bj^ large operators 

 and sworn statements are required from these operators concerning 

 their operations. These are collected and compiled b}^ the Alaska 

 Division of this Bureau. 



Statistics on the catch of fish collected in the above general can- 

 vasses are shown in this report on the basis of roimd weight, that is, the 

 weight of the fish as caught, except in the Pacific Coast States, where 

 "as landed" weights are shown. In general in the Pacific Coast 

 States halibut is landed heads on but eviscerated; swordfish may be 



