[Reprinted from the Annual Report of the Secretary of Commerce, 1933] 



BTriLEATJ OF FISHEHIES 



The fishing industry in all its branches has suffered severely in 

 common -with other producers of foodstuffs. The extensive decline 

 in prices, especially of those products with which fish normally 

 compete in the retail markets, has faced the industry with actual 

 disaster. The complexity of the system of fish distribution, seasonal 

 character of supply, remoteness of centers of production from popu- 

 lation centers, and the limitation of the consumption of fish combine 

 to make it most difficult for fishery operatoi^ to compete at present 

 price levels. The temporary scarcity of some staples has tended to 

 keep up the cost of production and added to the difficulties of the 

 producers. On the other hand, advances in quick freezing, the pack- 

 aging of fresh and frozen fish, and the value of marine products in 

 the diet in combating faulty nutrition are tending to popularize 

 fishery products with the consuming public. TTith fhe development 

 of improvements in fish manufacture and merchandising, especially 

 with respect to adequate display and refrigerating equipment suit- 

 able for handling quick-frozen foods satisfactorily and their more 

 general installation in retail stores, and the education of the public 

 to a realization that frozen foods can be fuUy as soimd. palatable, 

 and nutritious as the fresh products, we may expect this branch of 

 the fishery trade to become more stabilized. 



Commercial fishing by United States craft is far-reaching in its 

 scope, being prosecuted on the high seas and in the territorial waters 

 of the Atlantic Ocean. Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico, as 

 well as in the Great Lakes and in interior waters. These fisheries 

 during the calendar year 19-31 furnished employment to about 123.000 

 persons as fishermen : and there were S2.000 persons engaged in trans- 

 porting, manufacturing, and the wholesale trade — raaking a total 

 of about 200.000 persons, who depended directly upon the^ fisheries 

 for a livelihood. This was about 4.000 less than were employed dur- 

 ing the previous year. The catch in 1931 amounted to 2.657.317.000 

 pounds, valued at $77,344,000. a decrease of 19 percent in quantity 

 and 29 percent in value as compared with the previous year. 



The fisheries in 1931 were marked by decreases in the production 

 of all the major groups of products: thus, the output of canned 

 fishery products which amounted to 506.702.000 pounds, valued at 

 $62,940,000. represented a decrease of 12 percent in quantity and 24 

 percent in value as compared with the previous year: byproducts, 

 valued at $18,538,000. decreased sharply: packaged products amount- 

 ing to 139.283.000 pounds, valued at S23.076.000. decreased about 11 

 percent in quantity and 20 percent in value ; cured fisherv products 

 amounting to 9S.969.000 pounds, valued at $12,364,000.' decreased 

 about 21 percent in quantity and 27 percent in value; frozen prod- 



27799—33 1 yj 



