80 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



PER CAPITA CONSUMPTION OF FISH 



A study made during the year by Fred F. Johnson, in charge of 

 statistical investigations, shows that the domestic per capita consump- 

 tion of fish and shellfish during 1931 amounted to about 13.3 pounds in 

 terms of the weight as prepared for market. This total figure was 

 comprised of fresh and frozen products, 8.2 pounds; canned, 3.6 

 pounds; salted, 1 pound; smoked, 0.3 pound; and other products, 0.2 

 pound. It was interesting to note that only four species or groups of 

 species contributed more than 0.5 pound to the per capita consumption. 

 Of these salmon led with 2.7 pounds and following in order were the 

 group consisting of cod, haddock, hake, pollock, and cusk, 1.5 pounds; 

 sardines, 0.7 pound; and oysters, 0.6 pound. Eight additional species 

 or groups contributed from 0.25 to 0.5 pound These were in order 

 of their importance — -sea herring (excluding sardines), mackerel, 

 flounders, halibut, clams, crabs, tuna and tunalike fishes (including 

 Pacific yellowtail), and shrimp. 



In 1931 the per capita consumption of meats, according to figures of 

 the Department of Agriculture amounted to 133.2 pounds or about 10 

 times that of fish and shellfish. The total consumption figure of meats 

 consisted of 69.6 pounds of pork, 49.6 pounds of beef, 7.1 pounds of 

 lamb and mutton, and 6.9 pounds of veal. 



STATISTICAL INVESTIGATIONS 



Fishery statistics are collected by the Bureau to serve two principal 

 purposes — first, biological; and second, economic. For this reason 

 the Bureau must plan its statistical surveys to obtain comprehensive 

 data for furnishing a complete and reliable picture of the condition 

 and trend of the fisheries. The collection and compilation of the 

 great mass of data necessary, involves many problems. The fisheries 

 are broad in scope including over 160 varieties of aquatic products 

 which enter into commercial production. These, many of which are 

 migratory, are taken by a great variety of types of gear in water areas 

 along our seacoast and in our interior lakes and streams. If the 

 biological aspect is to be served, complete annual statistics are needed 

 on each of these phases in every section. If the economic aspect is to 

 be served statistics are needed on not only the phases listed above 

 relative to the biological aspect but also on the price structure, the 

 processing function, and the marketing and distributing functions. 



BIOLOGICAL ASPECT 



The biological aspect must consider two problems— the conserva- 

 tion and sustained supply of the resource and the prediction of future 

 trends or yield. Since our fisheries are usually prosecuted in areas 

 not under private ownership, the problem of the conservation of these 

 fisheries is of national concern. It, therefore, is important that close 

 watch be kept of the condition of the various fisheries to detect deple- 

 tion so that remedial measures can be promulgated timely and wisely. 

 For this reason it is imperative that current statistical data be 

 obtained on the yield of our fisheries. 



These statistics then furnish the biologist with the background upon 

 which to base his prediction of future trends and yields. This he does 



