BUREAU OF FISHEEIES III 



Pacific coast biological staff of the bureau as well as for certain 

 of its other personnel and the staff of the International Halibut 

 Commission. 



In the field of animal nutrition the bureau, in cooperation with 

 other agencies, has been enabled to make noteworthy and timely con- 

 tributions which have demonstrated the richness of domestic fish oils 

 in vitamins A and D, thus extending their use in animal feeding. 

 The relative feeding value of fish meals produced by the different 

 processes of manufacture has been indicated, and the trade shown 

 means for improving their manufacturing methods and eliminating 

 waste. The assistance given has been especially timely because of the 

 depressed fats, oils, and feeds markets and has resulted both to the 

 advantage of the fish-reduction industry in increasing the demand 

 for domestic products and to agriculture in making these products 

 rich in certain factors available at lower cost. To meet the growing- 

 demands for investigations in this field, the bureau has been com- 

 pelled to establish a nutrition laboratory in Washington, D. C, which 

 is now in operation. There has also been set up a temporary fishery 

 products laboratory at Gloucester, Mass., at which poinit important 

 technological studies are being continued. In the collection of annual 

 statistics of the catch the bureau was able to cover all sections except 

 for certain fisheries of the Mississippi River. 



Alaska fishery laws and regulations for the conservation of its 

 fisheries have been executed vigorously in an effort to assure the 

 maintenance of this great resource. The seal herd breeding on the 

 Pribilof Islands has been built up until it now numbers considerably 

 in excess of 1,000.000 animals, and the current season's killing of 

 surplus males is expected to approximate 50,000. 



With the appropriation of the sum of $6,075, available March 1, 

 1931, for the balance of the fiscal year for the enforcement of the law 

 regulating the interstate transportation of black bass, as amended 

 and approved July 2, 1930, the bureau proceeded with all possible 

 promptness to organize a new division to perform the functions 

 imposed by the law. 



In the calendar year 1930 the fish-canning industry^ — the most 

 important process of manufacture — packed 576,685,000 pounds, valued 

 at $82,858,000. In excess of 80,000,000 pounds of fresh fish, valued 

 at $12,500,000, w^as prepared for the market by the packaged fresh- 

 fish trade, and 139,297,000 pounds of fish were frozen. Secondary 

 fish products to the value of $23,721,000 were produced by the by- 

 products industries. During the previous year the production of 

 cured fish amounted to more than 110,000,000 pounds, valued at 

 $17,500,000, and in 1930 imports of fishery products for consumption 

 were valued at $50,830,000, while the value of domestic exports was 

 $17,276,000. In comparison with 1929, there were decreases in the 

 value of packaged fish, canned fish, secondary products, and imports 

 and exports, while the production of frozen fish increased. 



INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 



REVISED NORTHERN PACIFIC HALIBUT CONVENTION 



The investigations of the International Fisheries Commission pro- 

 vided for under the convention with Great Britain and Canada, 

 ratified October 21, 1924, have shown that the stock of northern 



