344 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



total of nearly 12,000,000 pounds of fresh and frozen fishery products 

 handled in the District of Columbia by all dealers during 1930. 

 Virtually the entire amount was consumed in the district. However, 

 a few hucksters from towns in Virginia and Maryland, bringing 

 poultry and other products to market, buy fish here and sell them 

 on their return trip. Some of these hucksters go as far as Pennsyl- 

 vania and West Virginia towns. 



There has been very little change in the kind of fish handled in 

 the municipal market in the past 10 years. Taldng those species 

 which constituted 75 per cent of the trade for the various years from 

 1921 to 1930, squeteagues or "sea trout" are the most important 

 each year. Croaker has usually been second, river herring third, 

 and oysters fourth. In 1930 the first three species mentioned held 

 their places, and crabs and crab meat moved up to fourth place, 

 with haddock fifth, oysters sixth, and shad seventh. 



The trade at municipal fish wharf is most active during the months 

 from March to November, the largest quantities being handled 

 during the months of April and May. The unusual activity during 

 these latter months can be accounted for chiefly by the large amount 

 of river herring, croaker, and shad, which are handled during these 

 two months. 



There is one public cold-storage warehouse in Washington which 

 makes a practice of storing frozen fishery products. This is located 

 directly across the street from the municipal fish market, and stores 

 considerable quantities of the frozen fish sold through the market. 

 This warehouse has direct rail connection with the main lines of the 

 railroads. 



During 1930 three firms in Washington, D. C, smoked fishery 

 products. Their production amounted to 486,500 pounds, valued at 

 $48,410. Of this amount 454,000 pounds, valued at $39,240, con- 

 sisted of herring, and 32,500 pounds, valued at $9,170, of whitefish. 

 Most of these products were marketed in the city. 



The retail fish business in the District of Columbia is carried on by 

 stores in the municipal market, retail fish markets, uptown grocery 

 stores, meat markets, and fish peddlers. There are about 40 fish 

 peddlers in the city who devote their entire time to selling fish, about 

 25 with horse and wagon and 15 with automobile trucks. This number 

 greatly increases during April and May, when the season for shad, 

 croaker, and river herring is at its highest. The number of fish 

 peddlers slightly increased during the year 1930, which was due 

 possibly to lack of employment in other lines. A large number of 

 markets and grocery stores selling fish at retail now dress them for 

 their customers and also sell large quantities of packaged fish. This 

 has a tendency to decrease the number of fish peddlers since these 

 latter do not make a practice of dressing the fish they market. 



The population of the District of Columbia on April 1, 1930, 

 according to figures collected by the United States Bureau of the 

 Census, was 486,869. The total consumption of fresh and frozen 

 fishery products, in round weight, and smoked fishery products, as 

 prepared, is estimated to be about 12,000,000 pounds in the city, 

 making the per capita consumption of these products about 24 pounds 

 annually. 



