FISHERY INDUSTRIES OP THE UNITED STATES, 1930 547 

 STATISTICAL SURVEY PROCEDURE 

 METHODS OF COLLECTION 



In order that persons using the statistics in this report may judge 

 as to their completeness and authenticity, there follows an outline 

 of the methods employed by the bureau in collecting fisheiy statistics. 

 It will be noted that several methods are used. Each, in so far as 

 possible, is the most efficient that can be developed to accomplish 

 the desired result with the available personnel. 



General fishery statistics. — The purpose of collecting general fishery 

 statistics is to obtain statistics on the catch of fishery products and 

 its value as landed by the fishermen, the quantity or number of each 

 kind of gear used, the number of fishing boats, the number and net 

 tonnage of fishing and transporting vessels, the number of wholesale 

 estabUshments, the amount of wages and salaries paid in these estab- 

 lishments, the quantity and value of products prepared, and the 

 number of persons engaged in each phase of the industry. 



The scope of the coastal surveys includes the commercial fisheries 

 of the oceans, bays, and coastal rivers as far inland as commercial 

 fishing is important. This usually coincides with the range of com- 

 mercial fishing for anadromous species. Statistics of the fisheries of 

 the Mississippi Kiver include the fisheries of the Mississippi River 

 proper, as well as all tributaries wherein commercial fishing for either 

 fish, crustaceans, or mollusks is prosecuted. Statistics of the lake 

 fisheries include those prosecuted in the Great Lakes, adjacent bays, 

 and the international lakes of northern Minnesota, as well as certain 

 rivers having outlets into these waters. 



General statistics of the fisheries for all sections of the United States 

 have not been collected on an annual basis, although the data for 1929 

 include all the commercial fisheries of the marine and lake sections 

 and the fresh-water mussel fishery of the Mississippi River and 

 tributaries. 



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. They obtain statistics on operations during the previous cal- 

 endar year, except that statistics of the oyster fishery are obtained 

 for the season ending in the spring of the following year. The agents 

 conducting 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. While 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, virtually 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, Usts of vessel and motor-boat 

 owners are obtained from local customs houses. It is also often 

 possible to obtain the names of licensed commercial fishermen and 

 occasionally some statistics of the catch from the various State 

 fishery agencies. In the Great Lakes and Pacific Coast States such 



