2 U. S. BUEEAU OF FISHERIES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



« The depression that existed in the fishery industries in 1920 and 

 1921 was, in some respects, reHeved in 1922. The vessel landings 

 in New England showed a slight increase in quantity, but because of 

 lower prices the aggregate value was slightly less than that of 1921. 

 At Seattle both quantity and value were about the same as for 1921, 

 although the distribution of catch among the species was consider- 

 ably different. The products of the fisheries of California amounted 

 to 168,969,733 pounds, an increase of 32.3 per cent over the 127,728,623 

 pounds in 1921. The amount of fish frozen was 75,453,674 pounds, a 

 decrease of 4.9 per cent from the amount frozen in 1921. The cold- 

 storage holdings, especially in the latter part of the year, were smaller 

 than they had been for several years. The indications are that this 

 decrease in freezing and cold storage is due to a better market demand 

 rather than to poorer supply. 



There were some gratifying increases in the canning of fishery 

 products. There was a decrease in canned shrimp; all other canned 

 fishery products for which statistics are available increased. The 

 canned salmon increase was due entirely to Alaska; there was a sharp 

 decrease in the pack in the Pacific Coast States. The total pack of 

 canned salmon was 5,234,898 cases, valued at $38,420,717, an 

 increase of 45.4 per cent in quantity and 53.1 per cent in value over 

 1921, The pack of all canned fishery products amounted to 

 10,094,549 cases, valued at $60,464,947, an increase of 35.2 per cent 

 in quantity and 29.6 per cent in value. The exports of canned fish 

 in 1922 were 88,416,266 pounds, valued at $10,271,740, which is 

 equivalent to 18 per cent in quantity and 17 per cent in value of the 

 total pack. 



The market surveys of Boston and Seattle brought forth some 

 interesting and significant facts. Particularly significant is the fact 

 that over half of the total amount of fish landed at Boston is con- 

 sumed in Massachusetts, and over 80 per cent is consumed in Massa- 

 chusetts and neighboring States. This indicates that little advantage 

 is taken of the potential markets inland by the New England fisheries. 

 From Seattle, however, the bulk of the shipments are to« the interior 

 and eastern markets. 



SUMMARY OF OPERATIONS. 



During the year, statistical canvasses were made of the fisheries 

 of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware for 1921, 

 and the take of shad and ale wives in the Potomac and Hudson Rivers 

 in 1922, and of the canned fisheries products and by-products of the 

 United States for 1922. The last was confined to the number of 

 plants operated, the raw products utilized, and the quantity and 

 value of the finished products. The landings of the vessel fisheries 

 at the ports of Boston and Gloucester, Mass., Portland, Me., and 

 Seattle, Wash., have been collected as heretofore, and published as 

 monthly and annual bulletins. In addition, there have been pub- 

 lished monthly bulletins showing the amount of the several species 

 of fish frozen and held in cold storage in the several sections of the 

 country. The results of the canvasses mentioned, and summary 

 analyses of the freezing and cold-storage data are embodied in the 

 present report, together with quantity of fishery products taken in 



