U. S. BUPvEAU OF FISHERIES. 



FILLETING FISH. 



Perhaps the most conspicuous expression of this growing demand 

 for better technical methods is to be found in the recent development 

 of filleting fish at the point of production. The practice began in 

 New England, by way of an effort to stimulate a better demand for 

 haddock, and has since been taken up at New York and other points. 



The haddock are split, the backbone is removed, and the fillets 

 are brined about 20 minutes in strong brine. Some cracked ice 

 is added to the brine, if necessary, to keep it cool. After having 

 been brined, the fillets are each wrapped in a vegetable parchment 

 paper and are laid in pans or other vessel to be stored over night in 

 a cold room. The temperature of the room is above 32'' F., so as 

 not to freeze the fillets. Pans of fillets, without lids, are stacked 

 one above the other so as to press the fillets firmly, but not excessively. 



Next morning the fillets are packed in tinned lard cans, each can 

 containing about 30 pounds of the fillets. The lid is put on and the 

 can is put into a wooden packing case, surrounded by cracked ice. 

 These cans are shipped to retailers, delicatessens, butchers, and 

 others, who dispose of one or more cans in each week's trade. 



A variation in this practice is, instead of wrapping each fillet in- 

 dividually, to pack the fillets in the can in layers, following each layer 

 with a cut circle of parchment paper. 



Among the advantages of filleting fish are: (1) The entire piece 

 purchased by the housewife is edible, and the price charged for it is 

 fully competitive without making any allowance for waste ; (2) there 

 is no scaling, gutting, and cleaning to be done— a very disagreeable 

 task to most women; (3) the shipping weight of the fish is reduced; 

 (4) the waste, which is usually around 50 per cent of the round fish, 

 remains in the hands of the producer, where it may be possible to use 

 it economically; (5) fillets receive a more careful and cleanly handling 

 all along the line, from producer to consumer, for the reason that they 

 are wrapped, are more delicate, and will not endure the rough handling 

 that round fish are subjected to. 



It might be supposed that the retail customer would object to this 

 method of distributing the fish, on the ground that he has little or no 

 means of determining the identity of the fish, or judging its quality, 

 since the distinguishing marks of both identity and quality are gone. 

 Yet such an objection, if it exists, has not prevented a very rapid 

 growth in the past year of this method of distributing fresh fish. 



MARKET SURVEYS. 



During 1922 the bureau continued its surveys of the fish industry 

 of important or representative cities. In 1921, the surveys were of 

 consuming markets; in 1922, two primary producing markets, Seattle 

 and Boston, were studied, Seattle for 1921, and Boston for the month 

 of September, 1922. 



Seattle, with a population of 315,312, is the principal landing port 

 for the northern Pacific fisheries. More than 83 per cent of the fish 

 business is in salmon and halibut. The remaining business is in sable- 

 fish, rockfish, smelts, crabs, oysters, and shrimp, with 26 others in 

 moderate or limited demand. There are 19 wholesalers and 48 re- 

 tailers in Seattle, a ratio of 1 retailer to each 6,569 people. The pro- 



