10 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



BROKEN FISH 



Fish may be " broken " from rough handling at any stage from 

 the time they are caught until the cured sides are shipped. Fish in 

 the round are not so easily broken as after being split, yet many of 

 the injuries are received while still in the round. Bruising, bending, 

 dropping, and piling too deep in the boats are the causes of injury 

 in the round. A fish dropped tail first will in most cases be so 

 broken that the cured side will have to go as a " B " or cull when 

 graded. Bending when dumping in a pile often makes a " B " 

 grade, especially when there is the weight of other fish above. 



The breaking is due to the tearing apart of the flakes of the flesh. 

 This injury becomes more noticeable during smoking, and when 

 ready for the retail trade the fish is difficult or impossible to slice 

 and has to be sold as inferior fish at a reduced price. The loss to 

 the packer is considerable, as the " B " grade sells at 5 cents less per 

 pound. Most of the breakage is due to rough or unskilled handling 

 after splitting. Often the splitter, when he is ahead of the slimers 

 in his work, will pile the sides up on the table, newly split sides 

 being slid or thrown onto the pile. When the side bends over a pile 

 more or less breakage is sure to occur, and for this reason sides 

 should be only one deep on the table. Picking up the side requires 

 care. When picked up by the " collar " and bent over the hand the 

 flakes are broken apart. Kough handling on the sliming table and 

 throwing into the chilling tank causes a portion of the " B " grades. 

 Bending in the salt box and while packing in the tierce is responsi- 

 ble for some of the breaking. 



Gaffed fish are far too frequently found in the catch. If deeply 

 gaffed, the fish is not mild cured. If the hole is shallow and small 

 the fish is split in order to secure the one good side, the gaffed side 

 going as a " B " or cull. It is significant that the gaff has been prac- 

 tically discarded in the north and a landing net used instead. 



REMOVAL OF FINS 



As usually practiced in California, no fins are removed except the 

 tail fin (caudal), which comes out with the backbone in splitting. 

 With a right-handed splitter the dorsal and adipose fins remain on 

 the left " side." Removing the fins takes extra time, but the ap- 

 pearance of the cured side is improved. The dorsal fin becomes a 

 leathery sharp projection in smoking, and is a disadvantage in 

 packing the smoked side, as it cuts through the waxed paper when 

 wrapped for shipping. Removing the dorsal fin would also expose 

 the oily region at its base to more ready curing. The pectoral fins 

 fold tightly against the body, fitting into depressions in the flesh. 

 When the cured side is washed and hung for drying and smoking, 

 moisture is apt to hold under the pectoral fins and prevent proper 

 treating, with the result that the spots under these fins are apt to 

 spoil and mold. The removal of other than the dorsal and pectoral 

 fins is not so important except to improve the appearance, thereby 

 aiding the sale when the demand is not strong. A few California 

 packers remove the fins, and the practice is general on the Columbia 

 River. 



