FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1936 1m 
products or the cooperative purchasing of fishery equipment and sup- 
plies, and that 6 were performing semicommercial functions. The 
remainder of those replying, or 18, were engaged primarily in activities 
pertaining to fishery conservation and legislation, and promotional or 
protectional activities in the interests of fishermen. With but few 
exceptions, the associations restricted membership to persons engaged 
in the fisheries and provided for voting on the basis of membership 
rather than by stock or membership capital held in the association. 
The exceptions were among those classed as semicommercial and non- 
commercial in character. 
In order to determine further the cooperative status of commercial 
and semicommercial fishery organizations and the nature and extent 
of their activities, a rather broad, personal investigation is in progress. 
To date this has included visits to associations located on the Pacific 
coast and in the North Atlantic States. On this work, particular 
attention is being given to learning the functional activities of the 
associations and how the Bureau might be of service in connection 
with their operations. The study is being continued to cover asso- 
ciations located in the South Atlantic and Gulf States and in those 
States around the Great Lakes. The survey so far has permitted 
detailed study of more than 60 associations and has revealed that 23 
of these are engaged in commercial functions such as the marketing of 
fish or fishery products, or the purchasing of supplies and equipment, 
and the remaining 37 are engaged in functions relating to the general 
welfare of their members. Many of the associations in the latter 
eroup are contemplating engaging in commercial activities on a 
cooperative basis. 
Another study in progress and being conducted along with the 
above-mentioned investigation relates to financing the fishing enter- 
prise. Its purpose is to obtain information on the relationship between 
present methods for financing this type of enterprise and its effect on 
the freedom of fishermen to market their catch to the best advantage. 
This study will be made in the major commercial fish-producing areas 
of the United States. 
In order to aid the Bureau in its general administrative work of the 
Cooperative Marketing Act, a study of cooperative activity among 
fishermen in foreign countries also is in progress. The Bureau of 
Foreign and Domestic Commerce of the Department of Commerce 
is aiding materially in this study by collecting basic data on conditions 
in most of the important countries of the world; and, also, by placing 
at our disposal files on this subject located in Washington, D. C. 
Information obtained on this study covers (1) the nature and extent 
of fishery cooperative marketing, a list of such associations, and their 
aims and purposes; and (2) the extent to which governments aid or 
assist fishery cooperatives by subsidies, credit, and departmental or 
institutional aid. In connection with this study information also is 
being obtained from the same countries relative to grades and stand- 
ards for fish and fishery products marketed in the various foreign 
countries, and governmental regulation pertaining thereto. 
Cooperative marketing is a practice of long standing in many of the 
countries studied. Although most of the historical accounts date back 
as far as the latter part of the nineteenth century, fishermen in some 
countries have been conducting associations in various capacities for 
a number of years for which there are no definite records. Beginning 
with the early part of 1900 and to a greater extent just prior to and 
