12 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
following the World War, various countries enacted legislation per- 
taining to the fisheries and fishermen’s associations. During the post- 
war period efforts were intensified to further encourage and assist 
marketing and other activities by fishermen’s associations through 
governmental aid. Practically all of the countries studied now pro- 
vide aid to fishermen’s associations in the form of loans, grants-in- 
aid, and institutional services of an educational character. The asso- 
ciations are also recipients of various forms of subsidies provided for 
the fishery industries generally in various countries. The purposes of 
the associations are for the most part to perform cooperatively the 
functions necessary in the processing and merchandising of fish and 
fishery products, and to act in a protective capacity for the benefit of 
members. 
It is deemed advisable to relate at this point that existing fishery — 
cooperative associations in this country usually were formed on the 
initiative of fishermen and apparently without advice and counsel from 
other agencies. For this reason, some of these associations are lack- 
ing in the proper organization structure, and in others the operating 
policies and procedures are not conducive to obtaining the maximum 
or most desirable results. In most instances, however, the manage- 
ment and boards of directors of these associations are conscious that 
improvements might be made toward better organization and are 
anxious for assistance. Some have applied to the Bureau for such 
assistance, and insofar as time and facilities permit, we have made 
studies and analyses of the respective associations with the view to 
offering advice and counsel pertaining to the general organic structure 
of fishery cooperative associations, management, operating policies, 
and merchandising. During the past year service of this character 
was rendered to the following associations: Fishermen’s Cooperative 
Association, Seattle, Wash.; Fishermen’s Packing Corporation, Ever- 
ett, Wash.; LaConner Fishermen’s Cooperative Association, LaConner, 
Wash.; Willapa Oyster Growers’ Cooperative Association, Seattle, 
Wash.; Pacific Coast Oyster Growers’ Association, Olympia, Wash.; 
Union Fishermen’s Cooperative Packing Co., Astoria, Oreg.; Sunset 
Fish Company Cooperative, Wheeler, Oreg.; Santa Cruz Fisheries, 
Inc., Santa Cruz, Calif.; Fishermen’s Cooperative Association, San 
Pedro, Calif.; San Diego Fishermen’s Association, San Diego, Calif.; 
North Carolina Fisheries, Inc., Morehead City, N. C.; The Great 
Atlantic Fish Exchange, Willis Wharf, Va.; United Commercial Fisher- 
men’s Associations of New Jersey, Wildwood, N. J.; Bivalve Cooper- 
ative Company, Inc., Bivalve, N. J.; O. K. Fishery Cooperative Asso- 
ciation, Wildwood, N. J.; Independent Fish Company, Inc., Barnegat 
City, N. J.; Federated Scallop Producers Cooperative Association, 
Brooklyn, N. Y.; Southern New England Fishermen’s Association, 
Mystic, Conn.; New England Oyster Growers’ Exchange, Inc., Warren, 
R. I.; and the Fisherman’s Relief Corporation, Portland, Maine, in 
connection with associations in Maine sponsored by it, including 
Frenchmen’s Bay Cooperative Association, South Gouldsboro; Beals 
Cooperative Association, Beals Island; and Central Eastern Coopera- 
tive Association, Portland. 
Some requests have come to the Bureau for direct assistance in 
forming fishery cooperative associations. For the most part, all 
available information was supplied by correspondence or, with 
prepared literature. In two instances, however, direct assistance 
was made available to groups of fishermen interested in organizing 
