REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 15 



manifold examinations and analyses demanded of this Bm^eau in the 

 interests of the fisheries. 



There is need for other similar laboratories in or near an important 

 fishing center in each of the main geographical divisions of the coun- 

 try, for the study of tlie special problems of those divisions, for the 

 conduct of investigations wliich can only be conducted at the seat 

 of the industry, and for aiding in the perfection of apparatus and 

 methods used in the captm'e, preservation, and preparation for market 

 of the fishes of the region. The work of each of such laboratories 

 should be under the direction of the Washington laboratory and 

 coordinated with it and with the laboratories in other centers. 



On the coast of California there is now special need for work in 

 this field. Although noteworthy progress has been made in the 

 development of its fisheries, for example, those for tuna and sardines, 

 there are still large, undeveloped fishery resources in the barracuda, 

 mackerel, rockfishes, etc. Desirous of lending assistance to the 

 fishery industries of this region, provision has been made for a tem- 

 porary laboratory for the study oi some of the more pressing problems. 



After some six weeks study of the advantages of the various fishing 

 centers of southern California, suitable temporary quarters in San 

 Pedro were obtained for the establishment of a small experimental 

 plant. The equipment of this plant was completed within three 

 months, and during May and June, 1919, investigations in the canning 

 of mackerel, barracuda, rockfishes, smelt, pilchards, and tuna were 

 initiated. According to a schedule which has been worked out, 

 each species is subjected to 16 preliminary methods of packing, all 

 of which may be run at one time. At the conclusion of the canning 

 the packs are subjected to uniform storage conditions. At the end 

 of SIX weeks these preliminary packs are examined as to firmness, 

 appearance, taste, ouality, etc., and analy/.ed to determine whether 

 there has been a cnemical change. Adopting the methods of the 

 most promising of the preliminary packs, finished packs — that is, 

 packs to which condiments or special packing oils have been addecl 

 or in which the fish is subjected to some special treatment — are next 

 put up. These final packs range from the simplest and most inex- 

 pensive to the most complicated and exclusive form of treatment. 

 In order to determine the keeping qualities of the various methods 

 with rea.sonable certainty, it is planned to examine samples at the 

 end of 3, 0, and 12 months. If the product is in good condition and 

 excellent in quality at the end of a year, it is felt that the process 

 mav be given to the trade. Careful records arc kept of all operations 

 and of the weight and amount of ingredients used. If the market 

 price of ingre(hents is known, it will be possible at any time to deter- 

 mine the cost per case. Perhaps the most promising of tlie packs 

 made during the year were those of the mackerel packed in olive oil, 

 tuna style, and kippered and canned in cottonseed, corn, or olive 

 oil. This species, generally known on the east coast as chub mack- 

 erel, is reported to be very abundant, but owing to the limited de- 

 mand comparatively small quantities are now brought in by the 

 California fishermen. 



NFW ENGLAND VESSEL FISHERIES. 



The vessel fisheries at Boston and Gloucester, Mass., and Portlaiul, 

 Me., the three principal New England fishing ports, were more than 

 ordinarily prosperous during the calendar year 1918, notwithstanding 



