86 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



CHILE. 

 IQUIQUE. 



[By Homer Brett, consul, September 14, 1921.] 



Fish products produced near Iquique consist solely of fresh fish 

 taken principally with hook and line from small boats. There is 

 some seine fishing, and swordfish, known locally as "albacore," are 

 killed with harpoons. These are remarkable for the large amount 

 of clear meat they yield and the small quantity of waste matter. 

 There is no doubt that this fish would be most excellent for canning. 

 When the catch of fresh fish is unusually abundant or is made at 

 places distant from markets, it is salted lightly, but there is never 

 any exportation nor even shipment to other points in Chile. In 

 central Chile the question of establishing a national fishing industry 

 is one of perennial discussion, and many articles, all favorable to the 

 enterprise, have been published in the newspapers of Santiago, but 

 thus far little or nothing has been accomplished. 



The imports of fish products into Iquique have been as follows, 

 the latest years for which statistics are available: 



One kilo equals 2.204 pounds. 



2 The peso is the gold peso of 18 pence. 



Countries of origin are not shown for the importations into the 

 individual ports, but only for those into the entire country. From 

 these it appears that in 1917 Japan was the principal supplier of 

 dried and salted fish, followed closely by the United States and 

 next by Great Britain. Norway, Spain, and Argentina supplied 

 small quantities. In 1918 Japan led in quantity and the united 

 States in value, and in 1919 Japan supplied half of the total in value 

 and more than half in weight, while the United States shipped 

 approximately one-third. In Chile, as in all Spanish countries, 

 codfish is considered a delicacy, although cheapness is the first con- 

 sideration. During 1917 the United States and vSpain led in sup- 

 plying canned fish and shellfish, with Italy and France following 

 with much smaller quantities; in 1918 Spain was the principal 

 supplier, with the United States following with considerably smaller 

 quantities; in 1919 these relative positions were maintained. 



Canned salmon comes almost exclusively from the United States, 

 though small quantities are credited to Groat Britain and Japan. 

 Sardines came principally from Spain in 1917 and 1918, though in 

 both years the United States competed closely. In 1919 the weight 

 of sardines from the United States for all Chile was 159 tons and the 

 value 152,779 pesos, while Spain shipped 157 tons, valued at 258,481 

 pesos. 



It is almost certain that the import of American fish products 

 into Iquique can not be iiicreased in the near future. They are 



