FISHERIES AND MARKET FOR FISHERY PRODUCTS IN MEXICO, ETC. 53 



shipment to Hongkong, China. The value of this product exported 

 in 1919 was $387.73; in 1920, $398.82. 



The following are the imports of fish products into this district 

 with countries of origin and values for 1918, 1919, and the period 

 from January to July, 1920. The statistics for the remaining period 

 of 1920 have not as yet been made available by the Venezuelan 

 Government. 



Value offish products imported into Maracaibo consular district 1918, 1919, and Jammry 



to July, 1920. 



Separate statistics for the products are not obtainable, as the 

 Venezuelan Customs combine the classification of all canned fish 

 imported into the country with the exception of sardines. No fish 

 products imported into the Maracaibo consular district are reexported. 



A comparison of the above values of imports shows that in 1918 

 the United States supplied all of the small amount of fish products 

 imported into this district, while in 1919, 74 per cent of the imports 

 of sardines and 97 per cent of all other fish products came from the 

 United States. For the period from January to July, 1920, Spain 

 took the lead in supplying the district with sardines, furnishing 63 

 per cent of the total amount of this product, as against 28 per cent 

 by the United States, 



The opinion of one of the leading wholesale merchants in Maracaibo 

 is expressed relative to the comparative merits of the American and 

 Spanish canned sardines as follows: "While the American canned 

 sardine is much cheaper in value, it does not contain pure olive oil 

 which the Spanish product does, and therefore the American goods 

 do not maintain the reputation of having the preservative qualities 

 of the Spanish products." 



It would appear advisable for the American exporter of canned 

 fish products to take into consideration the climatic conditions of the 

 district and its effect on the preservative quality of a product enabling 

 it to withstand the extremes of heat, moisture, and long delays arising 

 from the lack of modern facilities in transporting goods to the interior 

 of Venezuela. In the preparation of canned sardines the opinion 

 has been expressed by several merchants that the American sardine 

 is not prepared in an oil of sufficient properties to remain edible for 

 more than a short period of storage. The constant heat of the Lake 

 Maracaibo region is exceptionally destructive to all goods not prop- 

 erly prepared. 



