56 



U. S. BUEEAU OF FISHERIES. 



man, and the like. The smaller fish are caught in seines near the 

 mouths of the rivers and larger fish by hook and line. Among those 

 secured by the latter method the gilbacker is of some importance, its 

 air bladder being used in the reduction of fish glue. Shrimp are 

 obtained along the seacoast by nets dragged by hand. On the upper 

 portion of the rivers many fish are caught by weirs erected across 

 the mouths of small creeks. A gate is dropped across the opening 

 at high tide, thus preventing the escape of the fish. A few fish are 

 cured for private use, but cured local fish are not on sale. No fish 

 are exported. 



Cured fish is one of the most prominent items among the pro- 

 visions imported into the Colony and is second only to flour in value. 

 It is of interest to note that salt fish has always been imported in 

 comparatively large quantities. Formerly such imports consisted 

 largely of salt herrings for the slaves, but cod and scale are now more 

 important. In the days of the old " trading factories" ship's rations 

 were issued. Later similar rations were issued to the slaves on the 

 plantations to supplement the local vegetables. Codfish and plan- 

 tain still remain a staple food among the negroes, although the high 

 price of the plantain has rendered it somewhat of a luxury, and the 

 usual meal now consists of rice boiled with a small quantity of salt 

 fish. 



Figures showing the values of imports of fish and the countries of 

 origin during 1920 are not yet available. The following are the only 

 figures for imports yet published for that year: 



Quantity. 



Cod cwt. . 3, 238 



Scale do. ... 31, 674 



Herring, pickled bbls . . 3, 135 



Quantity. 



Herring, smoked lbs.. 99,221 



Mackerel, pickled bbls.. 3,617 



Salmon, tinned cases. . 14, 800 



More detailed figures are available for the years 1919 and preced- 

 ing years. Figures for 1913 and 1919 follow: 



Amount and value offish imported into British Guiana, 191S and 1919. 

 TINNED, CANNED, OR PRESERVED IN JARS OR BOTTLES. 



Country of origin. 



United States 



United Kingdom . . . 



Canada 



British West Indies. 



Portugal 



Other countries 



Total. 



Pounds. 

 112,710 

 151, 497 



55, 054 

 13, 297 



342, 364 



Value. 

 $14, 709 

 16, 707 

 1,531 



8,359 

 650 



41, 956 



1919 



3,222 



300,294 



1,270 



74,250 



