FISHERIES AND MARKET FOR FISHERY PRODUCT'S IN MEXICO, ETC. 59 



fresh-water fish, shrunp, lobsters, oysters, etc. Whales sometimes 

 appear in these waters, and the latest available statistics show that 

 the State of Parahyba, which is the only State in this district, so far 

 as known, having a whale-fishing industry, exported 248 tons of 

 whale oil, worth $31,483.20, United States currency, on the basis of 

 $0.23 United States for 1$ Brazilian currency, the official rate of 

 exchange for 1916. Locally produced salted fish are sold in small 

 quantities in some of the interior markets. The fish are taken mostly 

 by line fishing off the coast, with some seine fishing on the beach. 

 Some gill nets are used in the rivers. There are also a certain number 

 of fishponds maintained along the coast. As stated, almost none 

 of the sea foods of this district are preserved. The few fish that are 

 preserved are cleaned, salted, and dried in the sun. With the excep- 

 tion of whale oil, no fishery products are exported from this consular 

 district. Dried codfish is the principal fishery product imported 

 into this district. Imports for 1919 and 1920 were as follows: 1919, 

 20,011,154 pounds, valued at $3,940,193; 1920, 23,617,879 pounds, 

 valued at $3,304,490. 



The above sums in American currency are converted from Bra- 

 zilian currency at the official rates of exchange adopted for 1919 and 

 1920, namely, 26 cents for 1$ and 22 cents for 1$, respectively. The 

 exact figures for imports into this consular district from the various 

 countries are not available, but about half of the codfish comes from 

 Terra Nova, Newfoundland, and the remainder from other parts of 

 Canada and the United States. Salmon and sardines are also im- 

 ported, most of the salmon coming from the United States and the 

 sardines from Portugal. No fishery products imported into the 

 district are reexported. The United States sells a certain amount 

 of codfish here, having supplied during 1919 more than one-sixth of 

 the total amount imported into Brazil. The following table shows 

 the total importation and the importation from the United States 

 LQto all Brazil for the past five years: 



1918 



1920 



Total importations 



Importations from United States . 



Pounds. 

 52,537,S23 

 4, 426, 837 



Pounds. 

 45,346,417 

 3, 816, 163 



Pounds. 



47, 976, 505 



1,645,632 



Pounds. 



39, 409, 430 



5, 105, 854 



Pounds. 



65,119,475 



12,394,261 



It will thus be seen that there has been a steady increase in the 

 proportion of the importations from the United States. During the 

 same period the proportion of importations from Newfoundland 

 has steadily gone down. There does not appear to be any decided 



E reference for Newfoundland codfish, and the whole matter seems to 

 e one of price, prompt delivery, and custom. There are a number 

 of English commission merchants here who make codfish a specialty, 

 and their connections are with Canadian and Newfoundland exporters. 

 If the American exporters would place an active agent in Pernambuco, 

 there is no doubt but that they would be able to increase their 

 business here. 



Regarding other fish products, such as sardines, which are con- 

 sumed to a very slight extent in Pernambuco, the market is largely 

 supplied from Portugal as a matter of habit. Brazil having been 



