FISHERIES AND MARKET FOR FISHERY PRODUCTS IN MEXICO, ETC. 61 



invariably made by fishing schooners during the offseason. During 

 1920 there were 18 shipments made in schooners carrying an average 

 of 325 tons of codfish each. It is shipped in barrels of 142 pounds 

 (65 kilos) and half -barrels of 72 pounds (32^ kilos). The shipments 

 from Europe are made in boxes of about 60 pounds each. 



Codfish is one of the principal articles of food in this part of Brazil 

 and is shipped in large quantities into the interior of the States of 

 Bahia, Sergipe, and Piauhy by mule pack trains, two half-barrels 

 making a full load for one animal. It is for this reason that such a 

 large proportion is imported in half -barrels. The 1920 imports 

 amounted to 58,507 barrels, 102,067 half-barrels, and 1,423 boxes. 



On account of the long haul from Canada to Brazil on sailing ves- 

 sels, it frequently deteriorates in value on the voyage, causing the 

 Bahia price to fluctuate according to quality. The best quality sells 

 wholesale in Bahia for about Rs. IIOSOOO per barrel, and retails 

 around Rs. 2$500 per kilo. 



The Brazilian tariff provides for a duty on codfish of 50 reis per 

 kilo, less an arbitrary tare of 10 per cent in weight deducted when 

 packed in either barrels or boxes. As 55 per cent of the duty is col- 

 lected in Brazilian gold (about 4 paper milreis to the gold milreis) 

 and 45 per cent in paper currency, the actual duty amounts to 

 considerably more than the ostensible rate quoted in the tariff. 

 There are in addition to the duty a number of subsidiary charges 

 that can not be avoided in connection with the dispatch of the goods. 



RIO DE JANEIRO. 



[By A. Gaulin, consul general, October 5, 1921. J 



The principal fishery products in this district are herring, sharks, 

 rays, mullets, drums, bluefish, seriolas (amberfish), groupers, bonito, 

 snapper, roballo, Spanish mackerel, sardines, flounders, bass, shad, 

 oysters, and crabs. The methods employed by the Brazilian fisher- 

 men for capturing fish are somewhat antiquated and are limited to 

 the use of rods, hand lines, baskets, and nets of various kinds. 



Fish for local consumption are generally transferred immediately 

 from the fishing boats to the market and are not cured. Whenever 

 the market becomes overstocked they are simply preserved in ice. 

 Fish for export and consumption in the interior of the country are 

 usually sundried and crudely salted. 



The fisheries of Brazil are under the supervision of the navy 

 department, which is organizing a special service to fishermen in 

 order to encourage this industry. A law that greatly affected the 

 local Portuguese colony was recently passed. It excluded all but 

 Brazilian citizens from the domestic fisheries. Fishery products are 

 only exported to a small extent, and statistics of these exports are 

 classified as follows: 



Products exported. 



_ . Pounds. 



Oysters 143, 299 149, 913 



Dried and preserved fish 284, 393 244, 711 



