FISHEEIES AND MARKET FOR FISHERY PRODUCTS IN MEXICO, ETC. 75 



capacity of 9 metric tons. There are 6 sailing vessels, with a total 

 capacity of 10 metric tons. The smaller craft number 32 minor ves- 

 sels. 



The river fisheries are represented by a total investment of $247,430 

 Argentine paper, and $1,028,100 Argentine paper has been invested 

 in the maritime zone. There are about 60 men engaged in the lake 

 fisheries, and the capital invested amounts to $60,000 Argentine 

 paper. It is therefore evident that the fishing industry, in spite of 

 the development so far attained, is carried on within a very Imiited 

 sphere of action and with very primitive means, especially in the 

 exploitation of the river zones. 



The Argentine industries derived from fishing and sea game have 

 not as yet been properly developed, in spite of the effort of some small 

 industrials. The preservation of fish has not succeeded, notwith- 

 standing the fact that the people of Argentina pay every year several 

 million pesos for the preserved products of foreign manufacturers. 

 There is at present a fish factory m Mar del Plata, which shows signs 

 of actual progress on account of the great variety of local fish. This 

 factory specializes in the preservation of fish in tin cans, both in oil 

 and tomato sauce. It also produces some pickled fish. The follow- 

 ing varieties are commonly employed at this factory: Pescadilla 

 corvina (a kind of conger or sea eel) and anchovies (blue fish). At 

 Puerto Madryn (Chubut) there are three small fish factories in oper- 

 ation. Their main products have been oil-preserved and pickled 

 pejerrey and also filets of anchovies. This last variety has also been 

 pickled and prepared in paste to a great extent and has had a great 

 demand in the local markets. 



At Ajo (Province of Buenos Aires) all the fishery output is turned 

 into manufactured products. They prepare at this place a dried 

 fish, using mainly a fish known as corvina. However, the methods 

 employed in the preparation of this product are quite primitive. 

 There are in Argentina five small factories manufacturing fish oil 

 and fish-scrap fertilizers, chiefly from shad. 



Regarding the sea game, in 1920 a total of 9,799 seals were killed, 

 which rendered a good production of oil and furs. The oil output 

 amounted to 1,460 hectoliters (38,568 gallons). Seals are found in 

 the following places: Punta Buenos Aires, Punta Norte, Punta 

 Ninf as and Isla Escondida, along the coast of the Territory of Chubut, 

 and in the Playa del Fondo, in the Territory of Santa Cruz. Whales 

 are killed in waters near Argentina, not under its control. The out- 

 put of whale oil amounted to 27,000 barrels. The limited production 

 of scrap and bones has not been taken into consideration. A small 

 Norwegian fleet, although it never called at the national ports, also 

 during 1920 captured in the southern seas 1,200 whales, which 

 yielded 50,000 barrels of oil. 



The compilation of official statistics was undertaken only a very 

 short time ago. About 15 years ago the Argentine Government 

 undertook to mtroduce fish culture, but operations have always been 

 within a limited sphere of action and with elements inadequate to 

 develop this kind of work to its highest degree. The starting point 

 in this branch of activities may be found in the efficient cooperation 

 of the Bureau of Fisheries, Washington, D. C, which furnished the 

 eggs of some varieties of salmoa, these varieties having been tested 

 in the different appropriate regions of the Republic. Toward this end 



