FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1929 717 



Instructions as to those livers which were and which were not valu- 

 able for medicinal and nutritive purposes were given to the fishermen. 

 This resulted in an improvement in the quality of oil produced. 



Another suggestion which was adopted and which was found to 

 increase the value of the livers was that of storing them in the 

 refrigerated holds of the vessel. Storage here, which is at a low 

 temperature, reduced the deterioration of the livers, which in turn 

 produced a higher grade oil. 



GENERAL SERVICE 



Research is not the only important function of the technologists 

 of this division. The dissemination of information of a technological 

 nature to the industry is a duty which requires an increasing amount 

 of time, year by year, as the technological activities of the bureau 

 become enlarged. This information is distributed partly by cor- 

 respondence and personal conferences with people that have for 

 discussion problems too intricate to handle through correspondence. 

 This technological consultation service is of considerable value to 

 the industry, because, through past years of research, the bureau has 

 acquired in its files a great amount of scientific knowledge in the 

 different fields of fishery technology. Not only have the industries 

 of this country taken advantage of such service, but, inquiries have 

 been received from the fishery industries of Canada, Mexico, England, 

 Norway, Sweden, Portugal, South America, India, South Africa, 

 Haiti, Porto Rico, Japan, Siam, Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, 

 Germany, Russia, Egypt, Panama, Spain, and Holland. 



As chemists and technologists enter the service of the bureau it 

 becomes necessary to especially equip them Avith knowledge concern- 

 ing the fishery industries for very few scientists, no matter how well 

 trained or experienced they may be, have had experience in fishery 

 technology prior to entering the bureau's service. However, in 

 acquainting the newer technologists with the industries at first hand, 

 the bureau has established many valuable contacts to the mutual 

 benefit of the industry and to the bureau, for by visiting the plants 

 in the industry, technologists have sometimes been able to offer 

 valuable suggestions for improvements from their general knowledge 

 concerning good engineering and chemical practice, as obtained from 

 related industries. 



MARKET AND INDUSTRIAL SURVEYS 



Market and industrial surveys are made to supply the trade with 

 useful market information regarding the distribution and consumption 

 of fishery products and to supply descriptive and economic data on 

 our fisheries and fishery industries. 



FACILITIES FOR FREEZING AND WAREHOUSING FROZEN FISHERY PRODUCTS 



During late years the freezing and storing of fishery products has 

 assumed unusual importance in this and other countries. In 1929 

 the amount of fish frozen in this country reached the largest propor- 

 tions on record, amounting to about 122,000,000 pounds, with an 

 estimated value in the cold-storage warehouses of $15,000,000. This 

 is an increase of 7 per cent in volume over 1928. The increase in late 



