FISHERY INDUSTEIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1929 725 



The production of goldfish was valued at about $1,000,000. Imports 

 of fishery products were valued at $66,566,000, while exports were 

 valued at $23,830,000. Compared with 1928, the value of canned 

 fishery products and by-products was greater. More fish were frozen; 

 larger quantities of packaged fish were produced, and the value of 

 both imports and exports of fishery products was greater. 



NEW ENGLAND STATES 



According to the latest statistics for the fisheries of these States, 

 the value of the catch in 1928 exceeded that in any year upon which 

 there are records, while the volume of the catch exceeded that in any 

 year during the past 39 years. Compared with the latest previous 

 records, which are those for 1924, the catch increased 48 per cent and 

 its value 36 per cent. This is due almost entirely to the larger catch 

 of haddock, which is utilized chiefly by the fresh and frozen package 

 fish trade. The output of package fish in these States registered 

 practically a 50 per cent increase compared with the production in 

 1928. To supply the demand for raw fish by the fish packers more 

 vessels equipped with otter trawls to enter the haddock fishery were 

 added to the fleet, so that in 1929, 326 vessels of 5 net tons or over 

 (38 more than in 1928) were outfitted with this gear and operated 

 from Boston, Gloucester, and Portland. Landings of fish at these 

 three ports in 1929 were larger than in any previous year, and the 

 value received for this volume was also greater than in any one year. 

 Landings of fish at various other New England ports in 1929 also 

 increased, notably at Groton, Conn. The frozen-fish trade in 1929 

 showed increased business over that in 1928, due largely to the 

 greater amount of haddock fillets which were frozen. The production 

 of the sardine industry, which is the principal fish -canning industry 

 in these States, decreased somewhat from that in 1928, but was well 

 above the average annual pack since 1921. The cured-fish industry, 

 long associated with the New England States and one of the principal 

 fish-manufacturing industries of this section, showed a decline in 

 production in 1928 compared with that in 1924, which is the latest 

 previous year upon which there are records. 



MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES 



According to the latest general statistical canvass of the fisheries 

 of these States, made for 1926, the situation here is not encouraging. 

 The production of many of the staple fish shows tremendous declines 

 in 1926 under that for 1921. Notable examples of this are bluefish, 

 which show a decline of 72 per cent; scup, 37 per cent; and squeteague, 

 or weakfish, 36 per cent. 



Landings of fish at New York City and Groton, Conn., which 

 consisted largely of haddock, flounders, cod, and mackerel, increased 

 in 1929 over those for 1928. The haddock were used mainly by the 

 rapidly growing package-fish trade in the manufacture of fish fillets. 



The production of the menhaden industry in 1929 declined some- 

 what under that for 1928. The catch of shad in the Hudson River 

 in 1929 was somewhat less than that in 1928, although it was about 

 equal to the average annual catch during the past 10 years. The 

 pack of frozen fish was smaller in 1929 than in 1928. 



