FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1929 1067 



Packaged-fish trade. — Complete statistics of the annual production 

 and value of fish packaged in the United States are obtained as a 

 part of the survey for statistics of the canned fishery products and by- 

 products industries. These statistics are published in bulletin form 

 annually. 



Cold-storage holdings oj fish. — An arrangement has been made with 

 the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, Department of Agriculture, 

 whereby statistics of the cold-storage holdings of the various species 

 of fish, by sections of the United States, are furnished to this bureau 

 monthly. Included with statistics of the holdings is a statement of 

 the quantity of the various species of fish frozen and also the holdings 

 of cured fish. Bulletins showing these statistics are issued monthly 

 as well as annually summarizing the year's activities. 



Sponge market, Tarpon Springs. — A large proportion of the total 

 output of sponges in Florida is handled through the sponge exchange 

 at Tarpon Springs. In view of this, the bureau has arranged with 

 a representative of the exchange to furnish statistics of the quantity 

 and value of the sponges, by variety classification, handled through 

 it annually. Statistics of the quantity of sponges handled through 

 the exchange are not published in bulletin form, but a summary of 

 the year's activities is published in the annual reports of this division. 



Foreign fishery trade. — Statistics on the foreign fishery trade are 

 obtained from compilations made by the Bureau of Foreign and Do- 

 mestic Commerce. Statistics of all known fishery products imported 

 or exported are assembled in one table and pubUshed annually in the 

 report of this division, 



STATISTICAL PRACTICES 



Practices followed in the collection and tabulation of statistics are 

 explained below: 



Days absent. — In computing "days absent" for vessels landing 

 fares at the various ports, the day of departure and the day of arrival 

 are included; thus, a vessel leaving port on the 8th of the month and 

 returning on the 15th of the month will be shown as being absent eight 

 days. 



Operating units. — Operating units as referred to in this document 

 include persons engaged and fishing craft and gear employed. 



Vessels. — The term "vessels" refers to craft having a capacity of 

 5 net tons or greater. 



Percentages. — Percentages are usually shown as whole numbers. 

 Fractions of per cents are dropped if less than five-tenths, and the per- 

 centage is raised to the next higher integer if the fraction is greater 

 than five-tenths. If the fraction is exactly five-tenths, the integer 

 is raised or lowered to make it an even number. 



Converting. — Many of the figures shown in the statistical tables 

 published herewith have been reduced to thousands of pounds or 

 dollars. In making these conversions the largest number from which 

 a group of items is computed is raised or lowered to the nearest thou- 

 sands place. If the number ends in an even 500, the thousands integer 

 is raised or lowered to make it an even number. The individual items 

 are changed to conform to the total thus obtained. 



