[Rt'priiitod from the Annual Report of the Secretary of Commerce, ?-!)38 I 



BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



Based on aA^ailable statistics for 1936, there was a large increase 

 in the catch of fisliery products in the United States and Alaska as 

 compared with the preceding j-ear. Statistics of the catch were col- 

 lected for both 1935 and 1936 in the Chesapeake, Pacific, and Lake 

 States and in Alaska, and when considering the combined catch of 

 these sections alone, an increase of 22 percent in the volume and 

 19 percent in the value of the catch is indicated. While these in- 

 creases are reflected in each of the four geographical sections and in 

 many species, they are especially important in increased catches of 

 pilchard in California and salmon in Alaska. 



Based on the most recent surveys, our commercial fisheries gave 

 employment to about 129,000 fishermen, whose catch amounted to 

 4,840,299,000 pounds, valued at $92,823,000. The output of canned 

 fishery products in 1936 amounted to 794,707,000 pounds, valued at 

 $94,564,000, representing an increase of 18 percent in volume and 

 26 percent in value as compared with 1935; the output of fishery 

 byproducts was valued at $34,976,000, representing an increase of 

 17 percent; and the production of frozen fishery byproducts, exclud- 

 ing packaged fishery products, amounted to 108,680,000 pounds, esti- 

 mated to be valued at $8,700,000. 



The production of fresh and frozen packaged fish, as based on the 

 most recent surveys, amounted to 202,396,000 pounds, valued at $26,- 

 895,000; and cured fish 116,311,000 pounds, valued at $15,616,000. It 

 is estimated that about 680,000,000 pounds of fresh fishery products 

 (excluding fresh-packaged fish and shellfish), valued at about $55,- 

 000,000, were marketed during 1936. The total marketed value to 

 domestic primary handlers of all fishery products in 1936 is estimated 

 at about $236,000,000. 



Imports of fishery products for consumption during the calendar 

 year 1936 were valued at $41,873,000, which is 16 percent more than 

 in 1935, while exports were valued at $13,214,000, or 8 percent less 

 than in the previous year. 



INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 

 HALIBUT INVESTIGATIONS 



The International Fisheries Commission continued the investiga- 

 tion of the life history of the Pacific halibut, and the investigation 

 and regulation of the Pacific halibut fishery, under authority of the 

 treaty of May 9, 1930, and the supplanting treaty of January 29, 

 1937. The new treaty, which invested the Commission with new 

 powers and responsibilities, did not become effective until August. 



Under authority of the 1937 treaty, new regulations were issued 

 August 11, 1937. These differed from the previous ones in several 



123251—39 1 95 



