FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 19 3 7 163 



Commerce. In 1934, when the first import statistics of this commod- 

 ity were pubhshed, our total receipts from foreign countries amounted 

 to 338,000 pounds, valued at $124,000. Prehminary data show that 

 in 1937 imports amounted to 846,000 pounds, valued at $255,000, 

 representing increases of 150 percent in volume and 106 percent in 

 value in the 4-year period. 



Of especial interest with relation to the domestic market for foreign 

 produced netting is the fact that while in each of the years for which 

 data are available Japan contributed most of our imports of this 

 commodity, her percentage of the total volume of imports increased 

 from 63 percent in 1934 to 95 percent in 1937. Other coimtries 

 from which cotton fish netting was received in this country in 1937 

 were Netherlands and United Kingdom, with very small quantities 

 from Canada, Germany, France, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia. 



INTERCHANGEABILITY OF USES OF OILS AND FATS 



In publications of the Bureau and in previous annual reports of 

 this Division the teclmical and economic aspects of the general inter- 

 changeability of the uses of all saponifiable oils and fats of animal 

 and vegetable origin, and their eft'ect on markets for and uses of fish 

 oils, have been discussed in considerable detail. Because of the 

 influence of this factor on many important American industries, it 

 has become of increasing interest and importance during the past 

 year. Particularly has it been a factor to be considered in the Gov- 

 ernment's program of reciprocal trade agreements. Consequently, 

 technologists and economists of this Division spent considerable time 

 during 1937 in assembling special data on this subject from the 

 Bureau's files for officials of the State Department, the Federal Trade 

 Commission, the Bureau of Customs of the Treasury Department, 

 members of Congress, and representatives of trade associations. 



ACTIVITIES OF THE FISHERY COMMITTEE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION 

 OF MARKETING OFFICIALS 



The Fishery Committee of the National Association of Marketing 

 Officials was appointed in October 1936 at the association's conven- 

 tion in Nashville, Tenn., to deliberate on problems in connection with 

 the marketing of fish which come before the association. Wliile this 

 is a very new committee, it already has shown much interest in fishery 

 work and bears promise of most fruitful accomplishments in the future. 



The members consist of J. H. Meek, Director, Division of Markets, 

 Virginia, Chairman; Charles M. Wliite, Chief, Division of Markets, 

 Maine; and L. M. Rhodes, Commissioner of Markets, Florida. It 

 will be observed that in each instance the members of the committee 

 represent marketing agencies of States which are important in the 

 commercial production of fish and shellfish. 



The first meeting of this committee, following its appointment, 

 was held in Washington, D. C, on April 26, 1937. On tluit occasion, 

 as a means of developing general policies and plans for study, it dis- 

 cussed nine questions having important bearing in connection with 

 the marketing of fish. Answers which reflected the opinions of the 

 committee were then reported at the Nineteenth Annual Convention 

 of the National Association of Marketing Officials, held in New York 



