444 tr. s. BUREAU of fisheries 



STATISTICAL SURVEY PROCEDURE 



In order that those who use the statistical data contained in this 

 and previous reports of the Division of Fishery Industries may be 

 informed as to the source of the figures and methods for their collec- 

 tion, it has been deemed advisable to outline, in considerable detail, 

 the statistical survey procedure followed by the Division. This pro- 

 cedure has been developed over a period of years, and changes in 

 method have been made at times where such changes have appeared 

 to work toward general improvement. While the surveys in the 

 several sections are not made in the same manner, owing to varying 

 facilities and records in different States, an attempt has been made 

 to make the data collected by various methods in the producing 

 areas comparable with respect to the same year as well as over a 

 period of years. Throughout the entire plan it has been the inten- 

 tion to coordinate State and Federal fishery statistical work so that 

 there will be as little duplication of effort as possible. The procedure 

 will be discussed under two main heads — ''Sectional surveys" and 

 * 'Local and special surveys." 



SECTIONAL SURVEYS 



Statistical surveys of the fisheries and fishery industries of the 

 various sections of the United States occupy by far the greatest part 

 of the time of the statistical personnel of the Division. It is in the 

 course of these surveys that the statistical and marketing agents 

 visit the individual fishing localities of the various States to collect 

 statistics of the volume of the catch of fish and its value, employment 

 in fishing, quantity of fishing gear, number and classification of fishing 

 and transporting craft, employment in wholesale and manufacturing 

 establishments, and the volume and value of manufactured fishery 

 products and byproducts. The various phases of these surveys are 

 .discussed in detail in the sections following. 



History. — The first comprehensive statistical survey of the fisheries 

 and fishery industries of the United States was made for the year 

 1880 by George Brown Goode, Assistant Director of the U. S. Na- 

 tional Museum, and associates, with the cooperation of the Commis- 

 sioner of Fisheries and the Superintendent of the Tenth Census. 

 Data for specific fisheries, or restricted sections for years prior to 

 1880, were also collected in this early survey and recorded in Mr. 

 Goode's reports. The survey for 1880, however, did not include the 

 Mississippi River and tributaries. Periodic general surveys of a 

 limited number of States or limited areas of the United States were 

 made for various of the intervening years between 1880 and 1908 

 and from 1909 to 1928. In 1908 a survey of the entire United States 

 was made. The next general survey of the entire United States was 

 not made until 1931, although complete data for all sections, excluding 

 the Mississippi River and tributaries, were collected for 1929 and 

 1930. Complete data on the catch and operating units for all sections, 

 excluding the Mississippi River and its tributaries, were collected for 

 1932. In the latter survey, however, lack of sufficient funds pro- 

 hibited collection of data on wholesale and manufacturing firms except 

 those data collected as a part of the canned fishery products and by- 

 products surveys. Complete general canvasses were made of the 

 Chesapeake and Pacific States for the years from 1933 to 1936, iiclu- 



