212 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



world trade, it is significant, nevertheless, because of the nature of the products 

 and their importance to the economy of the exporting countries and the well- 

 being of the importing countries. Of the world trade in foodstuflFs, however, 

 fishery products represent a more substantial percentage. 



Per Capita Consumption 



The per capita consximption of fishery products throughout the world is difiicult 

 to determine. About 5 pounds (2.25 kilos) on an edible weight basis has been 

 suggested as a prewar figure (Technical Committee on Fisheries, 1945). A num- 

 ber of surveys have been made in various countries, but, unfortunately, the data 

 reported can seldom be compared because of differences in survey methods. Fre- 

 quently, the surveys do not even make clear whether the consumption figure is 

 based on the landed weight, the marketed weight, or the edible weight of the 

 products consumed. Comparisons, therefore, are fruitless in most instances and 

 will remain unsatisfactory until FAO can encourage those conducting studies in 

 this field to utilize uniform conversion factors and to report consumption on a 

 common basis (Anon., 1949). 



Tables 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, and 37 indicate that, of the North American countries, 

 Canada and the United States consume by far the greatest amount of fish per 

 person, 10.8 and 11.5 pounds, edible weight, respectively. Consumption averages 

 considerably higher in the Caribbean countries— 35.9 to 43.8 pounds for the Lee- 

 ward and Virgin Islands, French West Indies, Barbados, and Bermuda. Consump- 

 tion is relatively low in the South American countries, except for French and 

 British Guiana, Surinam, and Venezuela, which range from 16.4 to 43.6 pounds. 



In Europe most countries consume well over the world average. As might be 

 expected, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden-54.7 to 67.9 pounds, fillet weight— top 

 the hst, followed by Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Portugal. Little rehable 

 information is available for the African, Asiatic, and Oceanic countries, but con- 

 sumption is reported relatively very high— 74.0 to 106.7 pounds, including fresh 

 and processed fish— in Siam, the Philippines, Japan, and Burma.* 



The Food and Agriculture Organization has grouped the countries of the 

 world in the following four categories, after attempting to convert all available 

 data to an edible weight basis for a normal year (Anon., 1949) : 



(a) Very low consumption countries (less than 5 kg. or 11 lbs. per capita) : 

 Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Rumania, 



Switzerland, Yugoslavia. 



India, China, Java and Madura, Turkey. 



British Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, 

 Panama, Salvador. 



Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Repubhc, Haiti. 



Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay. 



Algeria, Egypt, French Morocco, Kenya and Uganda, Madagascar, Tan- 

 ganyika, Tunisia, Union of South Africa. 



(b) Intermediate consumption countries (5.0-9.9 kg. or 11-21.8 lbs. per capita) : 

 Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg. 



Australia, Ceylon, New Zealand. 



* Anon., 1948; Anon., 1949; Frank, 1944; Sherr, Power, and Kahn, 1948 and 1949; 

 Tousigant, 1948; Van Vliet and Snaith, 1949. 



