338 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



species of fish, including salmon (ocean-caught), lake trout, halibut, cod, and 

 haddock, are gutted on the boats because of the danger of intestinal putrefaction. 

 Species in which this is not so likely to occur are usually brought ashore "in the 

 round" (i.e., not gutted or beheaded). In fact, for purposes of freezing it is better 

 not to gut or behead the fish. When the boats remain out for some days, crushed 

 ice is carried; as the fish are caught, they are gutted and packed in the ice. In the 

 halibut and salmon fishery of the northwest coast the heads are left on to prevent 

 the leaching out of the cut surfaces that would otherwise occur on exposure to 

 melting ice. The heads are removed on arrival of the fish at the freezer. In the 

 preliminary icing it is important that the ice be crushed fine so as not to bruise 

 the fish. The fish should be placed in ice immediately and the poke or belly cavity 

 filled with ice. Care should be taken that the fish are not packed too deep as 

 those in the bottom of the pile may be partly crushed. Bruising or crushing greatly 

 accelerates autolysis. Glacier ice is sometimes used in emergency in Alaska, but is 

 very unsatisfactory and should be avoided. Sometimes a boat may remain out 

 2, or even 3 weeks. In such cases the fish caught earUer on the trip are in ex- 

 ceedingly poor condition— soft, blanched, and even sour. Such fish should not be 

 frozen. 



In the public warehouse freezers the handling of fish previous to arrival is 

 beyond the control of the freezer. The fish are usually in boxes or barrels in which 

 they have been delivered or shipped, and are of unknown history. 



Landing, Inspecting, and Grading 



In the case of fishing boats the fish, on arrival at the freezer, are usually landed 

 by an electric hoist. Halibut are generally hoisted in a large net bag, made of 

 /2-inch Manila rope. Though highly efficient, this bag bends the fish and the 

 ropes bruise them. Better means are used for salmon; for example, strong boxes 

 are lined with galvanized iron and provided with rope handles at the ends, like 

 a trunk. The two ends are outwardly inclined so that when the contents are 

 dumped, they slide easily and gently on the floor from the inchned ends, bruises 

 being thereby avoided. Pewing or forking, though sometimes resorted to, is ex- 

 tremely objectionable and should not be practiced. Even when a single tine pew 

 is used and stuck in the head, frequent accidental wounds are made in the 

 edible parts of the fish. 



When the fish are landed, they are, in the case of haUbut, first beheaded. The 

 beheaders lift the fish by the head by means of a meat hook and strike off the 

 head with a heavy butcher knife, one blow usually sufficing. 



Inspection. If frozen fish do not occupy the place in public esteem that they 

 should, it is mainly because of insufficient inspection and rejection of poor 

 quality fish. The inspection should be directed to two objects: grading into sizes 

 for the purpose of paying the fishermen (where necessary) and grading into 

 quality for acceptability. The size gradings are too numerous and varied to be con- 

 sidered here. The quality grading, however, is of utmost importance in every lot 

 of fish to be frozen and requires the skilled eye of an experienced judge of fish. 



Washing and Panning 



If fish are in the round, they are washed. If butchered, especially the high 

 class fish such as chinook salmon, they are beheaded and the bits of kidney and 



