REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES XXIII 



fisheries and markets in foreign countries to producers who compete 

 in the foreign market. Attention was directed to both the technologi- 

 cal and economic phases of the salt-fish trade, and constructive sug- 

 gestions were provided for the solution of its problems. 



TECHNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS 



Fishery technology as practiced by the bureau has to do with im- 

 provement of existing and the development of new equipment, 

 methods, products, and practices within the dilferent branches of 

 the fishing industry, and with the proper utilization of its wastes 

 ^nd by-products. The accomplishment of these ends calls for the 

 application of science in many forms and the carrying out of quite 

 widely diversified research, both as to type and purpose. Knowledge 

 of i^ractices thus gained is then jjresented to the industry, and the 

 application of such practices thereto directed and pushed until they 

 become integral parts of it. 



The fishery industries offer almost a virgin field for work of this 

 nature, and a large amount of it must be done before these industries 

 <;an be placed in the same class as others that supply the Nation 

 with food. Well-directed efforts along these lines may be expected 

 to and do yield large returns. The success that is now being attained 

 with the bureau's net-preservative and sardine-canning investiga- 

 tions bears out this statement. 



The policy of the bureau is to carry on such technological inves- 

 tigations as are possible with the limited funds and personnel avail- 

 able for this purpose. The endeavor is made to select broad funda- 

 mental studies, which are urgent, which promise to be of the great- 

 est value to the largest number, and which the industry itself is 

 least capable of undertaking. In this work the direct results are 

 not the only ones obtained. A successful investigation gives general 

 confidence in what science can do for the fishery industries and leads 

 to independent initiative in fishery technology. 



CANNING SARDINES 



In the bureau's experimental laboratory at San Pedro, Calif., con- 

 tinued attention has been given to the technology of sardine canning. 

 This investigation has been yielding excellent results of evident 

 value to the industry. The observations on the keeping and shipping 

 qualities of packs put up according to the methods mentioned in the 

 last report have been completed. The prevalent opinion that the 

 method of preparing the fish for canning is an important factor in 

 the ability of the canned product to withstand storage and trans- 

 portation does not seem to be true. It was shown by the laboratory 

 that the jffiysical condition of the prepared fish themselves and not 

 the method of preparation is the determining factor. Since the 

 I)reparation of fish for canning as sardines is essentially a process of 

 removing excess water from them, any procedure that effectively 

 accomj^lishes the removal of sufficient moisture without adding any 

 foreign product to the fish, and at the same time leaves them in 

 good physical condition, gives a good final product. 



Partial drying by moving warm air has so far been an essential 

 step in all successful commercial methods of preparing fish for can- 



