APPENDIX III APPENDIX 7 
Adult herring are processed into a variety of products 
including whole, headed and gutted, and filleted herring. 
Most of the adult herring products are exported to Europe. 
Until recently, most adult herring landed were used to make 
fishmeal, but the majority is now used for food production. 
The greatest tonnage of the Pacific herring catch ws 
sold either as whole frozen fish or as frozen bait. Herring 
roe, eggs on kelp, and meal are also processed. In 1974 the 
Alaska Department of Fish and Game reported there were 29 
plants in Alaska involved in the processing of fresh and fro- 
zen herring products. Twenty-five of those plants were in 
the southeastern part of the State and on the Gulf of Alaska. 
Fourteen plants processed herring roe and herring eggs on 
kelp. Only two plants processed herring meal. 
Markets 
Domestic sardine consumption fluctuated between 0.3 and 
0.5 pounds for each person from 1960 to 1974 but declined to 
0.2 pounds in 1975. The decline was due to consumer resist- 
ance to higher prices. In 1960 imports accounted for about 
one-quarter of domestic supplies and by 1974 imports had in- 
creased to about three-quarters. In 1975 the import share 
dropped to about one-half of domestic supplies. Price in- 
creases caused by high foreign inflation rates, currency 
adjustments which favored U.S. products, and depletion of 
European herring stocks were major factors contributing to 
the decline in imports, according to an industry official. 
Domestic consumption of other herring food products is 
small and is limited primarily to smoked or marinated herring. 
Some adult herring products have been exported in recent years 
in response to a strong European demand, combined with the 
depletion of European herring stocks. 
The commercial fishery for herring in Alaska began in the 
late 1800s and since then has supported four distinct types 
Of mindusiery: (1) manufacturing of fishmeal and oil, (2). 
salting and pickling of fish, (3) preparing of the whole fish 
for bait, and (4) processing of the eggs on kelp and roe. 
The bait, and eggs on kelp, and roe industries are now the 
most active in the State. 
A 1972 NMFS report indicated that the commercial bait 
fishery in Alaska had remained stable at about 4.6 million 
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