EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 243 



1902 v/as $1,005,744, of which only ^101,329 came from the United 

 States. 



Seaweeds. — Pending the time when the valuable seaweeds now going 

 to waste on the United States coasts will be utilized in various wa3?^s, 

 it may be possible to market large quantities of the raw weeds in Japan, 

 where seaweeds are among the most valuable and most widely used of 

 water products. Those species which are convertible into vegetable 

 isinglass {kanten) and into the preparation {funori) used for stiffening 

 fabrics are in greatest demand and command high prices. The best 

 markets are Tokyo and Osaka. 



The products which the Japanese would like to export to the United 

 Sta^tes are salted bulFs-eye mackerel, salted herring, salted and canned 

 sardines, salted cod, smoked bonito, and various preparations of sea- 

 weed. In view of the large quantities of salted mackerel, salted her- 

 ring, and canned sardines now imported into the United States from 

 Europe — the home suppl}^ being inadequate — the importation of con- 

 siderable quantities of these commodities from Japan could be under- 

 taken without detriment to our own fisheries. 



