34 COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



Your Commission believes that the sportsmen of the United 

 States should be told of the possibilities suggested by the facts above 

 enumerated, and that it is the duty of the Rhode Island Commission 

 to encourage and foster this possible new industry for the citizens 

 of the State. 



Another phase of this same industry is the possibility of more 

 effectually preparing the products of this fishery for the market. 

 In California as may be seen from the following quotation from an 

 article written by Mr. Wiseman for the Fishing Gazette, there is 

 a very considerable industry established in canning tuna. 



"Perhaps at no time in the history of the fish business has a new 

 canned fish met with such instant public favor, in so comparatively 

 short a time, as has tuna fish. Considering the very little advertising 

 that has been done by the Pacific Coast packers, it is really remarkable 

 the rapid growth the hidustry has enjoyed. The deliciousness and 

 the wholesomeness, together with its economical features (packed 

 without skin, bones or water) , has in a great measure been the cause 

 of its popularity, and the advertising has been done mainly by word 

 of mouth. 



"The industry is in reality about three years old, although tima 

 was put up ten years ago, but was not forced on the market, owing 

 to many objectionable features which had to be eliminated in order 

 to produce a finished palatable product. The principal objection 

 was an excess of fish oil, which at that time they had no Imowledge 

 of a process for removing. This has been overcome, however, and 

 now 95 per cent, of the fish oil is extracted before the product goes 

 into the cans. 



"The American tuna fish must not be confused with the Italian 

 tunny, caught in the Mediterranean Sea, which possibly belongs to 

 the same family, but weighs on an average of 1,000 pounds, so 

 naturally is a tougher, darker, coarser-grained meat, resembling veal, 

 while the American tuna resembles more the white meat of chicken. 



"The tmia caught on the Pacific Coast belongs to the mackerel 

 family, and the average weight is about 30 or 35 lbs. There are four 

 species of tuna which inhabit the waters of the Pacific Coast, princi- 

 pally north of San Diego and south of Santa Barbara, between the Cal- 



