34 ' REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. 
markets for the meat of these creatures. It appears that the oily 
taste, which may be more or less objectionable to some, can be avoided 
by removing the connective tissue which lies between the blubber and 
the meat. 
UTILIZATION OF FISH WASTE AND WASTE FISH. 
Twenty-five per cent or more of the original weight of fish is in- 
edible. It is possible to convert this residue into products of high 
market value, and more of it should be so employed instead of being 
wasted. In the salmon fisheries of the Pacific coast alone it is esti- 
mated that the value of this material, if fully utilized, would amount 
to several million dollars annually. It is also possible to manufac- 
ture much of this refuse and such fishes as the menhaden into prod- 
ucts having a high economic value. For example, the scrap made 
from menhaden may be converted into fish meal as a feed for hogs, 
poultry, and cattle, rather than into fertilizer with which to grow 
feeds. The best use man can make of fish is to eat it. In like fashion, 
_ the best use for fish scrap is to feed it to stock intended to supply 
the wants of man. By the employment of the animal manure as a 
fertilizer, it can be made to serve both purposes. 
In the case of fish meal greater progress has been made abroad 
than in the United States. For a number of years before the war, 
the Germans not only used all they could produce but imported many 
thousand tons annually from Great Britain and Norway. Consider- 
ing the costs of transportation, manufacture, and distribution, it is 
evident that the product was highly valued. Feeding experiments 
conducted abroad and in this country have demonstrated this value. 
One cause that has militated against the use of this product has 
been the impression that the flesh of animals to which it is fed will 
become flavored thereby. This feeling is presumably due to the fact 
that the flesh of animals reared in fishing camps and villages and 
supplied with an excessive or unlimited diet of fish acquires a fishy 
taste. As a matter of fact, if the animals are fed intelligently on 
fish meal with a low oil content, no untoward effects will be expe- 
rienced. 
Fish meal may be prepared by the same general methods as are 
now employed in the manufacture of the scrap for fertilizer; that 
is, by steam cooking, pressing, and drying. In addition, it may be 
necessary to grind it for the purpose of breaking up such sharp 
spines and pointed bones as remain. It should be made from fresh 
raw material, under sanitary conditions, dried at a sufficiently low 
temperature to prevent scorching, and should contain preferably not 
more than 10 per cent of fat (oil). It is suggested that those employ- 
ing hot-air driers use charcoal or anthracite and avoid the use of 
long-flaming fuels to prevent scorching. It should be evident that 
the higher the percentage of oil in the meal, the greater will be the 
care required in feeding it. As fish meal is a protein food, it is to 
the advantage of the producer to reduce the oil content to a mini- 
mum, and thus obtain a higher protein (ammonia) analysis. Furs 
iheymnere, the oil has a higher value when sold as such than if left in 
the meal. 
