98 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
INTRODUCTION OF NEW AQUATIC FOODS. 
One of the most useful ways in which the Bureau of Fisheries can 
serve the fishermen and the general fish-eating public is to make 
known new sources of aquatic foods and to assist in establishing fish- 
eries and markets therefor. The conspicuous success achieved in the 
case of the sea mussel has been referred to in previous reports. This 
excellent, abundant, accessible, cheap, and widely distributed shell- 
fish, formerly neglected, has now become a staple in certain important 
markets. Various other water products of great prospective value, 
but now largely unutilized, should be exploited as speedily as possible, 
but the limited funds and facilities at the disposal of the Bureau for 
such work make it impossible to conduct an active campaign with 
more than one or two such articles at one time. In the fiscal year 
1916 one hitherto neglected fish has been given a permanent and im- 
portant place in the fisheries and fish trade by the Bureau’s efforts, and 
a campaign of great prospective consequence has been inaugurated 
with reference to several others. 
In October, 1915, the Bureau undertook to popularize the tilefish in 
the belief that it is a fish of great prospective food value. Its utili- 
zation had been advocated years ago, but the efforts to introduce it 
were not sufficiently comprehensive or sustained to bring success, and 
the fish in reality came into some disrepute because of the failures that 
attended the attempts to give it a commercial status. The task con- 
fronting the Bureau was to induce fishermen to catch the fish, dealers 
to handle the fish, and the public to consume the fish, and to bring all 
this about simultaneously. The effective methods pursued made it 
possible for the Government to withdraw from the campaign within 
one month and to intrust future developments to private enterprise. 
The essential feature of the exploit was the chartering of a regular 
fishing vessel with practical fishermen as its crew. The auxiliary 
schooner Stranger, of Gloucester, carrying 12 men, was the vessel 
selected for the purpose. The Bureau had guaranteed the Stranger 
$1,500 for one month’s service, but in 27 days she caught 38,383 
pounds of tilefish, which, after deducting commissions, sold for 
$2,036.63; and not only was the Bureau at no expense whatever for the 
fishing operations, but the proceeds, taking no account of several thou- 
sand pounds gratuitously distributed for advertising purposes, yielded 
a substantial bonus to the crew over their regular remuneration. 
When the wholesale trade of New York was requested to cooperate 
in the proposed campaign, the unfortunate past stood in the way of 
immediate acquiescence. ‘There is no demand for the fish,” said 
the dealers, but the Bureau explained that getting the fish and creating 
a demand were its part of the work and that all that was desired of the 
trade was a cheerful willingness to handle the fish to satisfy such de- 
mand as might develop. When the first fare was landed in New York 
on October 22, four or five dealers in Fulton Market rather reluctantly 
agreed to handle the fish, some of which were given away and the re- 
mainder sold for 5 cents per pound. When the fourth trip arrived but 
20 days later, 15 dealers were competing for the fish, which sold for 7 
cents. In the interval a demand had arisen which no large wholesale ~ 
or commission house could afford toignore. This demand was created 
solely by an advertising campaign which kept the fish constantly be- 
