24 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 
immediate curtailment in production became necessary before the 
program of expansion had been completed and while the costs of 
labor and materials were still advancing. Prices of fishery products 
for domestic use and for export fell and operations in many fields 
became unprofitable, Thus the fishing industry was one of the first 
to feel the necessity for postwar readjustments and to respond to 
that necessity. 
As instances of recent marked changes in the fishery industries 
it may be noted that the decreased production, of the New England 
vessel fisheries between 1918 and 1920 exceeded 25,000,000 pounds, the 
pack of sardines in Maine and California fell off 800,000 cases, and 
the output of canned salmon dropped 3,000,000 cases. The curtail- 
ment of operations in 1921 promises to be even greater in certain 
branches, as the trawler fleet of New England has been idle much of 
the time and a reduction of 50 per cent in the number of operating 
canneries is reported, and because of unsettled conditions in the oil 
and fertilizer trades a number of whaling and menhaden plants have 
been idle. As indicative of the trend of the great foodfish fisheries 
out of New England ports the landings during the first six months 
of 1921 compared with the same period of 1920 showed a decline of 
nearly 15 per cent in quantity and over 31 per cent in value, and 
the average price of all fish dropped from 4.6 cents to 3.68 cents 
per pound. The unfavorable situation has been further compli- 
cated by high transportation rates on fresh fish, which have dis- 
couraged shipments and shortened the distances over which it is 
pr acticable to send many of the low-priced fishes. It is to be said to 
the credit of the industry that it is striving wholeheartedly to meet 
the untoward conditions, to make sacrifices, and to practice such 
economies and to adopt such new policies as may be necessary to cope 
with the situation. 
Under these circumstances it is not surprising that there should 
have been a widespread public appeal to the Bureau for some kind of 
assistance. Without enlarged provision of authority and funds for 
work in this field the Bureaw’s ability to serve the industry has of 
necessity been limited. Nevertheless, 1t has been able to render prac- 
tical aid in numberless cases by suggesting ways and means for effect- 
ing improvements or economies in the methods of handling, manu- 
facturing, and merchandizing water products and by widely dis- 
seminating timely statistical ‘and other information for the use of 
fishermen. dealers, manufacturers, and consumers 
The following may be mentioned among the activ ities during the 
past vear: The initiation of a fisher y intellig gence service on the north- 
east coast for supplying information relative to the presence of 
schooling fish; the effecting of arrangements for an extended trial of 
seaplanes as an adjunct of the fisheries: the collection of information 
regarding the construction and operation of little-known types of 
fishing gear that are adapted for more general use in our fisheries; 
recommendations for improvements in the methods of handling and 
shipping fish as an aid to increased consumption and better prices; 
assistance to producers in securing and transporting materials, such 
as salt and barrels, required for immediate use at a time when fish 
were available; the practical application of methods developed in 
fish-salting investigations: the dissemination of information on the 
preservation of fish nets; the stimulation of the saving and use of 
