FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 17 



have been developed in many cases at heavy cost without a defi- 

 nite understanding of the underlying principles and adequate 

 control of the results. These factors do not make for uniformity 

 of pack and have added materially to the cost of production and 

 therefore to the price of the product to the ultimate consumer. 

 In addition, some species of fishes which were abundant were not 

 being canned for the lack of development of suitable methods. 

 The two major functions of the work were, therefore, to develop 

 new methods and to establish standard methods which will yield 

 standard products. 



The Pacific coast mackerel (Scomher japonicus) is present in large 

 numbers on the southern California coast, being particularly abmidant 

 from June to December, inclusive. The principal fishing centers are 

 Monterey, San Pedro, and San Diego. Because of the lack of de- 

 mand, little attention has been given to the development of the 

 fishery, considerable quantities of that brought in going to the 

 reduction works. In 1918 the Bureau conducted experiments in 

 salting this fish, which indicated that in color and flavor it was 

 hardly the ec[ual of the usual run of salt mackerel on the market. 

 Because of its abundance, favorable food qualities, and lack of 

 demand for it for food pm-poses, the laboratory has given more 

 attention to perfecting methods of canning this fish than to any 

 other. More than 80 different packs have been put up for examina- 

 tion and several methods of promise developed. The packers have 

 been interested in the results achieved to such an extent as to urge 

 the release of the better methods. This has been granted with the 

 imderstanding that final tests have not been completed. The 

 California pack of mackerel in 1919 exceeded 9,000 cases, and the 

 increasing interest and tendency of the packers to handle this fish 

 indicate a much larger pack in the future. 



In addition to the experiments with mackerel, bonito, barracuda, 

 pilchard, sea bass, smelt, the tunas, and yellowtail have received 

 attention, and several hundred packs of the various species are being 

 held in storage for examination at fixed intervals. Among the 

 problems needing solution are the development of means for over- 

 coming the unpleasant odor and taste encountered in packs of 

 bonito and the detinning of the cans in packs of such fishes as the 

 barracuda. The work done and the interest shown by the trade 

 seem but to accentuate the need for a continuation of investigations 

 in this field. 



NEW ENGLAND VESSEL FISHERIES. 



The vessel fisheries centering at Boston and Gloucester, Mass., and 

 Portland, Me., were in a prosperous condition during the past year, 

 although the total nmnber of trips and the catch were not so largo 

 as in the previous year. The decrease in the number of trips was 

 largest at Gloucester. The products landed at Boston fell ofi^ 5.55 

 per cent in quantity and 28.45 per cent in value, at Gloucester 3.78 

 per cent in quantity and 29.94 per cent in value, and at Portland less 

 than 1 per cent in quantity and 21.76 per cent in value. The fisheries 

 were affected to some extent, no doubt, by the economic changes 

 following the war period and also by unsettled labor conditions. A 

 strike of the fishermen in July and August resulted in a large falling 

 off in the catch landed by the fishing fleet in those months as com- 



