REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



USE OF FISHERY PRODUCTS IN PORTO RICO. 



Porto Eico is reported to have between 800,000 and 1,000,000 inhab- 

 itants. That fishery products form an important portion of the food 

 supply of the island is shown by the importation, in 1897, of about 

 34,156,000 pounds of dried, pickled, canned, and other fish valued at 

 $2,123,931. The total imports for the year furnished for each inhabi- 

 tant an average of from 30 to 40 pounds of fish. The value of imported 

 fishery products, with the duty paid on the same during the five years 

 named, was as follows : 



With the exception of occasional small shipments, principally of 

 canned fish, to grocers, this large amount of imported fish is handled 

 by a comi^aratively small number of commission merchants, whose 

 principal business is in sugar and cofi'ee. In some cases the merchants 

 own and work plantations, and all of them make large advances on 

 crops which they dispose of by direct sales or as forwarding agents, 

 thus providing return cargoes to vessels arriving with fish. A number 

 of firms have branch houses at the three leading ports of Ponce, San 

 Juan, and Mayaguez, where they have long been established. The old 

 leading firms have a high rating for integrity and fiuancial standing. 



The manner of receiving and handling fish is similar at all ports, with 

 some variations due to port charges, different climatic conditions, etc. 



Dry and pickled fish are received more or less regularly throughout 

 the year, mostly from Halifax and Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. A few 

 cargoes arrive from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, and occasionally a cargo 

 comes from St. Johns, Newfoundland. The total receipts of dry and 

 pickled fish in 1897 amounted to 33,449,422 pounds, being from the 

 following localities : 



Pounds. 



North American British Possessions 28, 048, 735 



United States 4,909,141 



All other sections 491, 546 



This amount approximated 85 per cent of dry fish and 15 per cent of 

 pickled fish, the proportions of dry fish by species being 90 per cent 

 cod, 7 per cent haddock, and 3 j)er cent hake. As received, the propor- 

 tion of a cargo of 2,000 quintals would be about as follows: 425 tierces, 

 100 to 150 drums, 100 boxes, 100 half-boxes. Tierces contain 450 pounds 

 net, drums 125 to 140 pounds, boxes 100 pounds, half-boxes 50 pounds. 



The climate of Porto Eico, with its months of warm, damp weather 

 and much rain, is very trying on dry fish. If not j)roperly cured they 

 will soon turn red or become soft and otherwise unmarketable. Fish 

 from the United States would i)robably have to be cured harder than 



