PRODUCTS OF THE SEA — SEXPLOITATION AND UTILIZATION 195 



and two thirds processed. In East Pakistan roughly 80 per cent is con- 

 sumed fresh. The products of processing are cured fish, cured prawns, 

 fish fertihzer, fish meal, shark fins, isinglass and liver oil. 



Handling and Transport: Of the fresh fish the greater proportion 

 is handled with primitive apparatus and without any means of pre- 

 servation. The catch generally must suffer the exigencies of inefficient 

 transport, careless handling and inadequate use of ice. 



Transport facilities are varied and primitive. Use is made of head- 

 loads, bicycles, animal carts and some motor transport. Some use is 

 also made of water transport. In estuarine areas salt is used if the fish 

 is to travel more than 50 miles. The fish rarely arrives at the market 

 and less often reaches the consumer in good condition. 



Processing: Fish is commonly processed by (1) sun-drying, (2) 

 salting, (3) salting and sun-drying, and (4) smoking. Salting and sub- 

 sequent sun-drying is most extensively used in West Pakistan whilst in 

 East Pakistan sun-drying and wet-salting are equally important. Smok- 

 ing, which is of minor importance, is employed only in East Pakistan. 

 Fertilizers are produced by sun-drying the fish or fish offals and subse- 

 quently crushing them. Shark livers are heated in pans by direct fire 

 except in the case of a small quantity of medicinal liver oil produced 

 in East Pakistan by the Provincial Directorate of Fisheries. 



The curing yards are inefficient. They provide no elevated plat- 

 form for dressing fish and most of all, supply of running water in these 

 curing yards is totally absent. Brining tanks where available are built- 

 in and cannot be drained out. 



Fish are dried on bare ground or on woven mats. Wooden racks 

 are uncommon. 



The smoking kiln is an open pit where local wood or sawdust is 

 allowed to smoulder. No care is taken in the choice of wood or in 

 regulating the rate of burning. 



Salt employed for curing is mixed with sand and mud and contains 

 high amounts of sulphates, calcium, and magnesium. 



The finished product is generally of poor quality. Unsatisfactory 

 colour and texture, off -flavour and signs of rancidity are noticeable 

 in the cured fish. Considerable damage is caused to the product dur- 

 ing storage as the product is left under inadequate and unsatisfactory 

 storage conditions for long periods. 



Marketing and Distribution: Fish supplies are accumulated at 

 various collection centres. These centres do not have established market 

 places, nor are they hygienic or efficient in any sense of these words; 

 many of the operations take place on bare ground. In general, the 'fish 

 market' consists of little more than some space and perhaps a few 

 benches allotted in the general market for the selling of fish. In Karachi, 



