FISHERIES OF CHILE 257 



The Talcahuano zone produces fresh fish, principally hake and 

 cusk eel, with part of the catch sold locally and the balance being 

 shipped by rail to Santiago; it also produces mackerel and sardine for 

 local canneries. 



In the southern zone fishing is mostly of the subsistence type, but 

 being the richest in shellfish, these provinces contain most of the plants 

 processing molluscs and crustaceans. 



b) The Catch. (As indicated by Table I) 



Fish landings have consistently increased since 1944. Figures for 

 previous years, while showing an upward trend evidence some fluctua- 

 tions. The rather spectacular increase in the fish catch is due to the 

 development of the trawl fisheries for hake, offshore along the central 

 section of the country (areas Valparaiso — San Antonio, and Talcahuano). 



Shellfish landings manifest wider fluctuations than fish landings but 

 there is also an apparent trend to rise during the past few years. 



TABLE I 



Chile 



Fish and Shellfish Landings, 1931 to 1951 

 {In Metric Tons) 



Source: Direccion de Pesca y Gaza, Ministerio de Economia y Comercio, Chile. 



