258 EIGHTH PACIFIC SCIENCE CONGRESS 



In 1952, ten species (Table II) formed about 92 per cent of the 

 total fish catch, with a single species, hake, accounting for more than 

 68 per cent of the total fish production. 



c) Disposal of the Catch. 



On the basis of the 1951 figures Table III has been prepared giving 

 the utilization of the catch and for each item the weight of raw ma- 

 terial and of the edible portion. The latter data are needed to estimate 

 the per caput consumption. 



There is a great spread in production per capita, from the lowest, 

 S kilos in the southern zone of Puerto Montt, to 20-22 kilos in the 

 northern districts. It shows that the production in the middle zones 

 is not large enough to satisfy the demand of its large urban areas. In 

 spite of the commerce between the zones which should help to distribute 

 fish caught more equally according to the population, there seems to 

 be big differences in fish available for domestic consumption between 

 the various zones. The largest export of fresh fish takes place from the 

 Talcahuano zone, from which a large proportion of its production of 

 fresh fish is shipped, mainly to Santiago. This reduces quantities avail- 

 able for local consumption in this big fishery zone considerably. An 

 influencing factor when considering fresh fish available for the domestic 

 market is the season of the year. Taking the most important fish, Mer- 

 luza is caught in only four months, from August to November, and 

 50% of Sierra in the four months from January to April. Since 50% 

 of fish consumption is in fresh fish, it is obvious that, if consumption is 

 to increase, consuming centres must have better storage and distribution 

 facilities. 



The Commercial Fisheries in all Latin America, but particularly 

 in Chile, are generally slow to improve products or to develop new 

 techniques, to exploit untapped resources, correct wasteful fishing me- 

 thods or to utilize their raw materials with economical possibility. This 

 backwardness is probably the consequence of the very diffused char- 

 acter of the fishing industry, ordinarily comprising small individual 

 enterprises widely scattered along extensive coast lines and involving 

 great diversity of local fisheries based on notoriously unstable supply. 



4. Value of the Catch 

 The value of the catch in 1952 as paid to the fishermen has been 

 estimated at 589 million pesos; 432 million for fish and 157 million for 

 shellfish. Consumers paid around 1250 million pesos for fresh fish and 

 shellfish and about 750 million for processed fish, making a total value 

 paid by the consumers of about 1.52 billion pesos. 



