310 FOUNDERS OF OCEANOGRAPHY 



of the generic title was taken and is now firmly established 

 in common use. When the fishery had been in existence 

 for twelve months (1916) the known catch amounted to 

 upwards of 10,250,000 pounds, valued at more than 

 $400,000. During the fiscal year 1917 the tile-fish landed 

 reached 11,641,500 pounds, and the receipts of the fishermen 

 exceeded $477,730. 



Having established this fishery, the Bureau then entered 

 on a campaign to convert one of the most destructive and 

 neglected fishes of the Atlantic coast, the spiny dog-fish, 

 into a valuable asset ; and the first step taken was to suggest 

 a change in the name of the fish for trade purposes. We 

 are told that people in all parts of the country will eat 

 *' cat-fish," but are prejudiced against " dog-fish," so the 

 Bureau altered the name of the latter to " gray-fish," which 

 " is descriptive, not pre-occupied, and altogether unobjec- 

 tionable." (Commissioner's Report for 1917.) 



There was apparently at first much prejudice and opposition 

 to be overcome, but the Commissioner tells us that " an 

 early feature of the campaign was the complete change in 

 the fishermen's attitude after they had become fully in- 

 formed as to the Bureau's plans ; and the autumn of 1916 

 witnessed the extraordinary sight of New England fishermen 

 going out specially for gray-fish and selling their catch at 

 remunerative prices for food." It soon became evident 

 that the demand far surpassed the supply. The canned 

 fish met with a ready sale, and were soon all disposed of 

 as " the goods proved to be not only one of the best canned 

 products on the market, but also one of the most economical 

 to the consumer, who could buy at retail for 10 cents a can 

 containing 14 ounces net weight of fish. ' ' Again — ' ' Although 

 the canned product had been known to the trade and public 

 only since October, in April, 1917, it was known to be handled 

 by dealers in 128 cities and towns in New York and Pennsyl- 

 vania alone, and by May the fish was on sale by retailer^ 

 in 30 states and the Pistrict of Columbia." 



