THE FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 5 



These fish are marketed fresh, frozen, canned, mild-cured, pickled, 

 (iry-salted, and smoked. The chief method of preservation is by canning. 

 The annual pack valued at $30,000,000 or more is in part exported to all 

 parts of the world. This fishery also yields annually in excess of 1,500 

 tons of fish scrap and meal, and 70,000 gallons of salmon oil. 



Oysters. The oyster industry ranks next to the salmon fishery in 

 importance, although there has been a large decline in recent years- 

 The present annual yield amounts to about 150,000,000 pounds, with a 

 value of nearly $15,000,000 to the fishermen. This fishery is of particular 

 importance along the Atlantic coast from Rhode Island to Louisiana* 

 Oysters are marketed fresh and canned. The annual pack of canned 

 oysters exceeds $2,000,000 in value. The shells are ground and used as 

 grit for poultry or lime for the soil to counteract acidity. The 1921 

 production of these commodities exceeded 259,000 tons. 



Herring. The principal fisheries for members of the herring family 

 are in Maine, California, and Alaska. In Maine the sea herring is fished for 

 intensively chiefly for canning as sardines the annual catch exceeding 

 100,000,000 pounds. The value of the annual pack of sardines has varied 

 in recent years from about $4,000,000 to $12,000,000. In California the 

 pilchard is abundant and is extensively used for canning as sardines, the 

 value of the annual pack varying from $2,250,000 to $3,750,000. In 

 Alaska the Alaska herring is chiefly preserved by salting, including pres- 

 ervation by the Scotch-cure. These fisheries also yield considerable 

 quantities of fish fertilizer, meal, and oil. 



Cod. The principal fisheries for cod lie off the New England and 

 Canadian coasts, chiefly on the fishing banks. Several million pounds 

 of cod are also caught on the banks off the coast of Alaska each year, but 

 this fishery is capable of much greater development. The annual catch 

 of cod exceeds 100,000,000 pounds and is marketed chiefly in the fresh 

 state or salted and dried. 



Haddock. The annual catch of haddock, landed almost entirely at 

 New England fishing ports, amounts to about 90,000,000 pounds, most of 

 which is marketed fresh, salted, and dried or smoked. 



Halibut. Formerly there was an important fishery for halibut on the 

 fishing grounds off the New England and Canadian coasts. With the - 

 partial depletion of this fishery, operations were largely transferred to the 

 west coast, chiefly to the banks off Alaska, and in recent years the bulk 

 of the supply has been obtained from this region. The annual catch of 

 both coasts is about 60,000,000 pounds, the bulk of which is marketed 

 fresh or frozen. 



Menhaden. This fish, occurring along the entire Atlantic coast, is used 

 almost wholly for the production of fish scrap for fertilizer purposes, fish 

 meal for feeding hogs, cattle, and poultry, and fish oil used in the manu- 

 facture of soap, paints, and various other articles. The catch of this 

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