1931 ANNUAL REPORT. 1930 35 



cod." She also made fish cakes from burbot and reported that they had "a fresh, delicate flavour 

 and were as good as, or superior to those made from cod." However, in view of its repulsive 

 appearance she considered that burbot in its "natural" state could not be commercialized success- 

 fully, but "if it were filleted and sold under a trade name there is no reason why, through its fine 

 flavour and te.xture, it should not become very popular." 



Burbot was also sent to various homes in the city where several methods of cooking were 

 used by the housewives, including baking, frying, broiling, and steaming. In some cases the fish 

 were filleted and made into special dishes. AH reported that the fish was very tasty^ 



There is also the possibility of creating a market for burbot livers. They are of large size, 

 being about 10 per cent, of the round weight of the fish. Excellent recipes for the canning and 

 cooking of burbot livers served as soups, toasts, liver loaf, and as fillings for tomatoes and so on, 

 have been prepared by Dr. A. Marlatt of the Home Economics Department of the University 

 of Wisconsin. Investigations into the effect of burbot livers in dietaries, with particular regard 

 to pernicious anaemia, are being carried on in the Toronto General Hospital. 



Miss Templin has shown that burbot roe is a delicacy. To quote her words, "and this when 

 placed on hot buttered toast and seasoned, seemed as attractive as any roe. Thus the roe of the 

 burbot which occurs in great abundance, might be used to as great an extent as any other.'J*< 



This brought to an end what might be termed the experimental stage in the utilization of 

 burbot. This summer . . . the Fish Culture Branch, of the Department of Game and Fisheries, made 

 possible the next step — the utilization of burbot on a commercial basis. Realizing the importance 

 of this problem and the necessity for government assistance in its continuation . . . made it 

 possible for the writer to make a survey of the available supply of burbot in the Great Lakes and 

 to look into those local markets where burbot was sold, in an attempt to decide which method 

 of handling is most feasible. At the same time the co-operation of the Great Lakes' fishermen in 

 creating a market was obtained. 



/ Burbot, cleaned and skinned, were supplied to various hotels and restaurants in Toronto. 

 Their chefs were asked to cook these fish and to forward their opinions to the Department. The 

 following quotation from one of these expressions of opinion will serve as an example of their 

 conclusions, "The burbot which you sent me were excellent and compare very favourably with 

 any fish which I have obtained from the wholesalers^^^ It is obviously possible, therefore, to 

 put burbot on the market as edible food. To avoid tire disadvantage of its repulsive appearance 

 it will be necessary to skin the fish, but this can be done easily and rapidly. A pamphlet containing 

 a short account of the history of burbot and recipes for the serving of burbot as food is now being 

 prepared. Plans for its marketing . . . are being considered. 



/Other than the backbone, burbot is boneless and excellent fillets can be made from it. It 

 can be salted as ocean cod is salted and is equally good. Burbot can also be pickled or preserved 

 as "strip fish" and in some instances has been smoked successfuUy./Frozen fillets made by rapid 

 brine freezing as de\"eloped by the Biological Board of Canada would be a means of preser\ing 

 any, surplus. 



X Fish meal was made from burbot by Mr. W. Stewart of the Atlantic Fisheries' Experimental 

 Station and on chemical analysis compared favourably with commercial fish meal. It seems safe 

 to predict a movement for the manufacture of by-products, such as fish meal, in the Great Lakes' 

 fishing industry. This would be one method for disposal of burbot./^ 



Since the burbot is a relative of the cod, it was considered that the liver oil might ser\e 

 medicinally as cod liver oil. The therapeutic effect of cod liver oil lies in its content of two fat- 

 soluble vitamins, A and D, which are necessary for normal growth, for the formation of good 

 teeth and bones and to aid the body to resist infection. ^The writer extracted oil from burbot 

 livers by the direct steam method, which is now generally used in the manufacture of medicinal 

 cod liver oil. The yield, colour, and taste of the oil compares very favourably with cod liver oil. 

 The vitamin A potency of the oil. tested biologically, is about 500 units per gram or better, and 

 compares excellently with medicinal cod liver oil obtained in the open market. The vitamin D 

 potency of burbot liver oil was also shown to be as good as, if not better than medicinal cod liver 

 oil. Dr. Marlatt, at about the same time, working at Wisconsin, reported that, "burbot liver 

 oil may be classed with cod liver oil as an excellent source of the antirachitic vitamin". .^. 



The prospect for future marketing of burbot looks bright and without doubt this fish can 

 be turned into a source of profit to the fishermen. Its edible qualities can no longer be disputed, 

 and as an added source of profit the liver oil might be manufactured while the liver itself may find 

 a profitable market. 



The Cinderella of the Fish World, disguised because of its homely appearance, should take 

 its proper place among the recognized profitable commercial fish. 



Annually the Branch receives numerous representations to remove blue-gills, 

 perch, rock bass, calico bass, and catfish, and also rare requests to commence 

 culturing the same by artificial or semi-artificial methods. It is sufficient to 

 say, and this is equally true of all species, that they should not be removed until 

 a very thorough biological study of each situation warrants such a course. A 

 glance at the Fourth Biennial Report. 1927-1928, Conservation Department for 

 the vState of Michigan, and the Twentieth Annual Report, State of New York 



