THE FOOD VALUE OF FISH 121 



The last, but by no means the least, important 

 factor to be considered in estimating the food value of 

 any particular fish is its retail price. The price of the 

 different kinds of fishes is by no means proportional to 

 their individual food values. It is determined primarily 

 by the abundance or otherwise of the available supply 

 of each individual species. Thus, the various pelagic 

 fish mackerel, herring, sprat that are easily caught in 

 enormous quantities at certain seasons of the year are 

 by far the most valuable. Of trawl-caught fish, cod and 

 whiting are more plentiful and are, therefore, cheaper 

 than hake, although, again, the cheaper fish has the 

 greater food value. 



In some cases certain fish, although fairly abundant, 

 are in poor demand owing to some prejudice on the part 

 of the public, and are generally sold in poorer districts, 

 or to the fried fish trade, at a disproportionately low 

 price, for example skate, dog-fish, angler fish, John 

 dory. 



Taste and appearance also contribute to the popular- 

 ity and, therefore, indirectly to the retail price of fish, 

 such as the sole and the salmon. 



In Table IV the present retail prices (Sept., 1921) 

 and the food values of a number of different fishes are 

 compared. From these figures, the actual food value 

 per shillingsworth of each fish has been calculated. 



The cheapest fish, therefore, are also those possessing 

 the greatest food value, e.g. the herring in all its forms, 

 dried cod and ling, and mackerel. These compare 

 favourably both in cost and food value with meat, such 

 as beef and mutton. 



Finally, the popularity or otherwise of any food- 

 stuff necessarily depends upon its flavour. Fishes 

 differ greatly in this respect. In many cases the flavour 

 of a fish can be seriously impaired by an unsuitable 



9 <1457H) 



