PROBLEMS OF THE COMMERCIAL FISHERIES FROM 

 PRODUCER TO CONSUMER. 



By J. H. Matthews 

 New York, N. Y. 



It would be manifestly impossible to detail all the problems 

 confronting the commercial salt water fisheries. Each branch of 

 the industry has its own problems, which are seriously reflected 

 in all other branches. 



The problems of the producer begin to develop before he lands 

 his first fish. A fisherman must first obtain his boats and equip 

 them with the necessary nets, gear, bait, ice, etc. He must secure a 

 license to operate his boats. He must have packages in which to 

 ship his fish to market. Often he must employ extra labor in the 

 handling of his production. It is often necessary for him to seek 

 financial assistance to outfit his operations. Many times, his equip- 

 ment and season's work are mortgaged far beyond their intrinsic 

 worth. He sometimes spends days, even weeks, without taking 

 enough fish to supply even his own family. When production be- 

 comes great and when he should receive the greatest returns for 

 his labor and investments, he usually finds the market glutted and 

 his returns probably no greater than a small percentage of his 

 catch would bring if production was equal to demand. 



There are times when he is made to suffer financial loss by 

 unnecessary restrictive legislation. Many bills are presented in our 

 legislatures, imposing prohibitory license fees and taxes on pro- 

 duction, regulating the size mesh of nets and the length of seines, 

 prohibiting fishing in certain areas, regulating the seasons when 

 certain varieties may be taken, and various items in opposition to 

 the needs and interests of the fisherman, and absolutely unessential 

 to conservation. The fisherman's calling, though of equal import- 

 ance, is more precarious than many other branches of industry. 

 He should receive the same measure of support and encourage- 

 ment as that now extended by the Government to other industries. 



Many of the problems of production could be solved by the 

 Federal Government with the cooperation of the various states and 

 through appropriations for the Bureau of Fisheries large enough 

 to broaden and expand the work to include exhaustive research 



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