Matthews. — Problems of Commercial Fisheries. 199 



ment at one time established reduction plants in Nova Scotia. At 

 Liverpool, England, a plant has been earning $400 a ton for the fats 

 and $100 a ton for the poultry meal made from fish residues. To 

 us the value of dessicated fish powder as a food for pigs and 

 cattle, if not for men, as in Japan, is hardly known. Fish scrap 

 contains practically all the elements of an ideal fertilizer for nearly 

 every agricultural purpose; fish meal furnishes an excellent food 

 for cattle and poultry. A very fine grade of leather is made from 

 the skins of some of the larger species, principally the shark and 

 porpoise. The scales of certain varieties, notably the shad, are 

 valuable in the manufacture of artificial pearls. The best kind of 

 glue is a product of fish skins. 



With the increased demand for dressed and fillet fish, much 

 residue accumulates in plants where these operations are conducted, 

 but very little of this residue is utilized and is only a source of 

 expense to the operators for its removal. In the meat industry the 

 by-products are far more valuable than the dressed meat that is 

 sold to the consumer. Every particle of the animal is utilized for 

 some commercial purpose. The great volume of waste material 

 and non-food fish that are now destroyed could be collected and 

 utilized in the manufacture of various articles of commerce which 

 would greatly enhance the value of the fisheries. 



EDUCATION. 



Technical knowledge is a very important asset in the fishing 

 industry. Some of our institutions of higher learning, notably the 

 University of Washington and the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- 

 nology, have included fisheries and fish-cultural courses in their 

 curriculums. Fishery engineering will do much to place the in- 

 dustry on a higher plane than is possible by any other means. 

 Every commercial fish producing state should have at least one tech- 

 nical institution where persons engaged in or intending to enter 

 into some phase of the industry, can take courses pertaining to 

 the fisheries; and for those who, for various reasons, cannot take 

 the time to attend resident colleges and who wish to increase their 

 knowledge, there should be extension courses provided. 



Nearly every one from the producer to the consumer is in 

 need of education to a greater or less extent. The producers could 

 be benefitted by instruction in various economical methods of taking 

 fish, packing and shipping other than now in common use. Many 



