vicinity of the 9 to 1 1 pounds per year (edible 

 weight) that has prevailed over a long period, with 

 sliift factors rouglily offsetting one another. On 

 this basis, total edible fish consumption should 

 increase at approximately the same rate as popula- 

 tion, with greater increases in the demand for 

 relatively high valued species and those that lend 

 themselves to convenient storage and pre-prepara- 

 tion. This is the conclusion reached by Landsberg, 

 Fischman, and Fisher, and it parallels a similar 

 analysis of demand for fish products in Canada 

 conducted several years ago by W. C. MacKenzie 

 (1961). 



The forecast of national demand for industrial 

 fish products is much more favorable. The major 

 items will continue to be fish meal and oil, both of 

 which are still reaching new users and cutting into 

 the markets of competing products. Since meal 

 and oil are sold on a highly competitive world 

 market, however, the U.S. competitive position 

 must be improved if it is to share in growth of the 

 domestic market. 



A second range of possibilities for expansion 

 has been opened up by the development of fish 

 protein concentrates for human consumption. This 

 exciting new facet of the fishing industry is 

 discussed in detail later. At this point, the panel 

 simply notes that the technological problems of 

 producing an acceptable product are weU along 

 toward solution, and it is beUeved that plants now 

 in the planning stage will be able to produce fish 

 protein concentrate at or below the critical cost 

 level. While the peculiar marketing difficulties 



associated with dietary supplements of this type 

 must still be resolved, the future appears briglit for 

 fisheries whose catches can be converted into fish 

 protein concentrate. The basic experimental work 

 was conducted with lean white fish (hake) but 

 there is no reason to doubt that a wide range of 

 other species not otherwise marketable can be 

 used with the same process. 



Demand for fish protein concentrate from both 

 national and international governmental sources 

 should grow to substantial proportions given the 

 keen interest in world nutritional problems. Over 

 the long run, however, the necessity of using bulk 

 supplies of very cheap fish and the pressure to 

 promote local industry in underdeveloped areas 

 suggest strongly that the American share of total 

 fish protein concentrate production will fall, 

 though the absolute level may continue upward 

 even after world production begins to expand. 



It should be noted that U.S. demand for fishery 

 products is highly selective, with a strong prefer- 

 ence for relatively high priced fish and shellfish. 

 Eight species groups of the 55 taken in commercial 

 quantities by U.S. fishermen account for 80 per 

 cent of the total catch value; seven of these would 

 be considered high valued items, and the other- 

 menhaden— is used largely for meal and oil (much 

 of which end up as poultry, meat, or dairy 

 products). Shrimp, salmon, and tuna alone ac- 

 count for nearly 50 per cent of the total landed 

 value of the United States fisheries. 



The sheer magnitude of the total U.S. demand 

 for fish and shellfish is startling. By 1967 con- 



Figure 2. Approximate area of Continental Shelf and upper slope in square miles (nautical) 

 by geographic areas. 



VII-17 



