INTRODUCTION. 
OR two reasons there is great need for a rapid expansion of 
F our fishery industry. One of these is the necessity of making 
the most of every available food stuff owing to the present 
world shortage. On the other hand the increased utilization of 
every resource is an essential for the maintenance of our financial 
credit and the payment of our national debt. Among our resources 
our fisheries are of great importance. It is frequently stated that 
we have the greatest fisheries in the world, but however true this 
may be as regards natural endowment, it is not true of the use that 
we have made of them, and if we fail to make proper use of our 
fisheries our heritage will pass to others. A large fishing area lies 
close at hand along our eastern coast, but the greater part of it is 
not within our territorial waters and is therefore open to the world. 
If the proper enterprise is shown in continuing to develop this 
fishing area, we should be able to compete successfully with other 
nations for its control because of our fortunate geographic position. 
Improvements in the methods of handling and transporting the 
fish are however constantly nullifying the advantages we possess in 
our proximity to these rich waters, so that vigorous expansion and 
the use of the most business-like and economical methods are 
necessary if we are not to lose this fishery. 
Foremost among the points to be attacked in this expansion is 
our failure to make proper use of certain kinds of fish that are 
obtainable in large quantities or that are taken as by-products in 
other fisheries and discarded. We purpose furnishing a series of 
accounts of unutilized fishes in order to show what kinds are 
available and to point the way to their utilization. In this series 
it is intended to present in simple form the results of our special 
investigations, the full reports of which will appear elsewhere. 
The chief questions that we shall attempt to answer in these 
accounts are the following. 
What is the most suitable name for the fish? 
How can it be most easily recognized? 
Where is it to be found? 
In what quantity can it be obtained ? 
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