July 1951 COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIiW ■ 35 



The cured fish trade is also going into the 1951 marketing season under more 

 favorable auspices than prevailed a year ago. There is virtually no carry-over of 

 salted fish of 1950 production; access to Mediterranean markets has been assured 

 for Gaspe and Newfoundland fish; and there are signs of strength in the market, due 

 mainly to improved market conditions for frozen fish in Europe which have relieved 

 SOUK of the pressure on salted fish. However, as long as import restrictions in 

 such large markets as Brazil continue, marketing difficiilties will not entirely 

 disappear. Other cured fish have fairly good prospects in 1951; pickled fish and 

 bloaters will probably find easier access to British West Indies markets; while 

 the prospects of dry-salted herring depend on developments in the Far East. 



The market for fish meal and industrial oils is expected to maintain its im- 

 proved appearance, but vitamin oils will continue to suffer from heavy competition. 



China (Communist IVlainland) 



FISHERIES DEVELOPIia'MT URGED ; The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture issued a 

 directive on fishery production, calling upon various government and fishery agencies 

 to organize the fishermen for mutual-aid, a May 25 American consular dispatch from 

 Hong Kong announces. The directive issued from Peking on April 16 also urged the 

 strengthening of transportation facilities for fishery products, the effective util- 

 ization of fishery loans, and the strengthening of the operation of the State's 

 fishery enterprises. 



Costa Rica 



TUNA RE -EXPORTS NOT SUBJECT TO CERTAIN PROVISIONS W_ EXCHANGE CONTROL LAW ; Fish 

 caught in Costa Rican extraterritorial waters, when re-exported, are not subject to 

 the export license provisions of the current Law for Control of International Trans- 

 actions, according to Law No. I304, promulgated and effective on June I9, I95I. This 

 Law has been enacted to clarify provisions of the International Transactions Control 

 Law as they apply to tuna taken outside of Costa Rican waters' and brought to Punta- 

 renas for refrigeration and subsequent shipment to the United States; or to tuna 

 caught beyond the Costa Rican territorial waters and transferred to other ships at 

 Puntarenas or other Costa Rican ports for delivery to the United States. 



Commercial documents covering these shipments usually value the fish at the de- 

 livery price in the United States. Local authorities have taken the position that 

 such shipments were subject to the provisions of the Law for Control of International 

 Transactions, In practice, this forced shippers to obtain licenses for their re- 

 exports of tuna. Furthermore, shippers under this interpretation were also compelled 

 to liquidate the U. S. dollar invoice value of the shipments in Costa Rica at the of- 

 ficial rate of exchange. However, it is apparent that there was no justification for 

 the requirement that more than the dollar value of services rendered in Costa Rica 

 should be liquidated in Costa Rica regardless of the rate of exchange specified. Law 

 No. 1304 removes this anomaly, a June I9 dispatch from the American Embassy at San 

 Jose reports. 



