July 1966 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



33 



Landings of whiting, 27.7 million pounds 

 (live weight), were 10 percent above 1964 and 

 set a new record for the second consecutive 

 year. After getting off to a rather slow start, 

 an increased fleet of otter trawlers and a 

 slightly longer season resulted in the record 

 catch. Cumberland County led in whiting 

 landings with 19.7 million pounds, followed 

 by Sagadahoc County with 4.1 million pounds 

 and Lincoln County with 3.7 million pounds. 



Maine lobster catch and value, 1956-65. 



Lobster totals declined 12 percent from 

 the previous year to 18.9 million pounds. 

 This was the smallest catch since 1950 and 

 was the cause for considerable concern 

 throughout the industry. A cooperative pro- 

 gram on the study of lobsters was undertaken 

 by the Maine Department of Sea an4 Shore 

 Fisheries and the U. S. Department of the In- 

 terior's Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in 

 1965. Lobster bait shortages, which are oc- 

 curring more frequently each year, were al- 

 leviated somewhat in 1965 by a two -fold in- 

 crease in the catch of alewives to 3.1 million 

 pounds. 



Shrimp landings (2.1 million pounds) set a 

 record in 1965 and doubled the 1964 catch. 

 Demand for those shellfish continued to grow 

 at a rapid pace. There were two peeling ma- 

 chines in operation in 1965. Most of the 

 shrimp were marketed as fresh and frozen 

 raw peeled meats. (U. S. Department of the 

 Interior, Bureau of Commercial Fisheries, 

 Branch of Fishery Statistics.) 



Marketing 



EDIBLE FISHERY PRODUCTS, FIRST 

 QUARTER 1966 AND REVIEW OF 1965 : 



The demand in the United States for edible 

 fishery products is expected to continue strong 

 throughout 1966, reflecting rising 

 consumer income, relatively high 

 meat prices anticipated through 

 the summer months, and popula- 

 tion gains. Moderate advances in 

 retail prices for both canned and frozen prod- 

 ucts appear likely. 



With the exception of red salmon, current 

 supplies of most canned fishery products are 

 about adequate. Supplies of frozen fishery 

 products at the end of the first quarter in 

 1966 were up from the previous year, mainly 

 because of larger stocks of imported fish 

 blocks. Stocks of fish sticks and portions, 

 spiny lobster tails, scallops, and crab meat 

 were substantially larger than in the previous 

 year. On the other hand, cold-storage hold- 

 ings of raw, headless shrimp were down 

 sharply. 



Final data for 196 5 indicate that per capita 

 consumption of commercially-caught fish and 

 shellfish amounted to 11.0 pounds, edible 

 weight, up from 10.5 pounds in 1964 and 10,7 

 pounds in 1963. The increase resulted large- 

 ly from increased consumption of canned fish- 

 ery products, 4.4 pounds per person in 1965 

 compared with 4.1 pounds in 1964. Consump- 

 tion of fresh and frozen fishery products in 

 196 5 amounted to 6.1 pounds per person, up 

 0.2 pound from a year earlier. In addition, 

 per capita consumption of fish and shellfish 

 taken by sportsmen and for home use by com- 

 mercial fishermen was estimated at 3 pounds 

 per person. 



Annual per capita consumption of commer- 

 cially-caught fish and shellfish in the United 

 States has, for many years, averaged 10 to 11 

 pounds except for a few years during the de- 

 pression of the 1930's and World War II. Al- 

 though the use of fresh and frozen fishery 

 products has not shown a significant change 

 in the past 30 years, there have been changes 

 among products and species. The consump- 

 tion of domestically- caught Atlantic mackerel, 

 cod, haddock, ocean perch, and oysters, has 

 declined significantly. Consumption of fish 

 sticks and portions produced from imported 

 fish blocks has increased. Shrimp consump- 

 tion also has risen; both domestic production 

 and imports of shrimp have grown. 



