September 1966 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



67 



Mexico (Contd.): 



Fig. 2 - Spiny lobster plant at Ensenada, Baja California. 



Several possibilities for development have 

 real promise. Under present conditions, it 

 is necessary that all lobsters be shipped 

 alive to Ensenada, where they are cooked and 

 then exported either fresh or frozen. Ship- 

 ping them, alive by light plane entails a mor- 

 tality loss of 15 percent. This could be ob- 

 viated by cooking and freezing at the cannery 

 in Asuncion. The cannery already has some 

 freezing and cold-storage equipment which 

 could be expanded readily, and cooking equip- 

 ment could be added at little cost. Frozen 

 spiny lobsters could be shipped by plane or 

 by the ship serving the cannery, which has 

 adequate refrigeration facilities. The grow- 

 ing trend in m.ost of the world's spiny lobster 

 fisheries is to ship the tails only in order to 

 save freight costs. (U. S. Embassy, Mexico, 

 D. F., April 29, 1966.) 



INTEREST IN FISH PROTEIN 

 CONCENTRATE FOR HUMAN 

 CONSUMPTION INCREASES: 



Interest is increasing in Mexico in the 

 production of fish protein concentrate (FPC) 

 for human consumption. One Mexican firm 

 plans, an investment of US$128,100 in a plant, 

 with operations scheduled to begin sometime 

 this summer. The plant will be constructed 

 at Ensenada, Baja California. 



In the meantime, officials of a U. S. firm 

 are engaged in a joint study with Mexican 



Government and leading industry officials on 

 the establishment of a US$100,000 plant to 

 produce FPC. The plant would consist of 4 

 units and would produce both liquid and solid 

 FPC, as well as FPC for human and animal 

 consumption. The second plant would be 

 built in Salina Cruz, Mexico. (Various sources, 

 July 1966.) 



New Zealand 



FISH SAUSAGE A NEW PRODUCT: 



A smoked fish sausage has been developed 

 at the Food Technology Department, Massey 

 University of Manawatu, New Zealand, to 

 provide a possible outlet for some varieties 

 of fish of lesser commercial value. With 

 some modifications, the formula has been 

 based on the Japanese fish sausage. In July 

 19 66, the Minister of Marine requested an 

 advisory opinion from the U. S. Food and 

 Drug Administration on the admissability of 

 the product. It is understood that a 200- 

 pound sample shipment of the product is to 

 be made to the United States. 



Fish sausage manufacture has been an 

 integral part of the Japanese fishing industry 

 since 1953, providing a convenient food sec- 

 ond in popularity to the fish cake. A produc- 

 tion figure of more than 150,000 metric tons 

 of fish sausage a year utilizes such fish as 

 marlin, whale meat, some varieties of tuna, 

 shark, squid, and mackerel. 



Preservatives are used in the Japanese 

 sausage, giving a storage life of 2 to 3 months 

 at room temperature. Use of these preserv- 

 atives is restricted in New Zealand so the 

 New Zealand equivalent has a refrigerated 

 storage life of one month only. 



The fish trevally has been used in the New 

 Zealand product, but may be replaced equally 

 well by kahawai, mackerel, and possibly oth- 

 er varieties not yet tried. A percentage of 

 smoked trevally has been added to give a 

 smoked flavor; alternatively, the final prod- 

 uct may be smoked if the appropriate casing 

 is used. 



This product has been made in the form 

 of a luncheon product and, as such, may be 

 served cold or as a heated food, fried in 

 chunks. 



