OZE’ICE OF ~ORDIi‘ATOR OF FIEF * .’
For Release to the Sunday Papers bf
- October 29, 1944;
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An abundance of fresh a& frozen fish but. short supplies of at least .some
kinds ‘of canned fish are indicated in a survey of production by the U. S. fishing
industry during the first 9 months of the year, released today by the ‘Office of
the Coordinator of Fisheries.
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Although total landings of fishery products at the end of the third quarter
of 1944 showed a slight decline compared with the same period last year, supplies
of fresh fish are at least 10 percent abov@ 194j productidn,, The total pack of
canned fish, however, has declined by about .2OO, 000 c-es, Production of fishery
Q-products used in animal f ceding and for mm industrial purposes also is below
last .year’s,
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ckiief items on the debit side of the report are Pacific sardines or pi~.ch~ds,
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Alaska salmon, shrimp, and menhaden, Relatively poor catches of salmon and sar-dines
were due in large part to an actual scarcity of fish,
On the other hand, substantial ‘gains have been made. in the fisheries for tuna,
Naine sardines, Pacific mackerel, and Alaska herring, and in landings of fresh fish
at New England ports.
Officials of the Coordinator’s Office estimate, on the basis of available
figures, that total fishery production for tile year 1944 may be about 3,800,000, OOC
pounds, compared with 3,970,000,000 pounds last year. Actual production may exceed
the estimate, however,. because large landings of pilchards recently made in Cali-fornia
will, if. continued, ~materially reduce the deficit in the catch o-f this
species.
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Pilchard landings through September totaled 417,94&000 pounds, compared with
511,7l8,000 for the’ same period last year. Pilchards .are the most important single
item in the catch iti *terms of volume of production and are. usea in the manufacture
of canned sardines, meal,’ and oil, The pii&& catch this year h,is been processed
as follows: 1,329,178 cases of’ sardines, 32,358 tons of meal, and 6,155,840 gallons
of oil.
Tuna landings continued the substantial lead over last year’s record which
has been maintained throughout 1944, By the end of September the total landings
of tuna at California ports had passed the hundred-million-pound mark, totaling
106,224,831 pounds, as against 89,180,517 pounds in 1943. Oregon tuna fisheries
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contributed about 20,000,OOO pounds in addition,
(o+er)
The pack of canned tuna shows a corresponding increase over last year; “&
2,308,806 cases compared with 1,893,&23. Unlike most other canned fish, tuna is
not requisitioned by the Government, althod considerable quantities are purchas
directly by the military services. However, the large pack is eqected to mean
more tuna on the shelves of grocery stores,
With only a small pack from scattered Localities still to be reported, pm--
duction of Ala&a salmon by September 16th toMed 4,838,OOO cases, a drop &th a pack of oriLy 195,183 cases
by Gulf of &xico plants covered by the survey, or about 190,000’ cases below the
1943 pack. Actual landings of shrimp have declined less sharply, but unusual ”
quantities have’been marketed as fresh or frozen shrimp,. instead of going to the
canneries,
Herring have been plentiful along the H&ina coast and’ the’ canneries have bee:
well su@ied with young herring or sardines, A pack of 2,475,507 cases of sar-dines
is reported, as against 1,8$X$526 cases la& year.
The New &gland ports of Boston, Gloucester, Eew Bedford, and Portland lander
351,898,OOO pounds of fresh fish,, an increase of 30,000,OOO pounds over last year
Total landings for the year are expected to show further’ increases over 1943 pro-duction,
because last year the fleet remained in port during part of November and
December as a result, of price disagreements. I
Pacific mackerel, FE3ich has been lag@ng ba.nd 1943 figures, took a sudden
spurt as the season of heavy production got under way in September and now stands
at 37,237,308 pounds for the 9 month-period, as against 24,,891,897 pounds last
year. &most the entire catch is canned, and the pack on September 30 was 391,15:
cases, compared with the‘ 1943 figure of 251,474 cases.
&ports from AIL&&a indicate an increase in the catch of herring, which sup-ports
one of the most important fisheries of the Territory. The season’s opera,-
tions resulted in a yield of 108,0681000 pounds, a gain of 24,OOO,OO(I pounds over
last year. Alaska herring is used chiefly in the manufacture’ of meal for animal
f ceding and oil for various irdus trial uses.
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The’yield of oil from the Atlantic coast menhaden fishery is’ slightly w&r
last year’.s figures T 4,437, h-06 gallons compared with $751,850 - but with the I
season of heavy. production in .the important ‘Xcrth Cvolina fisheries just opening
up,. it is considered possible that muc;h ,pf the deficit may be made up before, the
end of the year.
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P.N. 100960 2
