United States Fishing Fleet1/Additions

MARCH 1958: A total of 51 vessels of 5 net tons and over were issued first documents as fishing craft during March 1958--10 more than during March 1957.

GROUNDFISH FILLET IMPORTS, MAY 1958: During May 1958, imports of groundfish and ocean perch fillets and blocks amounted to 11.0 million pounds. Compared with the corresponding month of last year, this was an increase of 2.3 million pounds (26 percent) according to data obtained from the U. S. Bureau of Customs and published by the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. Gains of 1.1 million pounds from Iceland and 854,000 pounds from Denmark were mainly responsifor the over-all increase.

Canada continued to lead all other countries exporting groundfish and ocean perch fillets to the United States with 7.6 million pounds during May 1958. Denmark was next with nearly 1.3 million pounds, followed by Iceland with 1.2 million pounds. The remaining 908,000 pounds were accounted for by West Germany, Norway, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Imports of groundfish and ocean perch fillets and blocks into the United States during the first five months of 1958 totaled 56.4 million pounds. Compared with the same period of last year, this was an increase of only 77,000 pounds (less than 1 percent). Shipments originating in Canada comprised 67 percent during the 1958 period, while Iceland made up 19 percent of the total, and Denmark accounted for 9 percent. The remaining 5 percent was represented by West Germany, Norway, Miquelon and St. Pierre, the Netherlands, the Union of South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

NOTE: SEE CHART 7 IN THIS ISSUE.

IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF SELECTED FISHERY PRODUCTS, JANUARY-FEBRUARY 1958: In the first two months of 1958, Imports of many of the major edible fishery products were slightly behind the same period of 1957. In the two-month period, imports of groundfish fillets (excluding blocks) were down 20 percent, frozen tuna 6 percent, canned bonito 31 percent, and lobster 31 percent. Commodities imported in larger amounts during January and February were canned tuna, canned sardines, tuna loins and discs, swordfish, and canned crab meat. Groundfish blocks, shrimp, and canned salmon imports were about the same. Imports of fish meal were about double for the two-month period of 1958 as compared to 1957.

GROUNDFISH: Imports of groundfish (including oceanperch) fillets for January and February 1958 were 13.0 million pounds, 20 percent less than for the comparable period of 1957; blocks were about the same.

SHRIMP: Imports during the first two months of 1958 were 10.2 million pounds, an increase of 2 percent over the similar period of 1957.

CANNED SALMON: For the first two months of 1958, imports of 5.2 million pounds were about equal to those for the same period in 1957.

FRESH AND FROZEN LOBSTER: The January and February imports this year were 6.1 million pounds, a 31-percent decrease as compared with the same months last year. Imports decreased from all major suppliers except the Union of South Africa.

CANNED SARDINES: Total imports for the first two months in 1958 were 5.8 million pounds, an increase of 59 percent as compared with the same period in 1957. The increase was largely of sardines not in oil from the Union of South Africa.

CANNED BONITO: The January and February 1958 imports totaled 2.0 million pounds, 31 percent less than for those months last year.

SWORDFISH: At the end of the first two months of 1958, imports were 16 percent more than at the same time in

1957.

CANNED CRABMEAT: In January and February this year 709,000 pounds were imported, 36 percent more than for the same months last year.

FISH MEAL: Imports the first two months of 1958 were 18,915 tons, 103 percent ahead of the similar 1957 period. Imports from Peru and Angola accounted for the increase.

Exports: CANNED SARDINES: Exports during the first two months of 1958 of 1.7 million pounds were 64 percent less than in that period of 1957. Exports were down to all principal countries of destination, due to the small California sardine pack during the past year.

CANNED MACKEREL: Exports during January and February 1958 were 76 percent less than in 1957, due also to a light pack in California. The principal decline was in exports to the Philippines.

CANNED SALMON: For January and February 1958, exports were 222,000 pounds, 65 percent below that period

in 1957.

FISH OIL: For the first two months of 1958, exports were only 14.0 million pounds, 31 percent less than in that period last year. Although exports were less to most markets the first two months of 1958, exports to Canada exceeded those for the entire year of 1957.

IMPORTS OF CANNED TUNA IN BRINE UNDER QUOTA PROVISO, JANUARY 1MAY 3, 1958: The quantity of tuna canned in brine which may be imported into the United States during the calendar year 1958 at the 12-percent

rate of duty has been established as 44,693,374 pounds. Any imports in excess of this established quota will be dutiable at 25 percent ad valorem.

Imports from January 1-May 3, 1958, amounted to 12,490,111 pounds, according to data compiled by the Bureau of Customs.

Virginia

ABUNDANCE OF MENHADEN IN 1959 PREDICTED: Menhaden or bunkers, scarcer in recent years than in the banner year of 1955, may come back in tremendous numbers in 1959, say biologists of the Virginia Fisheries Laboratory, Gloucester Point. They base their opinion on the tremendous abundance of tiny menhaden in Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries this spring.

On a recent survey with experimental trawls, the research vessel Pathfinder of the Virginia Laboratory caught large numbers of tiny menhaden, about 1.5-inch long, in the lower part of Chesapeake Bay off the mouth of the York River, and in the York River itself. Baby menhaden also have been observed in tremendous numbers well up the James River.

This trawl catch is quite remarkable, for the meshes of the net are large enough to allow much bigger fish to escape. Small fish are brought on deck with this net only when they are very abundant.

By late summer these young fish, born last fall and winter, will be about 5 inches long. They will begin to appear in pound-net catches in August or September, but will not be caught in any quantity by the menhaden purse-seine fleet until 1959. If present indications are reliable, the early 1960's may rival the mid-1950's in numbers of menhaden caught. In 1955 more than 300 million pounds of these herringlike fish were landed in Virginia--71 percent by weight of the entire Virginia catch of fish and shellfish.

The biologists are careful to point out that the accuracy of this forecast may be affected by many things. "Survival of the fish to commercial size may be poor, or their migrations may carry them to regions inaccessible to the fishing fleet. Nevertheless, in 1951 we predicted good catches ahead on the basis of similar evidence, and this forecast was amply confirmed a few years later."

Virginia and U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries biologists, who are conducting a major investigation of this important fishery, will follow the progress of this new brood of menhaden with great interest. Within a year they should have good evidence as to how abundant these new fish really are.

**

FRESH-WATER FISH FROM RIVERS TRIBUTARY TO CHESAPEAKE BAY INVADE SALT WATER: Virginia fishermen have seen unusual numbers of carp in the York, Rappahannock, and other Chesapeake Bay tidal waters of Virginia during the spring months of 1958. Biologists of the Virginia Fisheries Laboratory, Gloucester Point, report blue gills, white catfish, and gar caught in traps near the mouth of the York and Rappahannock Rivers.

One of the fishery biologists attached to the Laboratory states, "I do not recall seeing such numbers of fresh-water fish in salt-water areas any time during the past ten years. Fresh-water fish caught in the York River and held in tanks filled with York River water never survive more than two weeks. Under natural conditions these fish must return to fresh water within a relatively short period or die. On the other hand, some common salt-water fishes invade fresh water and live there successfully for weeks or months. Young croakers, spot, and hogchokers are found in the Mattaponi and Paumunkey Rivers and occasionally bluefish and flounder stray into fresh water. Salt-water fish can tolerate a longer stay in fresh water than fresh-water fish in salt water. Heavy rains of the past few weeks undoubtedly are responsible for this unusual situation."

UPPER SEED AREA IN JAMES RIVER SUSTAINS HEAVY OYSTER MORTALITY: Unusually heavy spring rains have aroused considerable concern for the seed oyster beds in James River. Oysters are unable to feed in water containing less than oneseventh as much salt as found in ocean water, say biologists at the Virginia Fisheries Laboratory at Gloucester Point. They believe that many oysters above Wreck Shoal Bar in the James River have been deprived of salt water since mid-April. Wreck Shoal is in the middle of the seed area.

The over-all picture at present is one of minor losses in the lower half of the seed area from Wreck Shoal downriver but increasing losses of oysters with distance upriver, report the biologists. Deep Water Shoal, the important last bar upriver, has experienced a mortality well over 50 percent.

Frequent examinations in James River since mid-April have shed new light on the ability of oysters to withstand unfavorable conditions. Oysters tonged from fresh water had no heartbeat when opened and showed no sensitivity.

When placed in salt water, oysters long closed by fresh waters, though seemingly dead, revived quickly. The fine hairs used for pumping water began working within minutes, and feeble heartbeats were detected in ten minutes.

By remaining closed, oysters are able to tolerate fresh water for weeks--if temperatures are not too high and if oysters are slowly acclimated to these conditions, say the biologists. They believe that fat oysters are more likely to survive than poor ones.

Boxes or hinged empty shells appear to be breaking apart rather rapidly thereby destroying the evidence of oyster deaths, but tongers will probably note a scarcity of oysters in the upper seed area next fall.

Wholesale Prices, May 1958

price index (128.6 percent of the 1947-49 average) in May rose 4.6 percent over that for April and was 9.9 percent higher than in the same month of 1957.

All products under the drawn, dressed, and whole finfish subgroup were higher in May than in April. The index for the subgroup rose 20.0 percent from April to May and was 37.4 percent higher than a year earlier. From April to May, prices rose for fresh large offshore haddock at Boston by 25.7 percent, fresh and frozen king salmon at New York City by 20.5 percent, and substantially also for frozen halibut, whitefish at New York City and Chicago, and yellow pike at New York City. Compared with May 1957, prices this May were higher for fresh large offshore haddock by 31.4 percent, for frozen halibut by 19.9 percent, for fresh and frozen king salmon by 23.8 percent, and also for all the fresh-water fish included in the subgroup.

Since the active selling season for oysters ended in April, shucked oyster prices dropped in May and almost offset the increase in the prices for fresh haddock fillets (up 14.5 percent) and shrimp (up 1.1 percent). Prices this May as compared with May of 1957 were lower for fresh shrimp at New York City and shucked oysters, but substantially higher (up 12.5 percent) for fresh haddock fillets at Boston. The subgroup index for fresh processed fish and shellfish was up 0.5 percent from April to May, but was 0.3 percent lower than in May 1957.

Higher frozen shrimp prices at Chicago this May were only slightly offset by lower prices for frozen haddock fillets, while prices for frozen flounder and ocean perch fillets remained steady at April levels. Compared with May 1957, prices this May were higher for frozen ocean perch and haddock fillets, unchanged for frozen flounder

fillets, and lower for frozen shrimp at Chicago. The May 1958 index for the processed frozen fish and shellfish subgroup index was up 1.3 percent from April to May, but down 2.4 percent from a year earlier because the drop in shrimp prices more than offset the rise in ocean perch and haddock fillet prices.

There were no changes in the prices for canned fishery products from April to May, but prices were 3.1 percent

higher than a year earlier more because of a shift in pricing specifications rather than an actual price increase. Compared with May 1957, prices this May were higher for canned tuna, the same for canned pink salmon, but slightly lower for canned Maine sardines. The higher prices for canned California sardines were principally due to a shift in pricing specifications from 48 15-oz. cans per case to 24 15-oz. cans per case.

Table 1 - Wholesale Average Prices and Indexes for Edible Fish and Shellfish, May 1958 With Comparisons

1/Represent average prices for one day (Monday or Tuesday) during the week in which the 15th of the month occurs. These prices are published as indicators of movement and not necessarily absolute level. Daily Market News Service "Fishery Products Reports" should be referred to for actual prices.

2/The index for fresh and frozen fishery products for January 1958 was revised from 137.4 to 140.3 and for February 1958 from 141.4 to 144.9.

3/Revised.

4/Revised to take care of a shift in specifications from 48 15-oz. cans per case to 24 15-oz. cans per case.