Fresh Fish Trade THREE PORT LANDINGS IN MARCH 54 PERCENT GREATER THAN FEBRUARY Receipts of fishery products during March at the ports of Boston and Gloucester, Mass., and Portland, Maine, showed an increase of 54 percent compared with landings during the previous month and of 11 percent compared with March 1943, according to data published in Current Fishery Statistics No.123 by the Fish and Wildlife Service. March landings totaled 24,962,788 pounds, valued at $1,891,171 to the fishermen, representing an average price of 7.58. cents per pound. This compares with 7.53 cents received in February and 10.75 cents in March 1943. Four items, haddock, cod, rosefish, and pollock, accounted for 93 percent of the total landings during the month. For the first three months of 1944, the total landings at the three ports amounted to 51,231,075 pounds, valued to the fishermen at $3,788,326. Compared with the same period of 1943, this was a decline of 2 percent in volume. The 1944 total weighted average price was 7.39 cents per pound as compared with 9.91 cents for the first three months of 1943. Mackerel Flounders: Landings by Fishing Vessels at Boston and Gloucester, Mass., and Portland, Maine March 1944 Pounds Cents* 7,002,541 8.35 9,957,683 8.79 March 1943 Pounds Cents 5,051,891 12.35 8,491,084 13.84 253,252 11.72 777,867 12.27 168,838 11.58 17,495 31.43 Three months ending with-March 1944 March 1943 Pounds Cents Pounds Cents* 11,342,026 8.34 9,321,771 11.83 20,607,458 8.80 20,392,145 12.51 1,646,391 4.97 2,874,361 6.89 216,683 7.74 908,244 9.26 3,458,204 10.64 274,371 10.98 31,664 33.37 3,330 14.29 Item February 1944 Cod Haddock Hake 451,385 4.59 Pollock 1,608,006 6.99 Pounds Cents 3,077,267 8.35 7.557.492 8.79 463,059 4.96 662,614 6.83 55,155 8.58 7,484 16.71 510 17.65 9,792,192 8.60 Gloucester Portland 9,901,719 6.59 5,545,781 6.01 832,554 5.06 9.792,192 8.60 13,186,142 13.10 28,615,344 8.48 32,208,907 11.83 8,142,053 7.56 20,152,310 6.15 16,630,846 7.13 1,255,655 6.75 2,453.421 4.93 3.701.959 5.67 Weighted average of prices per pound paid to fishermen. NEW BEDFORD LANDINGS CONTINUE TO INCREASE Fishery products landed by fishing craft at New Bedford, Mass., during the month of March totaled 6,509,000 pounds, valued to the fishermen at $569,619, according to Current Fishery Statistics No. 124 released by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Production was 29 percent greater than in March 1943. An even greater increase in landings--40 percent--was evident over the previous month. The total weighted average price was 8.75 cents per pound as compared with 11.65 cents for March 1943 and 9.08 cents received in February of this year. Three items, yellowtail, eelpout, and cod, accounted for 75 percent of the total catch. The total landings for the first three months of 1944 amounted to 15,434,000 pounds, an increase of 26 percent compared with the landings during the same period of 1943. Substantial increases over receipts of 1943 were evident in the landings of cod, haddock, and eelpout. During the first three months of 1944, landings of these species were more than double those of the same period the previous year. Total 6,590 186,443 60.12 382,418 37.46 554,252 55.85 1,842 9.01 261,731 15.46 4,515 16.61 146,938 19.49 8,470,492 9.54 191,630 11.46 70,589 9.77 65 9.23 4,020 8.08 Other 4.325 6.508.934 8.75 4.638.731 9.08 5,039,131 11.65 *Weighted average of prices per pound paid to fishermen. 15.434.429 8.58 12,255.790 11.27 NEW YORK RECEIPTS GAIN 14 PERCENT IN MARCH Increasing 14 percent from February and 4 percent from March 1943, receipts of fresh and frozen fishery products at the New York salt-water market in March totaled 19,719,000 pounds, according to the Service's New York Market News office. With a few exceptions, increases in important species were seasonal. Whiting, which in the past have been received in great volume at this time of year, failed to show their seasonal increase. Control of whiting prices by OPA reportedly prompted fishermen to avoid the usual whiting grounds and concentrate on fluke, sea bass, and scup, which are not under price control. Yellowtail receipts continued to decrease, a condition that has prevailed for several years. A probable contributory factor to the immediate decrease is the strict enforcement of the OPA ruling against "Tie-in" purchases. It was the practice, at certain points of production, to sell yellowtails only in combination with other species, particularly ocean pout. When the OPA prohibited the New York dealers from participating in these transactions, quantities of yellowtails were diverted to other markets. Receipts of Fresh and Frozen Fishery Products--Salt-water Market, New York City CHICAGO RECEIPTS FOR MARCH RISE 7 PERCENT OVER FEBRUARY There were 6,543,000 pounds of fresh and frozen fishery products received in the Chicago wholesale market in March, according to the Service's Chicago Fishery Market News office. This was 7 percent over February and 21 percent over March 1943. Large increases in trout and whitefish arrivals resulted from heavy shipments of winter-caught fish from the Canadian Provinces. Of the total supplies received, about 20 percent was shipped in by motor trucks, 26 percent by rail express and 54 percent by rail freight. Item Classification: Fresh-water fish Receipts of Fresh and Frozen Fishery Products at Chicago March 1944 compared with Feb. 1944 Mar. 1943 Percent 3 mos. Jan.-Mar. 1944 Pounds 42,508,000 29,820,000 + 46 + 10 84,034,000 MARCH RECEIPTS AT SEATTLE SHOW SUBSTANTIAL DECLINE FROM LAST YEAR Receipts of fresh and frozen fishery products at Seattle during March totaled 3,224,000 pounds, according to the Service's Market News office in that city. This was 34 percent less than February 1944 and 32 percent under March 1943. Receipts of bottom fish, particularly lingcod, rockfish, and sablefish, showed pronounced declines due principally to concentration of the fishing effort of both halibut and otter-trawl fleets on the taking of fish for their livers. Receipts of oysters showed a heavy increase over 1943. A decrease of canning operations caused diversion of greater quantities to the fresh markets. In the first 3 months of 1944, receipts of fresh oysters were 111 percent larger than the corresponding period in 1943. Receipts of Fresh and Frozen Fishery Products at Seattle* *Halibut and shark fleets and receipts from local and all other sources. BAD WEATHER HITS SHRIMP PRODUCTION IN GULF Shrimp production through March was severely hampered by unusually bad weather this year, according to the Service's New Orleans Market News office. Hard crab production increased greatly because a number of shrimp plants turned to crab picking in season to fill in during slack shrimp production. Both canned and fresh oyster dealers report that labor shortages have caused production to remain below the levels of the same period in 1943. Ceiling prices for fresh yellowtails and blackbacks, formerly based on size differentials, were changed April 11 by the establishment of single per pound ceilings for all sizes of these fish, the OPA announced in issuing Amendment 30 to Maximum Price Regulation 418Fresh Fish and Seafood. This action, effective April 17, 1944, covers producers and all types of wholesalers handling fresh yellowtails, blackbacks and sea dabs and reduces the margin between the buying and selling prices of primary fish shipper-wholesalers handling these species from two cents to one cent. The primary fish shipper-wholesaler's price for sea dabs is now 5 cents per pound round from April through September and 7 cents per pound from October through March. However, in sales of fresh blackback, round, during the winter season (now changed to cover the period from December 1 through March, where the period formerly was from October through March) the primary fish shipper-wholesaler's margin is changed from 2 cents to 12 cents per pound. Prices for these items to the consuming public will be reduced by approximately one cent per pound under current prices. The action also establishes ceiling prices for sales by producers and wholesalers of rajafish (skates) in three styles of dressings. dressings. The rajafish is a member of the ray fish family. Fillet prices for the blackbacks, sea dabs and yellowtails are fixed at the lower yellowtail prices inasmuch as all three species are indistinguishable in fillet form and yellowtails form the bulk of the fillets. These prices at the primary fish shipper level are fixed at 24 cents per pound. Also, lemon sole and gray sole fillets ceiling prices will take yellowtail fillet prices unless these items are wrapped and marked either as lemon sole or gray sole. Other pricing measures included in the amendment are: (1) The definition of a sale by a service and delivery wholesaler is changed to read that the delivery must be made to the individual retail store or the established place of doing business of the purveyor of meals. Prior to this change the definition of a sale by a service and delivery wholesaler provided that the fish or seafood must be delivered from the wholesaler's established place of doing business to the retailer's or purveyor's usual receiving point by means other than a common carrier. In some There was considerable doubt as to the meaning of "usual receiving point." instances, wholesalers selling to out-of-town retailers would deliver the boxed fish or seafood to the local station for freight shipment and declare the station to be the customer's usual receiving point, thereby entitling the seller to Table E prices in the wholesale fresh fish regulation. Such practice was contrary to the intent of the regulation. (2) The definition of a sale by a cash and carry wholesaler is changed to mean any sale by a person to an individual retail store or purveyor of meals other than a service and delivery sale. This changed definition will plug any possible loopholes whereby cash and carry sales are being priced as service and delivery sales. (3) It adds an additional provision to the invoice section of the regulation in the way of a penalty price if the seller fails to note on the statement furnished the purchaser that the fish or seafood is fresh. This will provide enforcement agents with a more effective means of enforcing the invoice and record requirements of the regulation. Excerpts follow: 1. Section 4 (b) is amended to read as follows: (b) Sale by a cash and carry wholesaler. A sale by a cash and carry wholesaler is any sale by a person to an individual retail store or purveyor of meals other than a service and delivery sale as defined in section 4 (c). 2. Section 4 (c) is amended to read as follows: (c) Sale by a service and delivery wholesaler. A sale by a service and delivery wholesaler is a sale of fresh fish or seafood to a retailer or purveyor of meals, which fish or seafood is delivered by means other than a common carrier from the seller's established place of doing business to the individual retail store or established place of doing business of the purveyor of meals. 3. Section 13 (c) is amended to read as follows: (c) Every person making a sale of any fresh fish or seafood subject to this regulation shall furnish to the purchaser at the time of delivery a written statement setting forth the date; the name and address of the buyer and seller; the species sold; a notation that the fish or seafood is fresh; the quantity, sizes, grades and styles of dressing of fresh fish and seafood, and the price charged therefor, including a separate statement of the container cost, if any, as provided in section 19, and transportation cost, if any, as provided in section 7. If the statement furnished a purchaser at the time of delivery does not identify the size, grade and style of dressing, the maximum price which may be charged for the “Saddles" means the pectoral fins and the connecting cartilaginous strip of a rajafish. fresh fish and seafood involved in the 4. In section 18, after the definition o: sale is the maximum price for the lowest, "Round" the following definition is inpriced size, grade and style of dressing serted: of the species of fresh fish and seafood sold. If the seller fails to note on the statement that the fish or seafood is fresh, and if a price is listed in Maximum Price Regulation No. 364 for the species in the particular style of dressing or processing sold, the maximum price which may be charged for the fish or seafood involved in the sale is the lower of the prices listed in Maximum Price Regulation No. 364 and this Maximum Price Regulation No. 418: Provided, That this paragraph shall not apply to any sales made at prices listed in Table A in section 20. 5. In section 18, after the definition of "Troll caught" the following definition is inserted: "Wings" means the pectoral fins of a rajafish. 6. In section 20, Table A, Schedule Nos. 4 and 6 are amended and Schedule No. 65 is added to read as follows: 9, 11, 13, and 15. In section 20, Tables B, C, D, and E, Schedule Nos. 4, 5, and 6 are amended and Schedule No. 65 is added to read as follows: |
