CHICAGO RECEIPTS CONTINUE DECLINE IN AUGUST

Receipts of fresh and frozen fishery products in the Chicago wholesale market in August fell below 1943 totals for the fourth consecutive month, according to the Service's Chicago Market News office. Arrivals totaled 5,466,000 pounds, a gain of 34 percent ever July, but 36 percent below August 1943. The 1944 total through August was 43,449,000 pounds, 21 percent less than the 1943 eight-month figure.

The most important item in August was halibut, of which 1,083,000 pounds were received. While this was a 43 percent rise above July, it fell 37 percent under the August 1943 total. Halibut receipts for eight months were 5,223,000 pounds or 60 percent under the 1943 figure. Shrimp receipts also improved in August yet showed declines for the month and year compared with 1943. Blue pike, whitefish, and lake trout were the only major items retaining sizable gains for 1944 over 1943 for the 8-month period.

During August, receipts of fresh and frozen fishery products at Seattle were one-fifth less than those for July, according to the Service's local Market News office. Despite the fact that receipts of most leading species increased over those of July, landings of halibut and coastwise receipts of livers declined to such an extent that the total receipts were 20 percent lower. Only 1,521,000 pounds of halibut were received during August compared to 4,366,000 pounds in July.

Receipts of livers continued heavy during August although they dropped 5 percent from July. This item showed an increase of 117 percent over August 1943 and rose 109 percent from January through August compared with the 8-month total in 1943.

*Halibut and shark fleets and receipts from local and all other sources.

OPA POSTPONES SETTING PRICES ON GREAT LAKES FISH

Ceiling prices for Great Lakes fish will not be established at this time, the Office of Price Administration announced September 3. The pricing agency said it is hopeful that the present downward trend of fishermen's prices will shortly result in retail prices that will reflect the 1942 level of prices. By law, OPA cannot reduce fresh fish prices below the 1942 level. The agency noted, however, that the usual seasonal rise in prices is expected during the Jewish holidays and the fall and winter months, but felt that from present indications this rise would be no more than normal.

If prices should rise substantially above 1942 levels for any appreciable time, OPA said that it was prepared to take appropriate and immediate action.

A survey conducted by OPA, and the Fish and Wildlife Service and Office of Coordinator of Fisheries, of the Department of the Interior, covered the 1942 level of prices as well as recent price trends of Great Lakes fish and showed that the fishermen's prices for nearly all species of lake fish have declined sharply below last year's level.

In July of this year, fishermen's prices for a number of species such as blue pike, lake herring, chubs, pickerel, and perch were at or below the prices of July 1942. Most of the other species were selling from a fraction of a cent to two or three cents a pound above their July 1942 price. Only whitefish and lake trout, representing one-sixth of the production of American fishermen on the Great Lakes, were selling at prices substantially higher than their 1942 prices, OPA said.

Present retail prices on fresh-water fish are reflecting the lowered fishermen's prices, and as long as this trend continues it will not be necessary to protect consumers by establishing ceiling prices, OPA said.

AMENDMENT 34 TO MPR-418 EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 18

The maximum price for primary fish-shipper sales of head-on shrimp to a retailer or eating establishment can now be determined by using the price listed in the fresh fish regulation for sales of this item by a wholesaler to a retailer, the Office of Price Administration announced September 13. The effect of the action will be largely confined to New Orleans, La., the important consuming center for head-on shrimp.

This price is listed in the regulation (Maximum Price Regulation No. 418--Fresh Fish and Seafood) under Table D. Formerly, a primary fish shipper, in making a sale of head-on shrimp to a retailer or eating establishment was restricted to Table C prices, but this provided no margin over sales to wholesalers.

The action, effective September 18, 1944, increases the price of head-on shrimp on this type of sale to the retailer by 2-1/4 cents per pound with a consequent increase to consumers of 2 cents per pound, OPA said.

In effect, this measure restores the normal margin the primary fish shipper obtained in the sale of this species of seafood to retailers and restaurants. This margin had inadvertently been reduced as a result of a previous pricing action. (See Amendment No. 32 to Maximum Price Regulation 418.)

Amendment No. 34 to Maximum Price Regulation No. 418--Fresh Fish and Seafood--became effective September 18, 1944.

Section 3 (c) is amended to read as follows:

(c) Maximum prices for primary fish shipper sales to retailers or purveyors of meals. The maximum price for a primary fish shipper sale of fresh fish or seafood (except head-on shrimp) to a

Excerpts follow:

AMDT. 35 TO MPR-418 EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER 14

Fall prices for several species of salmon produced in various Pacific Coast areas have been increased at the producer level, the Office of Price Administration announced September 14. The increases will not be reflected at the consumer level. Wholesale margins are sufficient to absorb these increases since wholesale prices were based on other higher-priced salmon items, OPA said.

The increases at the producer level follows:

(1) Chinook or King salmon produced in the coastal streams of Oregon and California
(other than the Sacramento River) is increased from 12 cents a pound to 13
cents during the months of September through December 1944.

(2) The price of Fall or Chum salmon produced in the coastal streams of Washington
and Oregon is increased from the previous price of 4 cents a pound to 5 cents
a pound for the same fall months.

(3) Chinook salmon produced in the Puget Sound and the coastal waters of Washington
is increased from 10 cents per pound to 13 cents for the same period.

(4) Chinook salmon produced in the Columbia River is increased from 8 cents a pound

to 10 cents for the month of September only.

The increases in the action are a result of a reexamination of 1942 prices paid to fishermen. The Stabilization Extension Act of 1944 requires OPA to set fishermen's prices at levels not lower than the prices paid them during 1942.

Amdt. 35 to MPR-418--Fresh Fish and Seafood--became effective September 14, 1944. Excerpts follow:

AMDT. 5 TO MPR-507 EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 5

Mark-ups used by retailers in determining their ceiling prices on North Atlantic and Pacific fresh fish and seafood items are being increased by an average of 1 cent a pound on many species, the Office of Price Administration announced September 30.

This action follows the seasonal increases in wholesale ceiling prices in the "winter" schedule of OPA fresh fish and seafood prices--October through April. These actions together will result in from 2 to 5 cents per pound higher prices to consumers.

Examples of the approximate increases in consumer prices are as follows:

(Highest retail "winter" and "summer" prices in stores purchasing on a "cash-and-carry" basis and located in port areas, exclusive of transportation.)

A change has been made in the original mark-ups for lemon sole in the "winter" price schedule. The mark-ups have been increased one and two cents per pound for each of the store groupings, for whole fish, and fillets, respectively. Also, mark-ups have been provided for swordfish sold "whole," and for "whole fish" and fillets of the following species not formerly covered:

Canadian sucker (fresh-water mullet)
Canadian tullibee

Lake herring

Steelhead salmon,
Sockeye (blueback) salmon

These mark-ups vary for different store groupings.

Amdt. 5 to MPR-507--Ceiling Prices of Certain Fresh Fish and Seafood Sold at Retail-became effective October 5, 1944. Excerpts follow:

Frozen Fish Trade

AUGUST FREEZINGS 6 PERCENT BELOW THOSE OF AUGUST 1943

Freezings of fishery products in United States and Alaskan cold-storage plants during August totaled 32,602,000 pounds, 20 percent less than in July and 6 percent below August 1943. However, the poundage frozen was 7 percent above the 5-year average for August. Reduced freezings of mackerel and whiting accounted for the greater part of the decrease compared with August 1943. The three items frozen in greatest quantity during the month were rosefish fillets, salmon, and whiting.

Freezings of Fishery Products in United States and Alaskan Cold-storage Plants

Since the date for reporting freezings of fishery products was changed from the 15th to the first of the month beginning January 1, 1943, data included in the "5-year average" consist of a combination of figures for the two periods.

Less than one-half percent.

U. S. FROZEN FISH HOLDINGS REACH ALL-TIME HIGHS

In spite of efforts to reduce the large inventories of frozen fish and shellfish, which throughout the year have been consistently higher than in 1943, holdings of fishery products in freezers reached the all-time peak of 123,255,000 pounds on September 1, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported on September 29.

Previously, the largest quantity of fish ever reported in storage was 117,805,000 pounds, the amount held on December 1, 1941. Present holdings represent an increase of over 13,000,000 pounds over August 1, and of more than 30,000,000 pounds over September 1, 1943. Records for the past five years show that average holdings for September 1 are about 94,000,000 pounds.

The largest single item in the inventory of frozen fish and shellfish is halibut, with 17,629,000 pounds in storage. The average or normal quantity of frozen halibut on hand at this season is about 13,700,000 pounds. More halibut has been frozen this year because an unusually large proportion of the catch was landed in Alaskan ports on account of the price situation. Because halibut fishing began about a month late this year, landings will continue unusually late in the fall and the carry-over of halibut stocks during the winter is expected to be much greater than normal.

Next to halibut are the holdings of mackerel, which now total 11,882,000 pounds, compared with an average of 7,400,000 at this season. The September 1 figure for mackerel is an increase of 831,000 pounds over the preceding month. Cod and haddock fillets, on the other hand, declined.

Holdings of whiting increased by 2,787,000 pounds during August, normally a month of considerable activity in this fishery. Although stocks of frozen whiting now total 9,410,000 pounds, they are below the average for this fish. Among other salt-water species, salmon holdings are up 3,868,000 pounds, compared with last month, a normal seasonal increase.