FISHERIES The important fisheries of the world are found for the most part within the north temperate zone, chiefly between the 4oth and both parallels of north latitude. In this region conditions are especially favourable to fish life, including large continental shelves with relatively shallow water and extensive coastal in dentations, richly supplied with materials from the massed land areas of the region to support an abundant aquatic flora and fauna. The herrings, of which there are some 15o species, represent the most important family of fishes. The species are widely dis tributed in fresh and salt water and contribute a greater yield than any other family of fishes. They supply the raw materials for the highly important sardine industries of Norway, France, Spain, Portugal and the United States, the extensive herring cur ing industries of northern Europe and North America, extensive fish meal, fertilizer and oil industries of Norway, United States, Canada and Japan, as well as being widely used for food in the fresh state wherever they are found. As they feed on microscopic plant and animal forms, they are especially important as con verters of plankton organisms at one step into food for man.
The gadoid fishes which include the cod, haddock, hake and pol lock also rank high in their contribution to man's needs. The annual catch of cod along the Atlantic coast of North America exceeds i,000,000.000 pounds. These are white-meated fishes, and the fat is stored in the livers, the basis for the cod-liver oil industry. Next in importance are the salmons, noted for their exceptional food properties, size, beauty and gameness. The family includes not only the salmons but the white fishes, the ciscoes or lake herring and the trouts. The most important members are the five species of salmons native to the North Pacific, entering the tributary rivers in North America and Asia to spawn. The annual catch amounts to about i,000,000,000 lb. a year and is the basis for the important salmon canning and curing industry.
The mackerels, of which there are about 6o species, are widely distributed and highly prized for food in the areas where they are found in abundance. Included in this family are the highly prized tunas, the true mackerels of the north Atlantic, Spanish mackerel and the bonito. The shell-fish fisheries are also of considerable im portance, including some of the choicest products of the sea and valued as food because of their distinctive flavour and their rich ness in iodine and minerals, essential elements of our diet. The
oyster fisheries are of importance in the United States, France and Japan. Lobsters, crabs, clams and shrimp are widely sought after.
The fisheries are a most important source of food. In addition they supply many articles of importance in the arts and indus tries. Fish meal is gradually winning a place for itself as one of the most valuable protein feeds for hogs, cattle and poultry. Fish fertilizer is generally recognized and widely used as a plant food. The demand for and use of fish oils for soap making, for hydro genation, including use in lard substitutes, and for many other purposes is increasing. About 15o,000,000 gal. of whale oil alone is now produced annually. Shells of molluscs are an important source of raw materials of buttons and various artistic articles. From the shells of the fresh water mussels taken in the Mississippi valley region are produced about 2,000,000,000 buttons per year. From shark hides are made fancy leathers for artistic articles; from fish scales is derived fish scale essence used in the manufac ture of imitation pearls; from Japanese pearl farms are derived artificial pearls and from numerous waters of the globe are taken genuine pearls. From the sea-weed industries are derived many products and from the sea itself the indispensable solar salt.
The annual world harvest of fish and fishery products amounts to not less than 35,000,000,000lb. with a first value of about $760,000,000. In addition there is a very considerable draft on water areas by angler and fisherman for home consumption for which no satisfactory estimate can be made. Among the lead ing nations of the world in the prosecution of fisheries arranged in the relative order of the magnitude of their fisheries are : Japan with a catch of about 8,1oo,000,000lb.; United States with 4,400, 000,000lb.; Soviet Union, 2 ,9oo,000,000lb.; China, 2 ,800,000, 000lb. ; United Kingdom, 2,5o0,o0o,000lb.; and Norway with 1,700,000,00o pounds. These six countries produce about three fifths of the world's fishery harvest. Among the other nations producing in excess of i,000,000,000lb. annually are Germany, Korea and Canada. (L. RA.)