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20. The fisheries in the North Atlantic and North Pacific are not widely dissimilar in value. The relative importance of these two grounds and the shares of the Empire and of the chief foreign countries participating therein are indicated approximately in the following table :—

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NOTE. These figures are taken from Official publications, such as Year Books, or the statistics issued by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. They relate solely to sea fish. Several of these countries also possess valuable river and lake fisheries.

V.—Analysis of Imports into the United Kingdom in 1925 and the Empire share therein.

21. The United Kingdom (Great Britain and Northern Ireland) does not depend solely on catchings by British fishermen. It receives fish from three sources

(i) by landings from British fishing vessels;

(ii) by landings from foreign vessels arriving direct from the fishing grounds;

(iii) by shipments of fish as cargo from Empire or foreign ports.

Direct landings from foreign vessels and shipments, as cargo, from Empire and foreign ports, are both treated in the Statistics as imports. The total value of fish brought

into the United Kingdom in 1925 was £30 millions,

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Of foreign landings direct from the fishing
Bought as cargo-

(a) from other parts of the Empire ...
(b) from foreign countries ...

Total

The total imports in that year were thus £10 millions, of which a little over £1 1/3 millions were re-exported. The total value of the imports retained for consumption in the country was about £9 1/3 millions, of which £2 millions, or 27 per cent. came from Empire sources.

22. The imports retained for consumption in Great Britain are classified in the Trade returns under four heads :

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The various forms of canned fish thus constitute the most valuable section of the imports, and amongst them the most important items are canned salmon (£3 millions), tinned sardines (£500,000), canned lobsters (£400,000), canned brisling (£250,000), and canned crayfish.

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23. Over three-quarters of the imports of £2 millions of fish from the Empire enter Great Britain as canned or as "cured or salted," the most important single item being canned salmon from Canada, valued at over one million pounds. Canada possesses for the moment a practical monopoly in the imports of canned lobsters, as the Newfoundland lobster fisheries have been closed till the end of 1927 to allow them to recuperate. The Union of South Africa sends mainly canned crayfish.

Over 40 per cent. of the retained imports in the category "cured or salted" fish consists of salted cod, and is valued at £182,000. The total imports of salted cod are valued at twice this figure, but this is one of the commodities in which there is a considerable re-export trade (Appendix II). Newfoundland is the chief source of supply of salted cod, although Iceland and the Faroes also send considerable quantities. The only other

item among cured fish which we need mention is the imports of cured herrings from the Irish Free State.

24. We now come to fresh fish, or rather to fresh and frozen fish," for the trade statistics do not differentiate between import of these two descriptions. In 1925 the retained imports under the heading fresh and frozen fish amounted to £3,300,000, to which the Empire contributed a little over £400,000. Imports of fresh salmon, herrings and mackerel from the Irish Free State (mostly salmon) accounted for nearly three-quarters of the £400,000, the remainder being chiefly frozen and refrigerated salmon from Canada, Newfoundland and the United States. Canada also sends some refrigerated haddock.

25. Imports of fresh fish from foreign sources to the value in round figures of £2,900,000 were retained in Great Britain in 1925. As has been explained, these enter the country either by foreign vessels bringing their catch direct to British ports or as consignments of cargo from foreign ports. The following table shows in round figures the shares of the chief countries participating in this trade, and the extent to which direct landings at British ports took place in 1925:

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Belgium and France were the chief sources among the remaining countries. The occurrence of Italian imports among direct landings from the fishing grounds is a post-war feature. It is provided by catches from certain Italian-owned trawlers operating from German ports.

26. Fish of almost every marketable variety to be obtained from the seas adjoining Northern Europe are included in these imports, but special varieties predominate in the imports from different foreign sources. Thus, the German, Icelandic and Italian vessels, which supply over 60 per cent. of the direct landings, operate mostly in far Northern waters and bring cod for the most part, though also a considerable amount of haddock. Aberdeen and Grimsby are the chief ports of discharge. The cod so delivered has not, as a rule, been as carefully stowed on board ship as is the practice on British vessels, and about two

thirds of the foreign cod landed at Aberdeen is sold to the salt curers for splitting and salting. The Norwegian consignments are mainly of herrings and salmon. The herrings are chiefly imported at seasons of the year when the British catch is short.

27. The imports from Danish and Swedish sources demand more notice. The direct landings, which come mostly from vessels operating in the North Sea, are discharged chiefly at Grimsby, whilst shipments as cargo are usually consigned to Harwich or London. These imports together cover a large variety of fish, of which plaice, haddock, eels and cod are among the most important. Since the War the Danes, by more efficient organisation, have developed very considerably the plaice fishery for which their country is well situated. The bed of the North Sea slopes more gradually from the Danish coast than it does off the shores of Britain, and plaice specially favour the relatively shallow waters and the sandy bed of the eastern part of the North Sea. By the greater use of motor boats, the establishment of collecting centres and the organisation of quick and regular transport the Danes and Swedes have been able to send to London larger quantities of plaice in better quality than they did before the War. In fact, in 1925 imported plaice almost equalled in value the total imports of both cod and herrings-a result largely due to the development of the Danish and Swedish trade. The most important varieties of fresh fish imported in 1925 were salmon plaice (£821,000), (£620,000), (£489,000), herrings (£389,000) and haddock (£257,000)

VI. Growth of Imports.

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28. In the fishery statistics of the British Isles fresh fish are classified under three heads, demersal, pelagic and shellfish. The shellfish industry being quite distinct from the deep sea fisheries will be discussed later in our report. The distinction between demersal and pelagic denotes a difference in the habits of the fish. Fish such as the herring, mackerel, pilchard and sprat which frequent the upper waters of the sea and are caught by net when swimming freely in those waters are termed pelagic." The rest, of which there are more species, including the cod, haddock, halibut, hake, plaice, sole and turbot, are found near the bottom of the sea and are largely caught by long lines or by dragging (or trawling) nets along the floor of the sea. These are known as "demersal" (i.e., sunk) fish. They are also often described as "white" fish, and that is the term which we shall use. This distinction is not merely one of scientific interest; it possesses a definite trade significance.

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29. In order to avoid the complications arising from the change in the general level of prices which has taken place since the War a statement has been prepared, and is printed as Appendix I, showing since 1910 (omitting the War years) the quantities of fish of British taking landed in Great Britain, the net retained imports, the exports and the estimated consumption.

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In that table these details are shown separately for pelagic and "white" fish. It will be seen how distinct the two trades The trade in pelagic" fish is primarily an export trade, that in "white" fish is a trade for the British market. The British landings of "pelagic pelagic" fish are two-thirds what they were before the War, and imports have also fallen; the British landings of "white" fish, although varying a little from year to year, are practically on the same scale as before the War, and imports have increased two-and-a-half times. Exports of "pelagic" have fallen by one-third, and the trade is in trouble in consequence, whereas exports of "white "fish have remained very constant. Less "pelagic "fish is being eaten by the British public than in pre-War days, and more "white" fish is being eaten. In practically every particular the trade movements between "pelagic" and "white" have been in contrary directions. It is the herring which dominates the position in regard to" pelagic" fish, and we shall reserve our examination of the trade in pelagic pelagic" fish," and any recommendations which we have to make in regard to it to the sections in which we deal with herrings." We deal firstly with "white" fish, mentioning herrings or pelagic fish only incidentally when necessary.

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VII.-Increase in imports of "White" fish.

30. The changes in the trade in "white fish since the War can be gathered from the following abstract of the table in Appendix I :

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The export trade is on the same scale as before, but British landings have fallen by 750,000 cwts. and imports have increased by 1,300,000 cwts., so that the increase in the total quantity sold has been about 500,000 cwts. Thus foreign imports have won all the increase in the market and have cut into the British supplies by 750,000 cwts. The British industry complains of this increased competition. It certainly appears from the evidence which has been placed before us that wages on German trawlers are below those paid on British vessels. We have received no evidence of direct foreign subventions, though certain Governments have afforded facilities to their own fishing industries by means of loans to enable them to refit their vessels or to equip them with steam or motor power.

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