Aa. Rupsinel
Fra. 81. At the wharves in Gloucester, the former center of the fishing industry of the United
States, thousands of tons of fish are landed vearly. As a fishing citv Boston now outranks
Moucester
CHAPTER EIGHT
FISHERIES
Fisuing is the only form of primary production that takes men
away from the land and out on the waters of seas, rivers, and lakes.
Although fishing adds to the variety and abundance of man’s food,
the fishing industry is more interesting than important. In the
United States, in 1919, among a thousand working people 290, on the
average, were engaged in primary production. Of these, 258 were
Farmers, 26 were miners, 5 were lumbermen, and only one was a fisher-
man. In our country, therefore, fishermen are the least numerous
of the primary producers. Moreover, the total yearly catch of fish
is worth less than one of the minor crops, such as barley or tobacco.
In countries like Norway, however, where the surface is rugged,
the soil poor, and the coastline irregular, people turn to the sea for
much of their food, and fishing is one of the chief industries.
Fishing an industry of the north temperate zone. Although food
fish are found in all oceans, the kinds most highly prized thrive in the
cool waters of the north temperate zone. Furthermore, the total
amount of life in the oceans is actually much greater in high latitudes
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