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Project Report No. 27

Canada. Fisheries SeNice. Industrial Development Service. PROJECT REPORT

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BY MARVIN BARNES

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INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.BRANCH, , I FISHERIE~ SERVICE, "

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DEPARTM~NT OF FISHERIES AND FORESTRY, OTTAWA APRIL 1969 I

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PROGRESS REPORT ON TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

TO SALTED FISH PRODUCERS

IN

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

1968

by

Marvin Barnes Assistant Regional Representative,

Industrial Development Branch Fisheries Service,

St. John's, Newfoundland

This was a project carried out by the Industrial Development Branch, Fisheries Service,

Department of Fisheries and Forestry, Ottawa

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Progress ~eport on Technical Assistance to Salted Fish Producers in Newfoundland and Labrador - 1968

The program of technical assistance to salted cod fishermen/

processors, which was initiated in 19bb for the purpose of assisting

in upgrading the quality of the product, was continued during 1968.

It was carried out during the period May to October, covering main

areas of salted fish production in Newfoundland and Labrador.

As in previous years the services of seven men, highly

skilled in salted fish processing methods, were contracted for periods

up to six months. Each man was assigned to an area as mentioned

above where he worked closely with fishermen, providing general

advice and practical demonstrations as related to improved processing

procedures and techniques for salted fish production.

Five men were assigned to areas of coastal Newfoundland and

two to the coast of Labrador. Each of the two men in Labrador was

provided with a chartered boat, which served as their only means of

transportation as well as providing food and accommodation. The

area of coastal Labrador, from Red Bay in the south to Nain in the

north, was servi ced wit h the use of the two boats. IVlost of coastal

Newfoundland and southern Labrador can now be covered by road, which

greatly reduces transportation diffi cult ies.

A special effort was made in each area covered, to visit and

discuss processing and quality with every fishing crew engaged in

salted fish processing. ~epeat visits were made as often as was

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practical with special emphasis on communities with highest production.

Due to extremely bad weather, with high winds and heavy seas,

experienced in Labrador, the number 01' visits to each settlement was

somewhat reduced.

An evaluation of reports and information received from sal t

fish buyers and exporters would indicate that this program is

definitely contributing to an overall improvement in the quality of

the product. Heports submitted by the technical advisers, who

worked closely with fishermen throughout the season, indicated a

generally increased interest in quality by fishermen who process their

catch.

It was suggested that such renewed interest in quality during

the early part of 1968 was due, in part, to the wide publicity given

to stocks of surplus salt fish of 1907 production remaining unsold

at the beginning of the 196$ fishing season, which was later purchased

by the Government of Canada for relief purposes. A.lso the fact that

fish buyers were reporting that lower prices could be expected for

1968 production, and such prices would be determined according to

the quality of fish produced.

The quality of heavy salted saltbulk codfish produced during

1968 was, according to reports, generally higher than in previous

years. Buyers reported that in settlements formerly noted for

producing low quality there was a very definite improvement. Our

technical advisers in their weekly reports remarked the continued

improvement in quality produced in community stages. ThiS, they

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su~gest., is due to t..he fAct that beLtor proce~jslng rllclliLit:}!) are

provided in community stages and, where fishermen are operat ing in

groups, technical advice and practical demonstrations appear more

effective.

Some of the community stages are being leased to fish

merchants who operate salt fish processing plants, and fish is being

purchased fresh, then split, washed and salted under supervision.

This operation, according to our field men, is recommended as a

means of improving quality, especially in settlements where there is

not the required leadership among fishermen to direct the operation

of community facilities to the best advantage. (See page 7)

A serious problem affecting the quality of heavy salted fish

is a "red bacteria" commonly referred to as Itpink". In an effort

to make fishermen/processors more aware of this problem, a poster,

portraying a picture of a pink fish, together with a list of causes

and methods of prevention for pink was devised prior to the beginning

of the 1968 fishing season. Several thousand of these posters were

distributed by our field men at the beginning of the fishing season.

They were displayed in fishermen's stages, community stages, fish

plants, etc. The posters were impressive and according to reports,

caused fishermen to become more concerned with the problem. Pink

was not a major problem in the 1968 production of heavy salted fish

and it is suggested that the efforts shown by fishermen/processors

to combat this problem, together with the aid of lower than average

temperatures experienced during the summer, were effective. (See page 8)

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In the case of light salted "shore cure" codfish a rather

different situation was encountered. Our field men reported that most

fishermen/ processors, who elected to produce light salted sun dried

fish, appeared most interested in trying to produce the best possible

quality. They sought the expert advice ' of our technical advisers

repeatedly and were determined to improve quality if possible. As

a result of their efforts much of the light salted codfish processed

and dried prior to the latter part of July was of high quality. The

writer observed some of the fish as it was being packaged for the

U.S. and Italian markets, and would suggest that little improvement

could be expected when considering the circumstances under which it

was processed. After July, and throughout the remainder of the

normal drying season, weather conditions continued most unfavourable

for drying, with the result that the quality of light salted fish

suffered badly.

According to reports from our field men, fishermen who produced

salted fish in 1968 became quite disheartened during the latter

part of the season. They felt that the additional effort put into

processing was to no avail. The lack of interest by fish buyers in

purchasing fish was rather frustrating. Prices offered for light

salted cure were considerably lower, as much as one-third less, than

were offered the previous year. Also, buyers refused to accept

fish that was not sufficiently dried, whereas for 1967 production

little emphasis was placed on drieth. This resulted in substantial

quantities of fish, which could not be dried due to weather conditions,

left in the fishermen's hands until late in the year, during which

time quality could only have deteriorated.

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Our field men suggested that had this fish been purchased

earlier, and drying continued by mechanical means, quality could

have been improved considerably_ Most of this fish was later

purchased to coincide with a tender call by the Fisheries Prices

Support Board, for salt fish of 1968 production, for relief .purposes.

Fishermen who processed heavy salted fish were also very discouraged

over the low price offered.

The efforts of our program of technical assistance have

undoubtedly contributed to an improvement in the quality of salted

fish. However, we feel that there still remains a great deal to

be done before the quality of salted codfish produced in Newfoundland

and Labrador reaches a desired level. It is doubtful that the required

quality, with uniformity, can be attained under existing conditions

with processing being done by fishermen and their families under

most unsatisfactory conditions and circumstances. We look forward

with interest to a change, which will see all salted fish processed

in plants adequately equipped and under proper supervision. In

the meantime, we feel that our program of technical aSSistance,

with even greater effort, will continue to bring about greater

improvement in quality.

During 1969, we propose to increase the number of technical

advisers to nine, with the hope of providing improved service to

fishermen/processors along the north west coast of Newfoundland

and the Strait o~ Belle Isle, north to St. Anthony, which is an area

of high production of salted fish where quality requires considerable

upgrading.

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r NEWFOUNDLAND LABRADOR .\ r c-:l_. __ . _. _ . QUE~EC--'-' .-- '- '~

PORT SAUNDERS

GULF OF ST. LAWRENCE

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DarTED LINES SHOW AREAS COVERED UNDER PROGRAM OF TECHNICAL ASSIST­ANcE TO SALT FISH PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS. THESE AREAS PROVIDE ABOUT 85 % OF TOTAL SALT COD PRODUCTION.

ATLANTIC OCEAN

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Correct method to be employed in GuttiDg, Heading and SplittiDg Codfish

ROl'!II1l TAIl.!'> ANIl BAilLY fWLlT FISH M~:AN POOR QUALITY ANIl THERE. FORE TH.: GREATEST OF CARE MUST BE TAKEN WITH EACH STAGE (W SPI.JTTING

THROATING AND RIPPING

Hold the jaws of the fish closed with one hand, and rest the back of its neck on the edge of the splitting table. With a sharp knife cut the throat across just behind the gills, and continue the cut to clear the gills from the body. Introduce the knife between and under the lug bones, and rip the belly straight to the vent, but not beyond.

DO NOT TURN OFF KNIFE BUT KEEP CUT STRAIGHT FOR THE VENT AND NOT BEYOND THE VENT. THIS WILL HELP PREVENT SLIVERS.

GUTTING AND HEADING

Open the belly with one hand and with the other remove the liver and place it into the collecting- receptacle provided for that purpose. Then loosen .the guts and pull them out. Make a cut just behind the gills up each side of the back. Then break the head from the body by pressing" down on both with the back of the neck on the edge of the table. A still better method is to place the fish back down and cut off the head with a heavy knife.

DO NOT ALLOW NECK TO REMAIN UNTRIMMED WITH PIECES OF LIVER, SKIN OR FISH HANGING. RAGGED ENDS AT NECK SHOULD BE TRIMMED WITH A SHARI' KNIFE.

SPLITTING

Place the fish after it has been ripped and beheaded on the splitting table with the back ag-ainst a cleat which has been attached to the table, and with the tail of the fish to right.

With the belly of the fish toward you, seize the upper nape with one hand. With the rip carried only to the vent make the first cut with the splitting knife, from the vent close alollg- the left side of the vent fin a little past the end of the belly cavity.

Ins('rt the splitting" knife at the neck of the fish on the upper side of the bone and make a clean eut to tht' tail. keeping- close to the bone so as to separate the flesh of the left side of the tish cleanly from the bacl,bone all the way to the tail.

Cut the ba"khone through th,·pp joint.~ hehinrj tlw vent by a motion downwards and towards you.leaying' the cut end of the bone appearing like the figure 8. Next grasp the free end of the bone with one hand and strip it up cleanly with the knife from the flesh of the rig-ht side of the tish.

SI'LlT HIGHT TO THE TAIL AND STRAIGHT SO AS TO AVOID SUVERS AND HI 'C,!) TA[U:;. CUT THt-: BACKBONE THREE JOINTS BEHIND VENT SO AS TO A YoIl) nU)()[) SPOT AT THAT POINT. DO NOT BREAK THE BONF~CUT IT. BE C-\ltI-:ITL A:\J) A YO/J) (;AS]{[·;S IN FLESH OF FISH AND ALSO AVOID INJURY TO COlm BY (TTTI:\(; TOO DEIT IN REMOVING BONE FR0:\I HIGHT SIDE OF FISH.

WELL SPLIT FISH BADLY SPLIT FISH

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NO MARKET FOR "PINI" FISH

CAUSES PINK IS FOUND IN SOLAR SALT.

DIRTY STAGES PROVIDE A HOME

FOR PINK GERMS.

HIGH TEMPERATURE MAKES PINK

GROW.

POOR VENTILATION MEANS HIGH

TEMPERATURE.

I I I I I I I

PREVENTION USE ONLY NEW, CLEAN SALT.

H I G HER S TAG E S, PROPERLY

V E N TIL ATE D, PROVIDE LOWER

TEMPERATURES.

WASH STAGES THOROUGHLY WITH

CLEAN WATER-FRESH WATER

PREFERRED.

Community Stage, Doating Cove, Musgrave Harbour, Nfld.

Two views of a modern salt cod drying piant -- Mifflin Fisheries Ltd., Catalina, Nfld.

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