Fishery Cooperative Associations in Relation to Conservation and Orderly Marketing

Abstract

Fishery cooperative marketing associations are democratically organized economic enterprises conducted for the mutual welfare of their members. They may aid in various phases of conservation. Cooperatives may assist in preserving fish populations in the interests of sustained yield through self-imposed regulations of gear, season, sizes of fish captured, and of other aspects of fishing activity. In these matters, however, they cannot entirely supplant regulation by public authority. The greatest contributions of cooperatives to conservation are in conserving the catch by efficient and orderly marketing. In the United States they market nearly 1 billion pounds of fish worth about 9 million dollars. In marketing the catch of members and by their influence on marketing agencies generally, cooperative associations may eliminate wasteful practices and insure the highest utility for our fishery products. Such activities benefit the consuming public as well as the fishermen and the other elements of the fishery industry.