Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-09-02
PRAISES SHARK
AS FOOD FISH
Bureau Of Fisheries Says It Has
Been Neglected Because
Worth Is Little Known.
Tells HOW TO PREPARE IT
II It Has a Strong odor. That Can 30
Easily misunderstanding FOLK
Have Known Of Its Value
AZ Food.

Washington With the more fire.
Quent appearance of new sea FOODS IN
our markets, the truth OF the Old say
ing, "There are as good fish In the
sea as have ever been caught" Is
acquiring new application. This Is
especially true of a large family OF
fishes representatives Of WHICH OCCUR
on all shores of the sea and in all
climes-tbe sharks, strong, active.
gracefully shaped fishes, varying IN
length from few inches to fifty feet
or more, which offer 4 wholesome.
palatable and nutritious food, compar.
Ing favorably in dietary qualities with
many of the highly priced sea foods.
Many people, indeed, have recog-
pized their value and have utilized
them extensively for food. In the
countries bordering on the Meditef-
ranean and In Great Britain. Norway
and Sweden they are well knnwn rs
valuable and nutritious foods. Al
Folkestone. England, the flesh OF one
of the small sharks, sailed and dried.
; Is marketed as "Folkestone beef" IN
| til recently their use as food In the
United States has been limited prin.
cipally to seafaring people In scattered
localities and to the fish markets Of
some of our larger cities. but with
late interest aroused ~ new sea foods
they are finding place In our largest
Misunderstanding Centers and have az
reared on the menus Of some OF the
leading hotels in several cities
OF Wide Distribution.
AS already Unlimited. sharks are OF
wide distribution. occurring In MI
seas from the equator to polnr waters.
but in greatest abundance In the
| tropics. Those, however. taken In the
cooler waters of the temperate zones
are among the most desirable species
! for food. and II Is from these that th"
, principal supply for tho markets OF
his country Is obtained.
Like the cod, sGuetehgue. burhsh
| md other well-known fishes. sharks
| feed mainly on fishes, crabs. mollnsks
| and other small forms living In The
sea, their method of foraging and cap
ture in many cases being unusual and
interesting. The thrasher shark uses
It's whip-like tail, which is ns long as
! its body, to splash the water as II
swims round and round school OF
fish In ever narrowing circles, crowd
ing the fish closer and closer together
| until the moment Of attack.
The grayfish. sand sharks and some
other species work in schools and do
not hesitate to attack the fish taken
in the tishermens nets. the larger
forms tearing the nets and liberatins
the catch.
The economic uses to which these
forms may be put are somewhat
varied At one time large quantities
Of the hides, cleaned but not tanned,
were used for polishing wood, ivory,
, metal and the like. with improve
ments in methods of preparation OF
|; sandpaper and emery, these have
, largely replaced animal hides.
Make Excellent Leather.
Within the last year the Bureau OF
Fisheries has interested American
tanners to experiment I'm the produc-
ton of feathers from these hides with
excellent results. and there now exists
demand for large quantities of raw
materials. In tensile strength leath-
ers tested compare favorably with
those made from mammal hides. and
the market for these products appears
assured. In addition, the livers are
rich in a marketable oil. which is OF
value in dressing leather, sOapmaking,
paints and for medicinal purposes.
The Weld varies from less than pint
in some of the smaller sharks to about
| 1916 gallons in some of the larger sizes.
The meat of sharks is white, slight
ly gelatinous, resembling halibut, but
somewhat less firm, and compares fa-
yOrably In food value with other staple
! food fishes and meats. Russell j.
| Coles. who has eaten the flesh of many
| Of our sharks. states that the flesh In
heshly killed examples of some
species has a peculiar Odor which can
readily be removed by sailing. After
several hours the meat should be
freshened. then parboiled and cooked
as any other fish. The flesh of the
young sharks and such small forms as
the grayfish is particularly good fresh,
but it Is as a preserved product that
the meat of sharks especially conf
mends itself. Sailed and smoked or
kippered 1t is excellent. 1t may also
be sailed and dried, faxed or
shredded.
In some parts of the meat the lay
ers of connective tissue are quite close
together. These parts may cOnven-
iently be run through meat chopper
and the meat used for fish balls.
chowders and the like. Persons in
position to smoke the fish as needed
will find the mld-cured, hot-smOked
product particularly appetizing.