Recent Trends in U.S. Production, Use, and Price of Marine Oils

U. S. supplies of marine oils increased from a postwar low of 281 million pounds in 1947 to over 450 million in recent years, mainly due to an uptrend in production. Output dropped sharply in 1963 because of a poor fishing season for menhaden, the leading marine oil produced in the United States. Marine oil exports have expanded greatly in the postwar era, from 21 million pounds in 1947 to 274 million in 1963. Record U. S. exports in 1963 resulted from the sharp reduction in world output of marine oils and rising prices. Domestic disappearance, which has fluctuated considerably during this period, fell off sharply in 1963, apparently because of increased prices for menhaden oil.