2 l"] 



It is obvious that the introduction of new methods, 

 enterprise, and capital into the industry will utilize these 

 masses of fish as edible food ; the keeping of quantities 

 of fish — sardines, mackerel, etc., are all caught alive — ■ 

 in live chests or pounds till needed, refrigeration, the 

 use of innocuous preservatives, etc., will enable curers 

 gradually and safely to turn larger quantities of fish into 

 good food ; the method of salting down pilchards in 

 masses, after the Cornish fashion, will equally suit 

 sardines ; speedier processes and larger plant will deal 

 in equal times with larger quantities ; the introduction 

 of cannino- on a considerable scale and in laree cans, as 

 in Japan, will provide most wholesome food for use even 

 by the masses. All these methods except refrigeration 

 are now under actual experiment, and will be available 

 for public demonstration shortly if not already on view.* 

 The limits of this paper prevent further elaboration of 

 this point. 



Secondly, more fish should be caught ; the present 

 difficulty of dealing with unwieldy occasional catches is 

 greater than that of disposing of larger ordinary catches, 

 if they can be regularly obtained. The questions here 

 are whether fish are of sufficient Q-eneral abundance to 

 admit of much larger catches, and, if so, the best method 

 of taking them. As mentioned above, the fishing fleets 

 of the Presidency consist, in general, of catamarans 

 (rafts) and dug-out canoes or similar small open boats ; 

 hence the fishing is, in general, confined to a narrow and 

 shallow inshore belt of perhaps 6 miles wide and up to 

 8 fathoms in depth according to locality and season. 

 Within this belt there is a great deal of immemorially 

 ancient fishing with numerous boats, canoes, and 

 apparatus from the villages which line the coast, and 

 it is probable that, except for attacks upon shoals, no 

 great development of capturing methods is desirable or 

 permissible inside that area ; the appearance of steamers 

 and other powerful vessels would be prejudicial not only 

 to the vested fishing interests of a large fishing popu- 

 lation, but probably to the supply of fish ; restrictive 

 regulations should certainly precede such up-to-date 

 attempts at development. For attacks upon shoals some 



* The Government cannery is in successful operation, and refrigerating plant 

 has been obtained and will shortly be at work. 



IS 



