THE FISHERIES OF JAPAN. 429 



THE SALMON FISHERY. 



The spring salmon (Onoorhynchus perryi) and fall salmon (0. haberi), called sake 

 by the Japanese, are found in the northern parts of Japan, especially in Hokkaido. 

 They ascend the rivers of those parts for spawning, and at that season undergo a 

 great change in shape as well as in color. They usually attain the length of about 3 

 feet, and weigh 12 to 17 pounds, but large specimens sometimes measure about 4 feet 

 in length and weigh about 20 pounds. 



In fishing for salmon drift nets, tow seines, circle nets, and pound nets are used; 

 the first and the last most commonly. 



The salmon pound net is employed along the coast of the province of Tokachi in 

 Hokkaido. It consists of a large bowl made of hemp and a leader made of straw. 

 The latter is 750 to 1,500 feet long and its meshes are 2£ to 7 inches. Intercepted by 

 the leader, the fish follow it and enter the bowl. At this time a netting which has 

 hitherto beeu kept lowered is raised, and the mouth of the bowl is closed. The fish 

 are landed by gradually tucking in the bowl. 



The salmon drift gill net exhibited is such a form as is used in the provinces of 

 Uzen and Ugo. It is made of hemp, and a single netting is about 175 feet long and 

 8J feet high. Floats are tied to the upper margin, but the lower margin has no weight 

 attached to it. It is worked by night at the mouths of rivers from about the middle of 

 October till the first part of December. Eight or ten nettings are usually joined into 

 a single net, and are shot down the stream. 



In addition to being consumed in a fresh condition, salmon are placed on the 

 market in a salted, smoked, and canned state. Salt salmon forms the greater bulk of 

 the salmon cured for preservation. The price has risen in recent years in consequence 

 of exportation, and a single fish now costs 30 to 40 sen. Salmon are not smoked in 

 large quantities, as the demand is not very great. The price is accordingly high, a 

 single box containing 10 fish costing about 2.50 yen. Canned salmon is largely made 

 in Hokkaido; more than 200,000 cans, amounting in value to about 24,000 yen, are 

 sold every year. 



THE AYU FISHERY. 



The ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) is very highly esteemed among the fresh- water food- 

 fishes. It lives in sandy rivers, and is found in almost all parts of Japan. It feeds 

 chiefly on diatoms and other lower algae. Large specimens measure sometimes more 

 than a foot in length. It spawns in autumn, in shallow rapids. 



In fishing for the ayu, lines provided with fly hooks and ordinary hooks are used; 

 scare-cord and casting nets are also employed. Beside these there is a peculiar mode 

 of fishing with tame cormorants, called ukai. 



The ayu scare-cord net consists of a receiving net and a scare-cord. The former 

 is made of hemp, and its meshes are about an inch. The scare-cord is also made of 

 hemp and is from 200 to 250 feet in length. It bears at intervals short branch lines, 

 also of hemp, to the extremities of which are attached feathers of the cormorant. A 

 single man keeps the receiving net open against the current, while four men scare the 

 fish down the stream with the cord and drive them into the net. 



A graphic model of the method of ayu fishing with tame cormorants, or uJcai, 

 shown in the exposition, represents a single ukai boat of the River Nigara, in the prov- 



