that had been caught commercially. One was very large, probably in excess 

 of 700 pounds, but unfortunately it had been dressed before it could be 

 carefully examined. The second was a specimen of about 350 pounds. 

 From the reports given by the local fishermen these fish average in weight 

 almost that of the black marlin. 



The predominant saiMsh run here is in the summer months, roughly 

 from the end of November through March, although (as in the case of the 

 three marlin) they are caught every month of the year. 



The general tuna situation is similar to that off the coast of northern 

 Peru. The principal species is the yellowfin tuna which is caught every 

 month of the year, but predominates in December, January and February. 

 In the winter season the fishermen have the same heavy runs of the oceanic 

 bonito that were encountered off Peru. The common bonito is rather 

 scattered, and its production does not compare with that of central and 

 northern Chile. 



Geography. The operational site for the Ecuadorian phase of the 

 expedition was the village of Salango (Figure 10). This was chosen because 

 it was adjacent to the Island of La Plata and just southwest of the city of 

 Manta which is the principal commercial fishing port of Ecuador. This 

 area is 60 miles north of the mouth of the Gulf of Guayaquil. The city 

 of Salinas is at the northwestern tip of the port of Manta. The Island of 

 La Plata, our principal point of fishing research, lies about 18 miles off the 

 coast and 5 miles inside of the 100 fathom curve of the coastal shelf. From 

 Iquique, Chile, northward through the Peruvian areas studied, we found 

 that this is the first place in which a definite coastal shelf is encountered 

 where billfish exist in quantity during the migratory cycle. From this point 

 northward, it is apparent that the schools of marlin and sailfish touch all 

 prominent coastal points northward to the Gulf of Panama. Possibly these 

 fish constitute a single population, while the sailfish, to some extent, mi- 

 grate across the Gulf of Guayaquil and in summer season range as far 

 south as Talara, Peru. Generally, the main group never migrates farther 

 south than Salinas, Ecuador. 



The expedition received only vague reports of billfish north of the port 

 of Manta. By the close proximity of the 100 fathom curve to the coast line 

 in the vicinity of Cape San Francisco, just south of the port of Esmeraldas, 

 it is logical to assume that similar fishing conditions would exist. There 

 are no governmental reports available for this area and only future explor- 

 ation will determine the potential of billfish in the northern part of Ecuador 

 and Colombia. 



The area that this expedition studied from Manta on the north to Salinas 

 on the south lies between one and two degrees south of the equator, with 

 the Island of La Plata slightly in the northern part. Here, the coastal shelf, 



48 ' 



