12 



" technical jottings " on foreign fisheries^ historical notes on the 

 industry, miscellaneous notes as to oyster fisherieSj etc., current 

 fishery news, very useful articles on foreign methods such as the 

 manufacture of boneless cod, Experimental Stations in America, etc., 

 commercial notes containing current price lists, supplements contain- 

 ing local fishing regulations, and so forth. Besides this periodical, 

 many occasional publications on fishing matters have been issued. 



16. Then the iSociety sends commissioners to examine the condi- 

 tion of fisheries at various places both within and without the Empire, 

 and during such tours improvements and new methods are explained 

 to local fishermen ; the chief Director, Mr. Murata, alone made 18 

 such tours in five years ; while its members and experts are continually 

 being sent on special tours, either hy Government or by the Society, 

 such as those mentioned above in paragraph 12. The direct instruc- 

 tion of fishermen by ambulant instructors is also a special feature of 

 the Society's work; the present Principal of tlie Im],erial Fisheries 

 Training Institution, Professor Matsubara, was one of such instruct- 

 ors. Then the Society undertakes investigations confided to it by 

 the Fisheries Department ; for instance in 189::! it sent commissioners 

 on a steamer along the Pacific Coast to observe the depth, etc., of the 

 sea, the character, seasons, and condition of migratory fishes, the abund- 

 ance or otherwise of seaweed, the best method of using new nets, 

 etc. Another set of experiments was in the matter of improving the 

 fishing boats intended for deep sea work, especially in connection 

 with safety and convenience in use in rough seas. Experiments were 

 also made in the preservation of fish by refrigeration and desiccation ; 

 these were conducted at 'the Fisheries school. During the Japan- 

 China war, the Society suggested to Government the use of canned 

 fish as army rations ; at the request of the department, the Society 

 established canneries and suppilied above 20,000 tins of fish to the 

 commissariat. 



17. A most useful conference was summoned by the Society at 

 the instance of Government in 1897; members of the conference — 

 apparently not necessarily members of the Society — were taken from 

 those actually engaged in the various branches of the industry, as well 

 as general experts ; they reported upon certain questions submitted 

 to the conference by Government, such as the establishment of salmon 

 hatcheries, the institution of local experimental fishing stations at 

 various centres, the exploration of fishing grounds, statistical enqui- 

 ries, a law regarding fishing aosociations, the establishment of 

 harbours erected at State expense or by grants-in-aid, the amendment 

 of the law for the encouragement of high sea fisheries, the creation 

 of a special bank to supply capital to the fishing industries or the 

 widening at/ hoc of the scope of existing local mortgage banks, the 



