19 



doing ; they are taken out in tlie boats and made to handle and sail 

 them, thoy make the cans in every detail from the flat tin sheets, 

 handle and treat the fish in every stage^ close and process the cans, 

 and so forth ; at Sbinojima the newest deep-sea boat had gone to 

 Korea with a selected crew of local fishermen under instruction in its 

 handling. 



33. The following matters have been laid down by the department 

 for the guidance of experimental work at these stations. First as 

 to t^atcJiing ; the inshore waters are becoming exhausted, while the 

 demands for home consumption and for export are daily growing ; 

 moreover, it is found that the fish of the autumn and winter catches 

 are more suitable for export than those caught at other times (prob- 

 ably because they are brought to shore in better condition in the 

 winter) ; hence encouragement is necessary for the fisheries of these 

 seasons, for which purpose special attention must be paid to the 

 invention and provision of good safe boats able to face the stormy seas 

 of those periods, and to the instruction of the fishermen in the use of 

 the nets, and to other (financial ?) assistance to them. So also the use 

 of improved nets as found in Europe, etc., is to be encouraged and 

 attention should specially be given to several points ; viz. better 

 material for nets and the use of machinery (capstans, windlasses, etc., 

 either manual or power) instead of mere manual handling, the mani- 

 pulation of nets, the selection of boats suitable to each locality and 

 class of fishing, the employment of trained fishermen (as instructors 

 apparently), a close investigation of the fishing grounds and seasons, 

 and the introduction of long lines where not now in use, or for 

 different classes of fishes. Finally, the proper treatment and trans- 

 portation of fish from catch to sale ; this is considered of great 

 importance, and the use of carriers for the conveyance of fish from the 

 fishing smack to shore and of bait from shore to smack, is suggested 

 (c/. my West Coast report). 



34. Second! u, as regards i^reserving. Special attention is to be 

 given to the preservation of certain classes of fish, e.^., sardine^ 

 mackerel, cod, etc., for export to Europe and America, and of salt 

 herring, shark fins, beche-de-mer, dried cuttle-fish, ear-shell, prawns, 

 etc., for China, and of various classes for homo consumption. It will 

 be noticed not only that the Japanese strongly des^ire to foster the 

 export trade, but that they are fully aware of the classes of fish 

 required in each country. The methods of packing are also to be 

 improved, and the use of ice inculcated for keeping the fish fresh. 



35. Thirdly, as regards culture. Experiments in certain classes 

 such as salmon hatching, transplantation ot shell-fish, alg^, etc., may 

 well be undertaken by public bodies (experimental stations, etc.), while 

 the minor and easier branches, such as the growth of carp, eel, mullet, 

 snapping turtle, nori (an alga) may be left to private persons, 



