Truk Live-Bait Survey 



By 



Peter T. Wilson 



Chief, Marine Resources 

 Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands 



ABSTRACT 



A survey of the bait resources of Truk lagoon was made in June-August 1970. 

 Directed by an Okinawan with extensive pre-World War II fishing experience in Truk, 

 the survey showed the presence of six bait species, some of which live around the coral 

 heads and must be taken with a specially designed net. Baitfish from Truk lagoon sup- 

 ported a Japanese skipjack tuna fishing fleet of about 40 vessels during prewar years. 



INTRODUCTION 



During 1968, the Trust Territory of the Pa- 

 cific Islands entered into a formal agreement 

 with a United States tuna company to conduct a 

 bait survey of the Truk lagoon. The results of 

 this survey showed that commercial concen- 

 trations of known live-bait species were not 

 available in Truk during the survey period and 

 that baiting methods utilized in Hawaii and 

 Palau were not effective for capturing those 

 species which were utilized in Truk prior to 

 World War II. 



The Second Marine Resources Conference 

 held in Hawaii in 1969 and the Truk Marine 

 Resources Conference held in May of 1970 rec- 

 ommended that further efforts be made to iden- 

 tify the live-bait resources of the Truk lagoon 

 in order to determine their relative abundance, 

 their proper identification, and their distribu- 

 tion. Both conferences also recommended that 

 an Okinawan live-bait fisherman experienced in 

 the prewar bait fisheries of the Truk lagoon be 

 obtained to direct the bait survey. 



OBJECTIVES 



The objectives of the second Truk bait survey 

 were: 



1) To identify properly the live-bait species 

 of the Truk lagoon, 



2) To determine the relative abundance and 



distribution of the live-bait species in the 

 Truk lagoon, 



3) To survey the day bait resources of the 

 Truk lagoon, 



4) To evaluate the prewar baiting method as 

 practiced in the Truk lagoon. 



PROCEDURE 



Captain Jinzo Izumi, an Okinawan skipjack 

 fishing captain with 11 years fishing experience 

 in Truk prior to the second world war and 6 

 years of postwar fishing experience in Palau, 

 was recruited for a 3-month period (June- 

 August 1970) to survey the prewar bait grounds 

 of Truk. Captain Izumi was provided a 17-foot 

 Mokil type open boat with a 20 hp outboard 

 motor, a full-time assistant, Hiroshi Inengau, 

 and the necessary support equipment to make 

 the survey. On weekends, Izumi was assisted 

 by Kimio Aisek, an experienced skipjack tuna 

 fisherman trained in Hawaii and Palau. Aisek 

 headed up a team of five or six local scuba 

 divers who assisted with the catching of sample 

 bait species using scuba gear and an Okinawan 

 bait net. 



During the week, Izumi and his assistant 

 Inengau would travel through the lagoon to the 

 baiting grounds which Izumi had used during the 

 prewar years. The abundance and type of bait 

 in each of these areas were determined by div- 

 ing and swimming to depths of about 60 feet. 



