

«s^<*¥«fc«iL.~, 



former level in 1938. Scientists say the reason is that the 

 distance from shore of the major part of the albacore's path 

 of seasonal migration along the coast varied considerably 

 within and among seasons and that the fleet of the 1930's 

 was not equipped to operate far offshore, as it is today. 



Although bluefin tuna is much in demand in Japan, it has 

 never played much of a part in the United States Pacific 

 fishery. About 10,000 tons are taken annually. The year 

 1966 seems to have set a new high, about 17,000 tons landed 

 in California. 



Bigeye tuna, again one of the most important species in 

 the Japanese catch, is taken only in insignificant quantities 

 in the eastern Pacific, according to Matsumoto. 



The Japanese Longline Fleet in the Pacific 



The Japanese longline fleet alone has more than 1,000 

 vessels. (The U.S. tuna fleet has about 200.) Until the 

 early 1950's such ships (fig. 10) confined their fishing activi- 

 ties to the Pacific Ocean and largely to the western part 

 of it. Beginning in 1952, they started to range far afield, 

 first to the Indian Ocean, and then in 1955, to the Atlantic 

 Ocean. Meanwhile, year by year their operations swept 

 across the wide Pacific, until by 1960 they were fishing all 

 the warm seas of the world coast to coast. The catch is sold 

 in many nations (fig. 11). 



Because of the way in which the statistics were presented 

 — until those for 1963 appeared — it was difficult to tell what 

 percentage of the total Japanese longline effort was expended 

 in each of the three oceans and how successfully. Yet 

 estimates of the total Pacific catch and effort are vital to the 

 assessment of Pacific tuna stocks. Tamio Otsu and Ray F. 

 Sumida prepared an estimate of the catch and effort for 



FIGURE 10. Within a decade, the vessels of the Japanese longline 

 Heet have become a familiar sight in almost every worm water port in 

 the world as their tuna fishery has circled the globe. The FUKUJU 

 I "Good Fortune"! MARU, photographed in American Samoo, is o 

 wooden longliner whose home port is Muroto, Kochi Prefecture, Jopon. 



18 



