17 



^So' 160^ viv iio^^ iw 160^ iio^^ m" ao" n 



k^ 





J.I. 



--*V5 



^■^^-^ly 160* 170' ^ J80r 170' 160* 150* 140' 130* 120' 



Figure 19. — Fishing grounds of South Pacific 

 albacore fishery based at American Samoa In 

 1954 and 1963. 



cruise were not quite ready to spawn. The earlier survey, 

 Ahipalaha I, conducted between January 15 and April 5, 1963, 

 was too late in the year to demonstrate the peak of the South 

 Pacific albacore spawning season. Therefore, it appears that 

 the peak of the spawning season in this area occurs in Decem- 

 ber-January. 



Figure 20. — Track of the Charles Jl^. Gilbert 

 on cruise 59 (Ahipalaha II), October 7- 

 December 13, 1963. 



In conjunction with a recently completed investigation of 

 the size and estimated age composition of albacore taken in 

 the various Pacific fisheries, estimates were made of the total 

 number of albacore takenfrom 1955 to 1959. For these years, 

 the annual catch in the North Pacific varied from 5.1 to 8.5 



million fish; in the South Pacific, from 0.5 to 1.0 million fish. 

 To the North Pacific total annual landings the U.S. west coast 

 fishery contributed an estimated 2.0 to 3.1 million fish; the 

 Japanese spring live-bait fishery, 1.2 to 4.0 million fish; and 

 the Japanese winter longline fishery, 1.2 to 2.4 million fish. 



