The Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investigations of the Fish 

 and Wildlife Service is based at Honolulu, Hawaii, for the purpose 

 of carrying out Public Law 329--80th Congress, which was enacted 

 August 4, 1947. This law declares: 



"That it is the policy of the United States to provide for 

 the exploration, investigation, development, and mainten(ance of 

 the fishing resources and development of the high seas fishing in- 

 dustry of the Territories and island possessions of the United" States 

 in the tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean and intervening seas, 

 for the benefit of the residents of the Territory of Hawaii and Pa- 

 cific island possessions and of the people of the United States. " 



Following the appropriation of funds in 1948 and the 

 subsequent acquisition and conversion of three seagoing vessels, 

 construction of a laboratory, and a preliminary reconnaissance of 

 the problem, sea work began early in 1950. 



The reconnaissance had determined that the several 

 kinds of tuna, notably yellowfin and skipjack, formed the most 

 promising mid-Pacific high-seas fishery resource. A semi- 

 private and several private attempts to develop mid-Pacific tuna 

 fisheries had failed during the several years prior to 1950. These 

 had been undertaken with the idea of obtaining quick results by 

 simply sending skilled fishermen on California-type tuna fishing 

 vessels to fish for tuna at a number of places presumed to be 

 favorable. Some tuna were caught during each of the ventures but 

 not in paying quantities. 



With this proof of the difficulties involved, we ap- 

 proached our task on a longer-term basis and from the viewpoint 

 that fish stocks large enough to support a high-seas fishing industry 

 could exist only where ocean conditions specially favored the pro- 

 duction of plentiful foodstuff for the fish. This involved study of 

 the oceanography, of the fish, and of the animals they feed upon, 

 combined with fishing surveys designed to estimate the abundance 

 of fish and to determine the methods by which they can be caught 

 in commercially adequate quantities. 



After 3 years of sea work results are emerging which 

 appear to have immediate practical fishery significance and to 

 constitute substantial scientific contribution. Some reports on 

 separate phases have been published and others are being prepared. 

 Pending their completion, our findings are sunamarized here briefly 

 and pictorially in what we hope is a clear, simple, and useful form. 

 To avoid the distraction of interspersing references to sources, a 

 summary of the kind and quantity of data underlying the several 

 charts, graphs, and statements is appended, together with a list of 

 the publications resulting from our work. 



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