The actual fishing requires considerable skill and dexterity. 

 As soon as a fish strikes, the fisherman leans back and dorm, heaving 

 the fish quickly out of the water and toward the ship. The amount of 

 power put into the heave is gauged carefully so that the fish will 

 corae aboard at about the height of the fisherman's waist. He grabs 

 the fish under his left arm, removes the hook if it hasn't come out 

 of its own accord, throws the fish oh the deck behind him and drops 

 the hook back into the water. Some fishermen were so skillful that 

 they heaved the fish aboard, disengaged the hook in the air, and 

 dropped the hook back overboard in practically one movement. Experts 

 caught 10 to 12 bonito per minute using the feather jig which required 

 no time for rebaiting. See figure 25. A total of 4017 pounds of 

 bonito was caught in 65 minutes of fishing. The average weight per 

 fish was 9*5 pounds. 



It is suggested that it might be worthwhile to undertake experi- 

 ments with some type of purse seine or lampara net for taking bonito. 

 Certainly there are many difficulties involved, especially the rapidity 

 with which the schools of fish travel, the transparency of the water, 

 and the fact that there is no smooth bottom in, shallow water. Quite 

 possibly the operations would have to be carried on at night. Such 

 a method would make possible the establishment of fisheries in local- 

 ities where bait fish are not abundant. Recognizing the limitations 

 imposed by dependence on live-bait, the Japanese experimented with 

 purse seines in the 1920' s, but were unsuccessful in developing a 

 suitable method. 



Japanese Fishery for Tuna . -Most abundant species is the yellow- fin 

 Neothunnu3 macropterus; some albacare, Thunnus germo (Lacepede); also 

 present are oriental tuna, Thunnus oriental is . Schlegelj big-eyed 

 tuna, Parathunnus mebachl. Kishinouye, the latter not highly regarded 

 by the Japanese. 



Although the natives had taken tuna occasionally, and comparatively 

 large supplies were known to be present, the Japanese did not develop 

 tuna fishing until around 1940. Probably the reason for this delay 

 was the need for larger and better equipped vessels, additional shore 

 facilities and especially refrigeration. The establishment of a 

 cannery in the Palaus did much to stimulate this industry. Experienced 

 tuna fishermen from Japan, with vessels ranging in size up to 60 tons 

 net were just getting into production at the beginning of the war. 

 The Palaus cannery had a capacity of 500 cases a day, but it is not 

 believed to have operated at that rate very long. There was also 

 limited tuna fishing at Truk. In contrast to the bonito fishery, 

 where pole fishing was employed, the tuna industry was largely 

 long-line fishing. The depth at which the lines were fished, and 

 the total number of hooks which could be handled per vessel are not 

 known. Information obtained at truk was to the effect that tuna 

 vessels were frequently away from port two weeks or more, but natives 

 did not know the exact localities fished. Although tuna production 



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