Trepang ( Dried Sea Cucumbers . Beche-de-Mer l ,~A dozen species of 

 sea cucumbers (not yet identified; are very abundant on the inshore 

 reefs and in the lagoons of Micronesia. A few of them are eaten 

 sparingly by the natives, usually raw, sometimes seasoned with lime 

 juice. Six species were dried by the Japanese to make trepang, an 

 important ingredient in oriental soups. 



The usual method of preparing this delicacy was to boil, eviscer- 

 ate and dry in an oven, with or without smoking, the process taking 

 from 5 to 10 days. At least six grades are recognized; some are shown 

 in figure 29. 



Collecting sea cucumbers provided a source of cash income to 

 natives, though information was not forthcoming as to the price paid 

 them. No doubt it varied considerably according to species, size, 

 abundance, condition and season. Prepared trepang was said to have 

 sold pre-war at Truk for 5 ¥en per kilogram, which on the basis of 

 4 ¥en to the Dollar, would have been 57 cents per pound. It was 

 stated to have brought 8 Sen per kilogram In Japan, or near 91 cents 

 per pound. Chief centers of production were Truk, the Palaus, Ponape, 

 Saipan,and Yap. Statistics of catch and production for 1941 are given 

 below in table 7. 



Table 7 — Trepang (Dried Sea Cucumbers) Catch and Production, 1941 



Saipan 



Yap 



Palaus 



Truk 



Ponape 



Catch — Sea Cucumbers 



Production — Trepang 



WET WEIGHT VALUE WEIGHT VALUE 



Place Pounds 1/ DolJars 2/ Pounds Dollars 



119,673 



68,952 



341,244 



1,142,779 



201.784 



"678" 

 1,567 

 556 

 1,818 



A2L 



4,657 



6,899 



21,023 



31,869 



20.178 



1,109 

 1,223 

 3,181 

 5,557 



3,829 



TOTALS 



1,874,432 



5,177 



84,626 14,899 



\J Japanese figures in kilograms. 

 2/ Japanese figures in ¥en. 



Conversion x 2.2. 

 Conversion 4 ¥en to Dollar. 



Trochus Shells .-Several species of trochus are common in the 

 ex-mandate, but the one commercial species, Trochus niloticus . was 

 found only in the Palaus and Yap. Under the direction of the South 

 Seas Government, transplant ings were made between 1930 and 1937 from 

 the Palaus to Saipan, Truk, Ponape, Ant, Mokil, Kuop, Pakin, Ngatik, 

 Nukuoro, Kapingamarangi, Pingelap, Jaluit, Ailinglaplap, and no doubt 

 others unknown to us. Most transplantings seem to have been successful. 

 From 1,000 to 12,000 were planted In a locality according to its area. 



40 



