RATAK CHAIN INVESTIGATION 



Period Covered 



December 23, 1927 to January 23, 1928 



Method of Investigation 



This being a continuation of the previous year's investigation, the 

 same method was used. 



General Description of the Fishing Ground s 



This investigation was carried out throughout the waters adjacent to 

 the islands cf the Ratak chain^ supplementing the previous year's investi- 

 gation of the Ralik chain,, This investigation was intended to lay the 

 foundation for the exploitation of the fisheries of the Marshall Islands, 

 but, like that of the preceding year, it was limited by the short period 

 of time available and the difficulty of operating small boats in the 

 strong NE trade winds and did not,'un lately, provide all the informa- 

 tion about oceanographic and fishery conditions which we had expected. The 

 general situation with regard to the fishing grounds was similar to that 

 found in the Ralik chain . 



Methods 



Gear, facilities, and methods were all identical with those used the 

 preceding year. 



Bait 



As was done the year before, frozen squid were brought from Japan by 

 the Unyo Maru, however, some thought should be given to the labor and 

 expense required for keeping refrigerated squid on long voyages to distant 

 points in tropic seas, as in the present investigation., Squid which 

 originally cost 2 or 3 sen apiece become worth ten times as much. It is 

 therefore necessary to seek suitable bait near the fishing grounds. !7e 

 investigated the supply of iwashi £ sardine-like fishes_/, carangids, 

 flying fish, and reef-fish at each island and took quite a number of i washi . 

 which we salted down and used for bait. 



General Results at Each Fishing Ground 



I W of Taongi atoll, 1 mile off the reef 



2 big-eye, 1 yellowfin, 2 sharks. 

 Many yellowfin around the island 



II SW of Bikar atoll, 1.5 miles off the reef 



1 yellowfin, 3 sharks 



Yello'.Tfin and pearl-shell plentiful. Schools cf green sea- 

 turtles are seen around May and June. 



U 



