Fishing Conditions South of the Marshall Islands 



This paper is based on reports of the investigations conducted aboard 

 the Company's research vessel Ebon Maru in the waters south of the Marshalls 

 from March to June, 1939. In view of the paucity of research data from this 

 area, the editor of this journal has prevailed upon the author to have it 

 printed here for the information of persons in the industry who may be 

 interestedo 



Meteorological and Oeeanographic Conditions 



Weather and sea conditions during the period covered by this investi- 

 gation were very calm„ This '.iras because the dry season (season of strong 

 winds) had already passed and by May we were into the so-called rainy 

 season (season of calms), but this is not to say that there was no wind 

 at all. At times we encountered the wind directions, wind forces, rain, 

 current conditions, and so forth which we had been expecting, but these 

 phenomena seemed rather to make the grounds appear more fishable than 

 otherwise. These conditions prevailed in both the southern and the north- 

 ern hemispheres alike. Indeed, the author had been warned just before 

 sailing from. Jaluit by mariners acquainted with these waters that the 

 currents and winds in the southern hemisphere were unsettled and he could 

 not help feeling a bit uneasy, but as a matter of fact conditions were 

 just like those described by Captain Coffee in Thirty Years Before the 

 Mast from his long years of experience with the calm weather of this area 

 on the San Francisco to Sydney run, (The author got this book in Honolulu 

 and read it in 1922 J 



Of course the voyage was not completely windless and flat calm, and 

 although the period of the investigation was of only brief duration, all 

 sorts of changes were experienced. For this reason the following will be 

 only a rough selection from the data treated in the appropriate sections 

 for each area covered. However, to begin urith, in order to hasten the 

 reader's comprehension of the subject I will present a broad picture of 

 weather and sea conditions in the Marshalls area based on information given 

 by Mr, Mitsuzuka, representative of the Marshalls Pearling Co,, Mr, Noda, 

 manager of the Jaluit branch of the South Seas Trading Co, , and others 

 who have lived for over twenty years in the area. 



Weather and Sea Conditions in the Marshalls Area 



(l) Changes within the year 



(1) Air temperature 



The air temperature does not change greatly throughout the year, 

 but it is generally higher during the calm season of June, July, 

 August, and September, Indoors it varies between 31° and 32*^0. In 

 other months it is around 29° to 30°C, 



(2) Atmospheric pressure 



Not known with certainty at present. 



(3) Weather 



During the months of November, December, January, and February 

 when the trade wind blows there is little cloud cover, but it 



