Progress Report on Bait Fish Investigations at Lamotrel^ I. 



A survej of the bait fish essential to t^e skipjacV fishery was 

 carried on in this area ^ith the r^ethods and results outlined belov;, 



Method of InvestlKatioa 



Eight fishermen ;vho were excellent divers ?/ere assigned to diving 

 at various points around the atoll reef in order to discover bait fish, 

 and at the sane ti-^e a study was made of the distribution, density, and 

 identification of the bait fishes in order to determine the feasibility 

 of utilizing them. 



Outline of the Prot^ress of the Survey 



Diving operations employing eight divers disclosed that around 

 Lamotrel: Island, that is, on tlie eastern part of the reef, bait is ex- 

 tremely scarce, while on the northern, southern, and v/estern portions there 

 is a fair amount. Because of the short time devoted to the survey, no 

 experiments on taking bait were made and the amount which right be taken 

 is not clearly known, hov/ever, it is thought that it would be sufficient 

 for the operation of a 15-20 ton fishing vessel. 



The fish seen in the southern portion of the reef were aocsa / probably 

 Haren^ula schrammi / (however the numbf-r of these diminished closer to 

 Lanotrek I, ) . To the north (nortk of the pass) and west schools of aoesa 

 and, akaesa / Apo^on sp._7 si-iitable for skipjack bait were seen every v;here. 

 The scarcity of bait around Lamotrek and the abundance of it around 

 Pugnie and Falaite islands is thought to be d".e to t!:e fact that the former 

 being farther from the pass has a poorer circulation of currents and 

 consequently offers a less favorable habitat for bait fish than the 

 latter, which are near the pass and have a constant circ^'lation of water. 

 Other than tho aoesa and akac sa no bait fish suitable for skipjack fishing 

 was discovered in the lagoon of this atoll. The survey v/as made from 

 July ? to 6, and. the vessels departed Lamotrek on the evening of the 6th. 



Survey of the Skipjack Fishery at the Puluwat Islands 



Introduction 



Since thp skipjac'' fishing grounds in the waters around the Puluwat 

 Is, had not yet been fully surveyed, it was intended at this time to carry 

 on fishing experimr-nts based on that island in order to evaluate the 

 fishing grounds and the^-eby provide data for reference in establisViing a 

 com'^ercial fishery. However, tlie results of an investigation of the bait 

 fish, which are the basis of this fishery, disclosed no suitable supply of 

 br.'it in this group, the suTvey could not therefore be carrie 1 out, and it 

 became necessary to shift the base of operations elsewhere. The p^-esence 

 or absence of bait at these islands is not, of course, to be decided 

 solely on the basis of the present study. 



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