Table 9. --Numbers of fish handled by species and 

 months (statistics from the Suo fish market for 

 one year from July 1934 to June 1935) 



B. Longline Fishery 



Before Taiwan was taken over by the Japanese there was no such fishery as this in the 

 island. A start was made in 1913, when the Government-General began experinnenting, and 

 therecifter the development was swift. The fishery is carried on most actively in Taihoku and 

 Takao provinces. In 1918 some of the catch was successfully exported to Japan and cultivated 

 milkfish and mullet began to be used as bait. In 1923, with the connpletion of the fishing boat 

 harbor at Suo, a longline fishery based at that harbor was begun. The number of boats based at 

 Keelung, Suo, and Takao increased remarkably and then in 1932, with the completion of the 

 fishing boat harbor at Shinko, the fishery also got a foothold there and has continued to develop 

 nnore and more. In the early period of this fishery sailing vessels were used, but now only 

 powered vessels are employed. The operating radus was about 20-30 miles off shore at that tinne, 

 but at present the fishing grounds in the north have expanded to more than 100 nniles from the 

 coast and the boats based at Takao actually have an operating radius of over 1, 000 miles, fishing 

 in the Sulu Sea and the Celebes Sea, Consequently larger and larger vessels have been built and 

 there are already some in the 100-ton class. 



The fishing season is approximately half the year, from September to April, and in the 

 north there are nnore than 250 vessels participating in this fishery, the catch being principally 

 spearfishes and sharks and having a value of 500, 000 yen. Some of these fishing vessels engage 

 in the coral fishery during the summer. 



The total number of longline boats based at Takao is about 200, and their catch has a total 

 value of 1, 500, 000 yen. Of course this is principally tunas, of which the yellowfin is most numer- 

 ous, the value of the spearfishes being about 600,000 yen. 



In the north, that is at Suo, the bait used is largely mackerel. When mackerel are not 

 available, it appears that milkfish reared in the southern part of the island are used. When the 

 mackerel are available, snnall powered vessels operate mackerel longlines and a part of their 

 catch is immediately used on the following day as bait for longline fishing for sharks, spearfishes, 

 and tunas. The fishing boats based at Takao formerly used as bait the ginkagami (native name 

 "poepo") /Mene maculata/, but in recent years pond-cultured milkfish have conne to be widely 

 used, and it appears that squid are also sometimes used. 



41 



