However, most of the fish are taken by hand lining, using hooks with very short shank. 

 Native needs were principally for fishing lines for hand lining, leader wire, swivels, and 

 enough seine twine to make additional throw nets, of which a few are left, but most have 

 been worn out. They have a few seines of the type known as surround net, but no twine or 

 netting to replace them. 'Qieir spears are short, having a wood shaft about four feet long 

 and a point of 3/8 inch round steel rod two feet long, with a plain point, no barb and not 

 very sharp (Fig. 4.). Ihey also pound or mash black sea cucumbers to -ase as a fish poison. 

 This is the only ai%a visited where sea cucunbers were regarded as poisonous, although 

 Thon^)son (Guam Recorder, May 1941, p. 81) repcjrts that on Guam it was an old practice to 

 use sea cuounibers as fish poison, Itiey are, of course, not eaten by the natives. 



Their traps are approxljoately two by two by four feet and are made of hardwood strips, 



the Japanese had no fishing boats located at Majuro, nor did they plant trochus, 

 pearl oysters, or sponges here. However, there does not appear to be any reason why 

 trochus shells could not be introduced on the outside reef. 



ESccept for the necessary fishing supplies, as mentioned above, the natives are well 

 provided with means of obtaining fishery products, and it does not seem necessary to make 

 any recommeiKiations for improvements in methods. The Japanese did not find it profitable 

 to locate sampans here for the purpose of catching bonito or other offshore fishes. 



Ihe Marshallese sailing outrigger canoes are specially noteworthy and indicated the 

 highest ability in both design and workmanship of any of the island groups visited (Fig.5), 

 These canoes range in length from 20 to 35 feet. One canoe of approximately 35 feet which 

 was examined had a draft of 30 inches, a beam of 2A inches, and was capable of carrying 

 about 15 persons, Ihese canoes have a heavy keel piece, usually of breadfruit, with 

 planking of one inch strakes, 12 to 14 inches wide, and up to 20 feet in length. The 

 strakes are tied to each other and to the keel by hand-»oven coconut twine (sennit). The 

 mast supporting the lateen sail may be set at either end of the boat, which, being double 

 ended, makes It possible to sail always with the outrigger cai the windward side. These 

 canoes are very fast and will sail within about two points of the wind. Ihe natives do 

 some trolling with these canoes, but depend mostly on spears and throw nets for catching 

 fish. 



15 



