II. THE CAROLINE ISLANBS 



A. KUSAIE ISUND (Population 1555 - 19^6) 

 (August 18-21) 



In contrast to the low islands in the Marshall Group, Kusaie is one of the high 

 islands. The native population is about 1,550. 



At the present time the reef fishes are somewhat depleted, due to the fact that 

 toward the end of the wsur-^the Japanese dynamited extensively inside and outside the reef 

 for the purpose of obtaining food. In view of the depleted popiHation of fishes on the 

 easily accessible reefs, it is necessary for the natives to use as food a good many small 

 size fish frcm thi^e to six inches, and it seems likely that as long as this is necessary, 

 the recovery of the fish population on the reefs will be delayed. It will probably be two 

 or three years before there is a near normal population of such fish as goat- fish, crevalle, 

 mullet, groupers, and surgeon fish. Even with the dynamiting, however, the abundance of 

 reef fishes is considerably greater than at Truk. 



The natives have only paddling canoes (Fig. 9)} none is equipped with sail, and the 

 size ranggs from 12 to 25 feet. Uost canoes are hollowed out from breadfruit logs, but 

 four other kinds are sometimes used. For a 16- foot canoe construction time is approxi- 

 mately three days for six men. The usual method of building is for the prospective owner 

 to get some of his friends to help him, irtiich is also true of Ponape, A number of canoes 

 are being built at the present time and there is no shortage of transportation. 



Fishing methods include hook and line (Fig. 6), feather jigs for trolling, spears, 

 tJirow nets (Figs. 7 and 8), and surround nets. Spears are mostly made with four points 

 (Fig. 10), with a single barb on each, point constructed of quarter inch steel rod about 

 eight inches long and set into a wood handle about six feet long. 



The Japanese had a processing plant, including refrigeration, for making bonito 

 sticks, which were exported to Japan. The industiy was in the hands of Japanese and 

 Ckinawans. No native fishermen were employed. Some trepang was also produced and exported. 



The natives catch and use spiny lobsters ( Panulirus ) (Fig. 27), and Sanoan crabs 

 ( Scylla serrata ) (Fig. U). Ifiillets up to twenty inches in length are fairly abundant just 

 off the mangrove swamps, but difficult to catch. There is no coamiercial trochus, as the 

 Japanese did not plant any here. A small species of no value is present, as well as the 

 rough type of cat-eye ( Turfaa intercostalls ) . some with fair color. 



We explored approximately half a mile of the outside reef about three miles north of 

 the harbor entrance. Fish were not very abundant and half an hour of work lor three divers 

 produced only four fish. Five native divers were able to get only two spiny lobsters, 

 approximately 12 inches long in an hour of diving. Such fish as are present are very wild 

 and immediately go to deep water when any divers get near them. There is no barrier "reef 

 at Kusaie, the fringing reef being only from a few yards to a quarter of a mile off the 

 beach, which is generally sandy. The slope is gradual. from the reef out, the depth of water 

 approximately 400 yards off the reef being only two to two and a half fathoms. 



In view of the scarcity and wildness of fish, most of the natives carry bundles of 

 Derris elliptica roots in their canoes to use as fish poison. The roots are pulverized in 

 the bottom of the boat and than dumped over in partially closed areas, where they bring up 

 many small fish. As far as we were able to find, Barringtonia ( BarrinRtonia asiatica ) nuts 

 are not nseA, although the natives were familiar with them. 



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