TVhile examining this reef at 9:30 p.m. me saiv six natives in a canoe catching flying 

 fish (Cypselurus simus) in their traditional manner. Four of the natives paddled the 

 canoe, while t-wo men v;ith long-handled scoop nets (Fig. 17) stood up in the canoe and 

 caught the fish which were attracted by a torch made of dried coconut leaves. The natives 

 paddled the canoe up and down along the outer edge of the reef, possibly 50 to 100 feet 

 outside the surf. The torch was kept burning brightly and attracted the fish. The two 

 men with the nets got them as they went by. The nets are 30 inches in diameter and the 

 bag is four feet long and mounted on a frame so that the bag does not collapse. "The 

 handles are eight feet long. The flying fish were eigdt' to ten inches in length. 



On a ssind reef exposed at low tide we saw two fish traps of coral rock made by the 

 natives (Fig. 15). They ai« V-shape, with the point near shore and the opening away from 

 shore. The sides of the V are 50 yards long. Fish entering the traps were bottled up at 

 high tide by means of netting stretched across the opening of the V, and as the tide 

 receded were chased to the foot of the V where they were taken at low tide. 



There seemed to be no shortage of canoes. These are made locally from breadfruit logs 

 hollowed out with an adze. The usual length is from Li to 30 feet. Every family had at 

 least one canoe (Fig. 16); some had more than one. As was the case elsewhere, the pro- 

 spective ov.ner of a canoe obtains the log and enlists the services of several of his friends 

 to help with the construction. On Kapingamarangi the owner furnishes his helpers free lunch, 

 but no money, as each man is repaid for service as needed. Most of the canoes 20 feet or 

 longer carry a sail. 



TTie chief methods of fishing include spears, throw nets, seines, traps as described 

 above, and also small basket traps made of bamboo, which are roughly 18 inches square by 30 

 inches long. (See FLg. 18). 



On the lagoon side of the island there are many individual coral heads sticking up 

 from the botton>in from one to three fathoms of water. These coral heads frequently come 

 within three feet of the surface. Around them there is an abundance of reef fishes and the 

 natives say there has been no shortage. 



Due to the isolated location of this island it is not regularly visited by trading 

 snips and arrangements should be made to supply the natives with fish hooks, hand lines, 

 seine twine for making nets and throw nets, and some steel rods, app:i^oximately 3/8 inches 

 in diameter, for making spears. 



To prevent depreciation from either checking in the sun or attack by marine worms, 

 canoes are stored in sheds when not in use (Fig. 12). This practice is common through- 

 out Uicronesia, 



E. THOK ISLANDS (Population 9750 - 19/;6) 

 (May 23 - June 3) 



From the fishery standpoint, the most striking feature of these islands is the general 

 scarcity of fish. Toward the end of the war Japanese garrisons totaling as many as ^0,000 

 men were isolated froiii home supplies and depended largely on sea food for meat. Since they 

 were prevented by our bombing from using fishing vessels, it was obtained mostly by dyna- 

 miting. This v.as carried on so continuously and over such a wide area that there is at the 

 present tine a very great scarcity of fish of all kinds on the rtefs and inside the lagoons. 

 Since the native population is very short on protein, they nave been forced to use very 

 small fish and shell fisn and it is expected that it will be from three to five years before 

 the normal supply of fish is again present in the area. II other protein foods could be 

 supplied, it would be desirable to restrict the taking of all immature fish, but under 

 present circumstances it is not believed possible without great hardship to the native 



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