were sold fresh to the natives for $3.00 to S^.OO each. The heads, backbones and other by- 

 products of the drying industry were sold for three to four sen each. The price depended 

 on size of catch, as the Japanese reduced the price to get rid of a surplus, and raised it 

 when fishing was light. Toward the end of the war when food was scarce fresh bonitos sold 

 as high as ¥100 each. 



Ihe natives themselves dried scxae bonito partly following the Japanese method after 

 cooking and removing the bones. Ttie flesh was dried in the sun. The natives also salted 

 some bonito although salt had to be imported from Japan. The main native centers of dry- 

 ing and salting were on Tol, Uman, and Pis Islands. There are still some Japanese fish 

 hooks \ised for off-shore fishing but no fisiiing line and they have lost the art of using 

 local fibres to make lines strong enough for bonito fishing. 



Under the Japanese, in order to fish off-shore or for certain other tj-pes of fishing, 

 such as turtle and for shell fish, the natives had to go to the nearest Japanese office 

 and get a license. The native told the Japanese where he wanted to fish, what species he 

 expected to take and the season of the year for each species. If approved by the Japan- 

 ese, a license written on a wood paddle was issued free and was good for three years. Any 

 native found fishing without a license was subject to fine or work on the roads. 



Just before the Japanese suirendered they ordered the natives to destroy all Japanese 

 papers, books, and photographs and the only thing the natives were able to retain were 

 their bibles and hymn books. He were unable to locate any Japanese licenses and none is 

 believed to exist now as native houses were searched by the Japanese to be sure that the 

 order was complied with. 



B. TREPANG flSHKRy AT TRUK 



On Dublon Island of the Tiuk group there is a Korean merchant who, before the war, 

 handled trepang. He is, therefore, familiar with the Japanese requirements, and it is 

 believed that this industry could be revived in the Truk area with considerable profit to 

 the natives. Yellow, black, and brown trepang were abundant and are present the year 

 round. The process itself is a simple one, requires little investment or equipment, and 

 should be easily within the means of any natives who wish to go into it. During the 

 Japsinese occupation the natives collected many thousands of pounds of sea cucxanbers for 

 making trepang. Specimens range in size from four to 18 inches in length (Fig. 1.6). 

 Most of the fishing was formerly done at night, using torches made of dry coconut leaves 

 to locate the sea cucumbers on the shallow reefs. Sea cucumbers were apparently found 

 in greatest abundance at Tol Island, but we found them to be ccaaparatively abundant in 

 the vicinity of practically all islands. In preparation, the sea cucumbers are first 

 boiled, then eviscerated, then dried under cover over a fire. In some cases they are 

 simply dried at comparatively low temperature; in other cases they are smoked. About 

 sijc grades were produced formerly in the Truk area. Yellow specimens were the most 

 sought after. Appeu^ntly, small sizes were used, as it was stated that 50 pieces of 

 dried trepang weighed only one kilogram, A kilogram of the dried product was sold for 

 ¥5.00 at Truk, and for ¥8.00 on arrival at Japan. This presumably was the price to the 

 primary producer. We could not get the price to fishermen. Ihe Korean thought he could 

 prepare approocimately ten kilograms of dried trepang per week, 



C. TROCHUS SHKLL FISHERY AT TOUK (Fig. 47) 



In view of the reported planting of trochus shells during 1936 by the Japanese, it 

 seemed desirable to look into the present abundance of these sh.ell fish. Arrangements 

 were made by tlr. G. G. Wheeler, USCC Senior Representative, to obtain the services of 

 three Okinawan divers and a small navy patrol craft to visit the reefs in the vicinity 

 of Otta Pass. Tliis v;as done on llay 25th. A small reef, approximately 3/8 of a mile in 

 circimference, v;as selected for search. Four divers worked around this reef and in an 

 hour and a half obtained 27 trochus shells over three inches in diameter. The trochus 

 were found along the face of the reef in one to two fathoms. The production of lour 

 shells per man per hour is extremely low. It is believed that this was not due to an 

 actual scarcity of trochus shells, but to inexperience in locating them. 



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