The Indo-Pacific region has great possibilities for developing 

 tuna fisheries comparable to those of the leading world producers. 

 Before World 7/ar II extensive tuna resources were discovered by the 

 Japanese in Indonesian, Indian, and Philippine waters. The people 

 of this region now utilize only those tunas that can be caught close 

 to shore with their simple fishing gear. Indonesia, India, and the 

 Philippines are conscious of their offshore fishery resources and 

 are attempting to organize the industry necessary to produce adequate 

 airaounts of tuna for domestic consumption as well as for export. 

 Along the east African and Arabian coasts of the Indian Ocean tunas 

 have been caught and dried, and/or salted for local consumption or 

 for shipment to India and Ceylon, and before World War II process- 

 ing factories were established in Italian Soraaliland. Australia has 

 been exploring its tuna resources, and is in the initial stages of 

 developing an industry that will provide canned tuna for local con- 

 sumption and for export either to the United States or to the British 

 Isles. 



In other areas of the world similar increased utilization of 

 the tuna resources is also under way. Norway, with reported landings 

 of about 22 million pounds in 1952, is capable of building or adapt- 

 ing shore facilities for processing canned tuna, and may be expected 

 to increase production further. Along the west African coast, Angola 

 appears to be a likely place for the development of large tuna fish- 

 eries and, aided by the Portuguese, it is providing some canned tuna 

 for the Italian market. 



Following are detailed discussions of the tuna fisheries in 

 those countries for which information is available. Catch, process- 

 ing, and export data are given where available. In addition to sources 

 cited in the bibliography. Foreign Service despatches of the United 

 States DepartEient of State have provided much of the information given 

 in the balance of this section. The United States tuna fisheries are 

 not discussed in this chapter. They will be considered in greater 

 detail in the next chapter. 



Western Pacifio 



JAPAN 



Tuna has always been a staple food in the Japcinese diet, and, 

 except for the period during and immediately after World War II, Japan 

 has been the world's leading producer of tuna and tunalike fishes. 



118. 



