Recent explorations j carried out by the Fish and Wildlife Service 

 as part of the Philippine Rehabilitation Program, indicate that a 

 tuna industry, employing as many as 10,000 people on vessels and in 

 shci'e installations, could eventually be established in the Philip- 

 pine Islands to supply local needs and to establish an export trade 

 in canned tunao Since American techniques are too expensive, fish- 

 ing and canning methods best suited to local conditions must be 

 developed o The development of a Philippine tuna industry would re- 

 quire capital for plant construction and for buildir>g vessels capable 

 of fishing for skipjack and yellowfin, the two most abundant tuna 

 species in Philippine waters (as shown by the Japanese pre-World War 

 II operations) » 



INDONESIA 



Indonesia's tuna fisheries are in an early developmental stage. 

 Very little tuna is taken at present, but prewar Japanese fishing 

 operations proved the existence of substantial stocks in several 

 areas in the Indonesian Archipelago. A large tuna industry may help 

 to relieve the adverse trade balance (currency drain) that has result- 

 ed from fish imports of over 44,000,000 pounds annually in recent 

 yearso The amount of imports is limited only by high prices, because 

 Indonesia is believed capable of using over 2 billion pounds of fish, 

 or three times the amount now consumed. 



Present catches of tuna are composed primarily of skipjack; 

 small amounts of yellowfin are also taken. Fishermen operate frcm 

 March to December using hook and line with live bait. The fish are 

 foiand at present within five hours' travel time from port. The catch 

 is landed fresh, sold wholesale at public auction, and generally dis- 

 tributed smoked, 



AUSTRALIA 



Although Australia has a long coast line and an apparent abund- 

 ance of tuna, its tuna fishing industry is little developed. Interest 

 in tuna, however, has been growing since 1930, Initial packs of tuna 

 have been made and trial shipments have been successfully marketed in 

 the United States, The British Isles are reported to have contracted 

 for canned tuna, and Australia itself is expected to eventually become 

 a good canned tuna market. 



The three major species of potential commercial importance are 

 the skipjack, the southern bluefin ( Thunnus maccoyii ) , and the northern 



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