A boat which has arrived on the fishing ground sets nets in the evening. As was 

 stated earlier, the net is set at a right cingle to the flow of the current. Buoys are attached to 

 the net, as shown in the figure, and a line called the myakuzuna ("pulse-line") is fastened to 

 the boat, which turns its bow upcurrent and drifts, waiting for the fish to strike the net. The 

 myakuzuna not only performs the function of connecting the boat and net, but it also transmits 

 to the boat the impact when the tunas strike the net. The hauling in of the net and the taking of 

 the fish are generally begun at dawn, but when the catch is large the nets may be hauled several 

 times during the night. 



This fishery has completely decayed in recent years, and there arc no boats engaged 

 in it at present. 



(Translator's note: figure 2, a rough sketch of a drift-net, is omitted.) 



3. Round haul net fisheries 



This type of fishery can be said to have an even more positive character than the 

 drift-net fishery. In fax;t it can be said to be the most positive of all the tuna fisheries. There 

 is one method which has been in use in Japan since ancient times, and another, the A.nerican- 

 type purse seine, which has been imported from America in recent years. Concerning the old 

 method, the following description has been abridged from the Nippon Suisan Saihoshi . 



Ordinarily from three to five boats form a team, with 10 to 15 fisher nnen on each 

 boat. Arriving on the fishing grounds these boats separate and quickly surround asi area of the 

 sea with their nets, cutting off the escape of the tunas and finally driving them into the bunt of 

 the net. 



The Annerican-type purse seine has already been in use for over 20 years in 

 America and its use is increasing from year to year, the catch by this method having gradually 

 approached ajid in some regions surpassed that from the pole and line fishery. The catch appears 

 to be mainly young tunas and skipjack. 



This fishing method was imported into Japan after the end of the second World War. 

 In 1948 the Suisan Kenkyu Kai, in cooperation with the Tokyo Fisheries Company, tested this 

 fishing method with the Shiroyuri Maru (100 tons). During the trial period of about 1 month a 

 total of about 80 tons of skipjack and tunas (about 21, 000 kan) were taken, attesting the feasibi- 

 lity of this fishing method. In 1949 five purse seiners fished and took about 744, 300 pounds. 

 The principal catch was skipjack and young bigeyed tuna. 



The construction of the gear varies depending upon the type of boat, but figure 3 

 shows one type in use (Translator's note: figure omitted). The following table lists the mate- 

 rials employed. 



The nnaterials used in the net shown in figure 3 are listed in the following table, 

 (knotless net was used). 



When a school of fish is sighted, the net is set so as to cut across the line in which 

 they are moving, it is hauled around the school, the lead line is pursed up, and the fish are 

 captured. These operations are almost entirely carried out by the use of machinery, making t!ie 

 operation extremely efficient. 



The fishing grounds up to the present have been almost completely limited to the 

 waters off northeastern Japan. As this area presents oceanographic conditions which make the 

 tunas and skipjack swim in the surface layers, it is well suited to this fishery. The question of 

 whether or not this fishery can be established in the wau-m currents of the south, where ocea- 

 nographic conditions are different, can only be clarified by future experimentation. 



