Several operations were carried on by this method, the fishing being done in the 

 East Philippine Sea, the Celebes Sea, the Banda Sea, the Flores Sea, and the Indian Ocean area. 

 The results were disappointing at first because of unfamiliarity with the fishing grounds but they 

 gradually improved. However, as this enterprise was subsidized by the government and was 

 subject to the influence of the controlled economy of China Incident days, it differed considerably 

 in character from an enterprise in a free economy, ajid though the results may be of value for 

 reference they cannot be applied in their entirety to present conditions. 



At about the same time the Hayashikane Shoten Company planned the same sort of an 

 enterprise using a Formosan base, but this plan was not put into effect and the T5bu Suisan 

 Company also ceased its operations just before the outbreak of the Pacific War. 



The tuna longline fishery, like other high seas fisheries, was forced to cease func- 

 tioning during the latter half of the war. During that period more than half of the fishing boats 

 were lost. At the end of the war the rebuilding of the fishery was viewed pessimistically, but 

 recovery has proceeded at a surprisingly fast rate and today, 4 years after the end of the war, 

 the number of vessels engaged in the fishery is nearly as high as it was before the war. As 

 reasons for this rapid recovery we may cite the fact that the skipjack and tuna fisheries require 

 less nnaterial than other fisheries and therefore were easy to enter in the postwar period of 

 scarcities, the fact.that postwar Japanese financial circles took a great interest in fisheries, 

 and the fact that much of the area open to fishing by SCAP was skipjack and tuna grounds while 

 there was little room for the expansion of other fisheries. 



We cannot, however, be satisfied with the superficial type of recovery indicated by 

 an increase in the number of fishing vessels. Whatever future developments nnay bring, we 

 must face directly as a present problem the extremely difficult business conditions in this 

 fishery. In the turbid whirlpool which defeat in the war made of the Japamese fishing industry it 

 is impossible that this fishery alone should attain prosperity while almost all other industries 

 are in difficulties. It may also be thought that this fishery is involved in the general depression 

 in the fishing industry brought about by abnormal oceanogr aphic conditions of recent years. 

 Another factor inhibiting the prosperity of this fishery can be thought to be its lack of planability 

 resulting from its primitive character. However, as the most fundamental factor we must 

 probably take up the problem of fishing grounds. It seems necessary to examine thoroughly the 

 character as fishing grounds of the areas which have been opened to us. It is no exaggeration to 

 say that of the areas in which the Japanese have been permitted to fish, the only ones which 

 have much value as tuna grounds are the albacore grounds of the north central Pacific during 

 the season from November to March and the subtropical spearfish grounds, where the season is 

 May and June. 



Concerning such questions as when the day will come when Japan can play an inde- 

 pendent role on the international scene and what waters may be opened to Japan at that time I 

 have no answer at all. I only know that the tuna fishery cannot continue as it is at present. It 

 is said that a peace treaty is to be given to us, and that we cannot now ask for anything. How- 

 ever, if it may be permitted to hope, I should wish that all restrictions which might be the cause 

 of useless dispute might be withdrawn from the tuna fisheries, whose grounds are entirely on the 

 high seas. I do not, however, hope for an unconditional withdrawal. A fair agreennent for the 

 maintenance of the resource should be made among the countries surrounding the Pacific and 

 Indian oceans and suitable control should be carried on under that agreement. What we should do 

 here in Japan is to strive to become an influential member of the international fisheries organi- 

 zation, the founding of which can be foreseen to come about naturally in the future, by attempting 

 the improvement of the personnel employed in the tuna fishery, by thoroughly respecting any 

 international agreement, and by having persons in the industry and fisheries researchers unite 

 in a basic study of the resource. 



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