Table 34. — Seasonal fishing conditions (southern part 

 of former South Seas Mandate) 



Notes: 1. Southwesterly winds --April to September 

 Northeasterly winds --October to March 



2. The catch rates are for tunas and spearfishes combined. 



In general there are much fewer data for the season of southwesterly winds thaji for 

 the northeasterlies, the difference being particularly notable in the area of 140 to 150 E. In 

 this cirea fishing conditions during the southwesterlies are much inferior to those during the 

 season of northeasterly winds, but in the other regions the contrary is true, with the southwest- 

 erlies Jiffording the better fishing. On the whole, catch rates during the southwesterlies have 

 values a little less thcin 1 percent greater than those for the season of northeast winds. Not only 

 are data for the season of southwesterly winds in the area 140 to 150 E. very scarce, but 

 what data there are are naainly from north of 5 N. latitude. These data were collected mainly 

 by the research vessels of the South Seas Government General Fisheries Research Station and 

 most of them are among the earliest such data collected in this region. Consequently the poor 

 fishing due to the construction of the gear must be taken into consideration. If we can assume 

 that this is the reason for the fishing in the area of 140 to 150 E. being so poor in comparison 

 with the other areais, we can conclude that for the southern portion of the former South Seas 

 Government General as a whole fishing is better during the southwest seasonal winds than during 



the northeasterlies. The question slb to whether or not fishing conditions differ markedly in the 



o o 



area of 140 to 150 E. in comparison with other areas, or in other words whether the distribution 



and migration of the fishes within this area differ from those of other areas, will be difficult to 



decide unless future investigations provide nnore complete data. 



o o 



If we again look at table 32, we see that the region between 130 and 140 E. 



longitude has a catch rate somewhat inferior to those of the other areas. However, area-wise 

 the data for this section are mostly from north of 5 N. latitude and as regards the season, the 

 proportion of data from the season of southwest winds is greater than in the case of other regions. 

 It must further be noted that these data were mainly collected during the first part of the research 

 program of the South Seas Government General. As will be explained later, fishing conditions 

 in the East Philippine Sea, which is the westward continuation of this area, appear to be rather 

 good. Taking all these facts into consideration, it can be thought that the area from the Equator 

 to 10 N. in the Pacific, at least as fair east as the area around 170 E. longitude, shows little 

 variation in the value as fishing grounds of its various portions. Of course, taking into con- 

 sideration changes in the ocean currents brought about by islands and other topographical fea- 

 tures, it cannot be thought that this broad expanse of ocean is completely homogeneous as regards 



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