Table 41. --Water temperatures in the vicinity of 25 N. 

 (the center of the line from Suo to Yonjikuni) 



Note: From the report of the Formosa Fisheries Experiment Station for 1932. 



Water temperature is genercilly I to II on Forel's scale and transparency values are 

 generally high. However, close to the 100-fathom line of the continent these values are some- 

 what lower. 



During the winter there are strong north or northeast winds in the southern part of 

 this area and westerly winds in the northern part, and the sea is generally rough. During the 

 summer it is genersilly calm, but during the typhoon season storms frequently cross this area 

 so caution is necessary. 



Table 42, --Water temperatures south of Yakushima 



This sea area has been exploited as a fishing ground for majiy years. The following 

 is a general description of fishing conditions there from south to north. 



The East Formosa Sea region was first exploited as a tuna fishing ground in the 

 TaishS Era (1912-1925). In the beginning there was a skipjack fishery based at Keelung, and then 

 attention was drawn to the fact that spearfishes were extraordinarily abundant in this area. The 

 former Formosa Government-General established fishing ports at Keelung, Suo, Shinko, and 

 Kajenko Jind made them bases for a fishery. At the same time fishermen were invited to emi- 

 grate from Oita, Ehime, Kochi, Wakayama, and Chiba prefectures and a positive program of 

 fishery development was carried on. These emigrants nnainly engaged in the harpoon fishery. 



The spearfishes are very abundant in the waters off Formosa and the catch of these 

 fishes rivals and at times surpasses that of the tunas, of which the yellowfin is the principal 

 species. The Fornnosan spearfish catch is even greater than that of Japan proper. 



The fishing season of the harpoon fishery in the East Formosa Sea is limited to the 

 period of the prevcdling northeasterlies from October to April. This is just the opposite of the 

 situation in the waters of Japjtn proper, where this fishery is limited almost entirely to the 



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