Table 47, — Fishing conditions by longitude (East Formosa 

 Sea amd southern part of Okinawan archipelago 

 20° to 25° N. , 1 20° to 130° E. ) 



Table 48. --Fishing conditions by longitude (East Formosa 

 Sea and northern part of Okinawein archipelago, 

 25° to 30° N. , 120° to 130° E. ) 



Note: West of 122 E. is the continental shelf, where this fishery is not carried on. 



o 

 As the table shows, there are no tunas taken at all west of 124 E. , only spearfishes 



o o 



being taken there. Black tuna are most numerous from 124 to 128 E. and become scarcer 



fcirther out to sea. Yellowfin show a tendency to increase to the eastward, and this trend can also 



be detected in the bigeye and albacore. The spearfishes are fairly abundant over the whole cirea, 



but show their highest catch rates in the central part. 



The overall catch raite for this area is slightly less than 2.0, remarkably lower than 

 the 5. 90 of the East Philippine Sea asid somewhat lower tham the 2. 51 of the northern part of the 

 former Mandate, that is, 10 to 20 N. , east of 130 E. Consequently this sea area is thought to 

 have less value as a fishing ground than the area to the south of it. However, if the distance 

 between bases and fishing grounds is taken into account, the value and significance of aji area as a 

 fishing ground caruiot be decided solely in ternns of the catch rate. On this account the value of 

 the fishing grounds of this sea area will naturally be enhanced. Particularly as it is clear that at 

 some seasons there are rather high catch rates, it is considered that fishing in this area will be 

 quite profitable if no error is made in selecting the fishing ground and the fishing season. 



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