< 



I 

 o 



I- 

 < 

 o 



Figure 33. --Spearfish fishing conditiona by 

 months, Palau waters (7 to 8 

 133° to 135° E.) 



The black marlin catch 

 rates do not change much from Jsmuary 

 to May. From June to August they in- 

 crease graducdly and attain their peak 

 for the year in the latter month. In 

 September they drop off sheU'ply, and 

 cilthough there aire no data for October, 

 the low of the year appears to be 

 reached about December. The area 

 within which the black nnarlin has quite 

 aji important significance as an element 

 in the longline catch extends generally 

 to the vicinity of 25 N. Above this 

 latitude there appear to be no fishing 

 grounds on which the catch rate for this 

 species gets above 1.0. 



Because of the lack of data 

 we cannot make any comparison between 

 sea areas at the same latitudes, but 

 the chcinges in fishing conditions for 

 black marlin and striped marlin by 

 months at Takao in Formosa are shown 

 in the following tables. 



N., 



The areas fished by boats 

 based at Takao are at approximately the 

 same latitude or somewhat to the south of the area covered by the preceding figure, and during 

 the winter the South China Sea is the principal fishing ground. Because the number of vessels in 



operation is not known, it is not clear 



2.4 



2jO 



16 



I- 

 < 



a: 



I 

 o 



< 

 o 



12 - 



0.8 



0.4 



i~\ I — rr 



I I I I I 



TOTAL 



STRIPED 



BLACK 



5 6 7 8 

 MONTH 



10 



Figure 34, 



-Spearfish fishing conditions by 

 months (19° to 24° N. , 140° to 

 155° E.j 



what the fishing effort was. Conse- 

 quently the comparison of the number of 

 fish landed in each month as shown in 

 table 115 and 1 16 does not have the same 

 significance as the increases and de- 

 creases shown in the preceding figure 

 of the catch rate curves. For example, 

 although the minimum number of fish 

 caught appears in September, it is not 

 known wh&ther the number of vessels 

 operating wa^ the same as in the other 

 months and the catch wai actually down, 

 or whether the number of fish taken de- 

 creased because of a decrease in the 

 nunnber of vessels operating. 



Such factors nnust be taken 

 into consideration, but it appears from 

 table 1 15 that at Takao the catch of 

 black marlin was at its peak in July and 

 at its lowest in September. The second 

 peak appeaurs in November and a second 

 low around March. There appears to 

 be a third peak in May, but it is not 

 very clear. 



158 



