FISHERIES OF SIBERIA 



51 



fish itself. The quantity of Russian caviar prepared in certain years 

 follows: In 1909, 2,329,600 pounds; 1910, 3,129,280 pounds; 1911, 

 2,515,520 pounds; 1912, 2,623,040 pounds; 1913, 2,479,680 pounds; 

 1918, 985,600 pounds. 



Fishing stations in this district are of two types — -(a) those where 

 fishing alone is carried on and (b) those where the salting of fish 

 purchased from local fishermen or natives and peasants is done. 

 Before the Russo-Japanese War most of the catch was exported to 

 Japan. Japanese nationals, by financing the Russians, dominated 

 the fishing industry to a large extent. The heavy terms of credit 

 and low prices offered for fish by the Japanese compelled the Russian 

 fishermen to look to other markets, and shipments to Japan began to 

 decline. This decline is illustrated in the following table, showing the 

 catch of fish by industrial fisheries and the exports to Japan and 

 internal markets during the period 1892 to 1914. 7 



The following table gives the number of humpback and dog salmon 

 caught by industrial establishments during the period 1909-1917: 



The following statistics show the number of salmon prepared for 

 the Russian and Japanese markets for the same period: 8 



» Fisheries of the Far Eastern Republic, p. 13, « None were exported during 1915, 1916, and 1917. 



