266 



U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



In Sakhalin, or Karafuto, as it is called in Japan, the Japanese 

 have had a rather checkered career. At one time this island belonged 

 to the Chinese Empire. Early in the nineteenth century the southern 

 portion was occupied by the Japanese. In 1875 she bartered it to 

 Russia in exchange for some small islands in the Kuril group. As 

 a result of the Russo-Japanese war the southern half, or all that 

 portion south of 50° north latitude, was in 1905 ceded to Japan. 



The salmon fisheries of this island are of much importance. For 

 many years the Japanese had a virtual monopoly of them, but very 

 early in the present century the Russians attempted to restrict con- 

 siderably the activities of the Japanese fishermen, and encouraged 

 her own subjects to compete with them. Many hundreds of Rus- 

 sians and Koreans were encouraged to migrate to the island and 

 engage in its fisheries. Despite these handicaps, the operations of 

 the Japanese fishermen, according to the statistics shown below, do 

 not seem to have suffered. 



Year. 



Salmon. a 



Spring 

 salmon. 



Total. 



1S97. 

 1898. 

 1899. 

 1900. 

 1901. 

 1902. 



Koku.b 

 8, 589 

 6.335 

 8,379 

 7,719 

 3,089 



Koku.b 

 34, 240 

 11,228 

 22,959 

 8,797 

 12, 735 



Koku.b 

 42, 835 

 17,563 

 31,338 

 16,516 

 15,824 

 24,726 



o Species not specified. 



b Koku equals ahout SJ bushels. 



Considerable fishing is carried on around the island of Yetorofu, 

 one of the Kuril group. Here are found red {0. nerJca), silver (0. 

 Icisutch), and dog salmon {0. Jceta) , also either the humpback or Dr. 

 Jordan's masu. 



CANNING INDUSTRY. 



The salmon canning industry in Japan proper was inaugurated by 

 the Hokushu Colonization Department, a local branch of the Federal 

 Government. For some time this department had operated a fishery 

 school on Hokushu Island, at which experimental work in the canning 

 of salmon and other fishery products was carried on. This estab- 

 lishment canned considerable salmon during the Russo-Japanese war. 



This same department also established a fishery school on Yetorofu 

 Island, one of the Kuril group, which was, in 1908, taken over by 

 Suhara Kakubei, a fisherman and graduate of the school, and used 

 as a salmon cannery. 



Some years earlier, however, about 1892 or 1893, Fujino Shiroboi 

 started canneries in Shibetsu and Bekkai, Nemuro Province, Hok- 

 ushu Island, and a short time later Idzumi Shozo also started a 

 plant at Nemuro. For a number of years these three canneries were 

 the only producers. The plants were quite primitive, the product 

 small, i nd most of it was consumed by the Japanese navy. A 

 demand for the product was gradually worked up, however, and as 

 a result there are now a number of small canning plants on Hokushu 

 Island proper, the Kuril Islands, and Japanese Sakhalin. Most of 

 these plants devote the major part of their energies to the packing 



