494 REPOET OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



The island is divided into five districts — Hana, Honuaula, Kaupo, 

 Lahaina, and Wailuku. The population at the last census was 24,797. 

 Lahaina, Wailuku, Kahului, Sprecklesville, and Hana are the princi- 

 pal towns and settlements. A railroad extends from Wailuku to 

 Kahului, Sprecklesville, and Keia, and is used considerabl}^ in distrib- 

 uting fish landed at Kahului. Nine-tenths of the fishermen make their 

 headquarters at either Lahaina or Kahului. At the latter place is 

 located the Kahului fishery, owned b}^ the Hawaiian Commercial and 

 Sugar Company, which is one of the most important enterprises in 

 the islands. The company leases the fishery for a rental of one- half 

 the gross proceeds and furnishes everything but the labor required 

 to operate it. 



During the year covered by this investigation the Japanese line fish- 

 ermen at Kahului were very successful. At this place Chinese buy 

 the nehu and other vcr}^ small fish taken in the nets, dry them in the 

 sun on bags laid on the grass, and then peddle them throughout the 

 surrounding country for about 25 cents per pound. 



Owing to the large number of Japanese employed on the numerous 

 sugar plantations of the island, there is a large demand for fresh fish, 

 and this is supplied mainly by Japanese peddlers with horses and 

 carts, who make periodical trips to the plantations from Ijahaina and 

 Kahului. The surplus from the fisheries of Kahoolawe, Lanai, and 

 the western end of Molokai is marketed at either Lahaina or Kahului, 

 and helps to supplj^ the constantly increasing demands of the Maui fish 

 consumers. There are at present no fish inspectors upon Maui, and 

 as a result considerable old and tainted fish is sold. This is especially 

 true at Lahaina. 



One of the most interesting features of the fisheries of Lahaina dis- 

 appeared in October, 1903, when the South Sea, or Gilbert, Islanders, 

 who had a settlement in the upper part of the town, returned to their 

 old home. These people had introduced and practiced a number of 

 interesting and profitable methods of fishing, particularly that with 

 baskets. The}^ also did most of the spearing. 



The Japanese fishermen at Lahaina and Kahului during the last two 

 years have very much surprised the natives by catching akule with 

 hook and line. Heretofore the natives used seines exclusively in this 

 fishery, as they supposed it was impossible to catch akule on a hook. 

 The Japanese are very secretive as to how they accomplish it, but the 

 natives claim that the following method is pursued: The line has a 

 chicken quill attached just above the hook, the lower part of the quill 

 being broken out on all sides. The fishing is done at night, and the 

 fishermen carry a flaring torch in the bow of the boat, to attract the 

 fish. The line is dropped into the water and worked up and down, and 

 it is supposed that the fish, seeing the reflection of the light on the 



