500 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FISHERIES. 



THE FISHEKIES OF MOLOKAI. 



This island is loeatod midway between Oalm and Maui, and in shape 

 is long and narrow, l:)eing- -iO miles in length and 9 miles in width, 

 Avitli an area of 261 square miles. The western half of the island is 

 an elevated plain 1,0()0 feet above the sea, without running water, but 

 covered with grass, while at the eastern end are several deep valleys, 

 with streams of water during the wet season. The noi'thern coast, 

 which is the windAvard side of tlie island, is generally precipitous. 

 Outside of the leper settlements on the northern side, nearly all of 

 the population is located on the southern or leeward side of the island. 

 Molokai must have supported a large population at one time, judging 

 from the number of fish ponds still to be seen on the south side of the 

 island. Many of these are abandoned now, owing to the inability of 

 their owners to dispose of the fish to the very small population 

 remaining there. There are no harbors anywhere along the coast; 

 Pukoo and Kaunakakai, the ])rincipal settlements, arc very small 

 villages. The population of the island, according to the last census, 

 w^as 2,504, of which over 800 were in the leper reservation. 



It is probaljle that the near future will see a considerable develop- 

 ment of the fishery resources of the southern and eastern sides of 

 Molokai. The finest fishing banks of the group lie off this part of the 

 island, and for some 3'ears past they have been much resorted to b}^ 

 the line fishermen from Honolulu and Lahaina. Several Honolulu 

 concerns, which are now preparing to engage in fishing" on these 

 banks, will make their fishing headquarters on Molokai, where they 

 will use some of the fish ponds for storing their fish until ready to 

 ship. One company began operations this ^''ear (1904), with headquar- 

 ters at Kaunakaki, where it has secured control of several fish ponds. 

 It has several small boats engaged directly in fishing on the banks, 

 and a small gasoline schooner emploj^ed in carrying to Honolulu or 

 Lahaina the catch of these, and of such otlier fibbing Ijoats as may 

 enter into satisfactory arrangements. The Inter- Island Live Fish 

 and Cold Storage Company, of Honolulu, also expects to have an 

 important fishing station on the south side of Molokai. 



One of the worst features of the fisheries of Molokai is the tremen- 

 dous destruction of young amaama (called by the natives "pua") in 

 fine-meshed seines. These fish are only an inch or two in length, and 

 are eaten b}' the natives raw^ or else slightly scorched over an open fire. 



In the early part of 1903 Me3'er Brothers secured a number of frogs 

 from Hilo and placed them in a fresh-water mountain lake at Kalae. 

 They also planted carp in this lake several years ago, but this fish has 

 not proved popular as food. 



The poisonous qualities of the oopuhue, or maki maki {Tttraodon 

 hiyjldus), have long been known to the Ilawaiians, but as the fish 



