378 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 
It naturally follows, therefore, that the fishermen cling to the shore for the 
bank fishing, and consequently their boats are very small and not ocean-rigged, 
being mostly shorter than 30 feet. Such small boats now number 400,000, and 
they are very densely distributed on the comparatively narrow shore fishing 
grounds, which are so actively fished over that the important shore fishes have 
been greatly decreased. I believe the shore fisheries of Japan are in the climax 
of development, and there seems to be very little room for further increase. 
The only hope for future progress rests upon the growth of the pelagic 
fisheries on the deep high seas. 
Understanding these conditions in regard to the fisheries of Japan, we 
come to consider: 
1. How to repopulate the depleted shore fishing grounds. 
2. How to encourage the pelagic fisheries in general. 
The first question is very difficult to solve, and when solved is not easy to 
practice, and we can not as yet report any good results, except in the artificial 
propagation of the salmon, on which I shall touch later. As to the second 
question, to make effective encouragement an act was passed by the Imperial 
Diet in 1897 by which fishing steamers of more than 50 tons and sailing vessels 
of more than 30 tons may receive certain subsidies from the Government. Since 
this act has been in force several vessels have equipped for the pelagic fisheries, 
but unfortunately the greater number of these vessels were for pelagic sealing, 
which is regarded with such disfavor by the American and Russian authorities. 
In my country, too, the increase of sealing vessels is not encouraged. Indeed, 
the profit from the fur seals is very limited, and it is not a wise policy to promote 
an industry which causes so much international difficulty. 
The amendment to the act and the by-laws in 1905 were with the view that 
all important pelagic fisheries may receive subsidies. The lower limit of tonnage 
of sailing vessels was therefore reduced to 20 tons. Moreover, in case of ves- 
sels newly built under the instructed plan, they also may have a certain support 
from the Government. ‘These amendments proved effective, and many fishing 
vessels were equipped for pelagic fisheries other than sealing. Among other 
vessels the Fuji Maru, of 25 tons, with an auxiliary gasoline motor, made a 
great catch in bonito fishing in 1906, which resounded throughout all the fishing 
communities, awakening the fishermen from a long sleep in the old methods of 
fishing. I believe Japan will have a great revolution in her fishing vessels 
within a few years, and will as a consequence increase the supply of the pelagic 
food fish. 
It is a significant fact that the whale fishery on the high seas has sprung 
up with fullest vigor since 1905, almost regardless of the government encourage- 
ment. ‘There are now 28 whaling steamers, while there were only 2 schoon- 
ers in 1904. This wonderful development of whaling is, I think, partly because 
of the prohibition of whaling in the Norwegian seas and partly because of the 
