﻿374 
  REPORT 
  OF 
  COMMISSIONER 
  OF 
  FISH 
  AND 
  FISHERIES. 
  [22] 
  

  

  the 
  others 
  might 
  meanwhile 
  merely 
  be 
  subjected 
  to 
  some 
  proper 
  prohib- 
  

   itory 
  measures. 
  We 
  have 
  the 
  choice 
  between 
  the 
  islands 
  of 
  Aratica, 
  

   Takaroa, 
  Manihi, 
  and 
  Takapota, 
  which 
  can 
  easily 
  be 
  superintended, 
  

   owing 
  to 
  their 
  small 
  size. 
  The 
  fisheries 
  in 
  these 
  islands 
  should 
  be 
  de- 
  

   clared 
  free 
  at 
  all 
  times 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  fishermen 
  should 
  be 
  compelled 
  to 
  de- 
  

   posit 
  in 
  oyster-boxes 
  and 
  in 
  specially 
  selected 
  places 
  all 
  the 
  young 
  oys- 
  

   ters 
  which 
  they 
  capture, 
  and 
  which 
  have 
  not 
  yet 
  reached 
  the 
  regulation 
  

   size. 
  These 
  oysters 
  should 
  remain 
  their 
  property, 
  and 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  they 
  

   had 
  reached 
  a 
  marketable 
  size 
  they 
  could 
  dispose 
  of 
  them 
  as 
  they 
  pleased. 
  

   The 
  centers 
  of 
  reproduction 
  should 
  be 
  kept 
  constantly 
  supplied 
  with 
  

   oysters 
  and 
  propagate 
  them 
  all 
  the 
  time. 
  Generative 
  elements 
  ejected 
  

   by 
  oysters 
  placed 
  in 
  these 
  reservations 
  would 
  be 
  found 
  there 
  at 
  all 
  times, 
  

   and 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  presumed 
  that 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  eggs 
  ejected 
  by 
  the 
  mother 
  

   oysters 
  and 
  susceptible 
  of 
  impregnation 
  would 
  there 
  receive 
  the 
  fecun- 
  

   dating 
  fluid 
  which 
  they 
  require. 
  As 
  the 
  pearl 
  oyster 
  is 
  exceptionally 
  

   productive, 
  numberless 
  young 
  oysters 
  would 
  escape 
  from 
  these 
  reserva- 
  

   tions, 
  and 
  would 
  by 
  the 
  current 
  be 
  carried 
  into 
  the 
  lagoons, 
  which 
  they 
  

   would 
  fill 
  with 
  a 
  new 
  generation 
  of 
  oysters 
  ; 
  and 
  by 
  placing 
  suitable 
  

   collectors 
  here 
  and 
  there, 
  a 
  rich 
  harvest 
  of 
  spawn 
  might 
  be 
  gathered. 
  

  

  There 
  would 
  be 
  no 
  serious 
  difficulties 
  in 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  putting 
  this 
  system 
  

   into 
  operation. 
  The 
  natives 
  of 
  Tuamotu 
  are 
  docile 
  and 
  understand 
  

   their 
  interests. 
  From 
  what 
  I 
  have 
  stated 
  m 
  my 
  report 
  on 
  the 
  condition 
  

   of 
  the 
  fisheries 
  in 
  this 
  archipelago, 
  it 
  will 
  appear 
  that 
  the 
  fishermen 
  are 
  

   entirely 
  disposed 
  to 
  obey 
  the 
  instructions 
  given 
  them, 
  and 
  to 
  become, 
  

   in 
  short, 
  co-workers 
  in 
  this 
  enterprise, 
  which 
  is 
  undertaken 
  for 
  their 
  own 
  

   benefit 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  for 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  colony. 
  

  

  If 
  we 
  desire 
  to 
  bring 
  to 
  an 
  end 
  a 
  condition 
  of 
  affairs 
  which, 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  

   said, 
  grows 
  graver 
  from 
  day 
  to 
  day, 
  threatening 
  the 
  natives 
  with 
  ab- 
  

   solute 
  ruin 
  ; 
  if 
  we 
  desire 
  to 
  save 
  from 
  total 
  destruction 
  our 
  oceanic 
  

   fisheries; 
  if 
  we 
  wish 
  the 
  Tahiti 
  colony 
  to 
  flourish, 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  the 
  utmost 
  

   importance 
  that 
  we 
  should 
  make 
  some 
  sacrifices 
  at 
  once, 
  and 
  adopt 
  some 
  

   measures 
  of 
  immediate 
  practical 
  value. 
  

  

  Our 
  Tuamotu 
  fisheries 
  are 
  peculiar, 
  and 
  combine 
  all 
  the 
  requisite 
  

   conditions 
  for 
  becoming 
  centers 
  of 
  a 
  most 
  productive 
  and 
  remunerative 
  

   mother-of-pearl 
  cultivation. 
  If 
  we 
  were 
  to 
  cultivate 
  these 
  fisheries 
  more 
  

   than 
  we 
  have 
  done, 
  we 
  might 
  have 
  a 
  monopoly 
  which 
  no 
  country 
  could 
  

   seriously 
  dispute 
  ; 
  especially 
  as 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  short 
  time, 
  owing 
  to 
  exhaustive 
  

   oyster-fisheries, 
  mother-of-pearl 
  is 
  going 
  to 
  become 
  a 
  very 
  rare 
  article. 
  

   I 
  sincerely 
  believe 
  that 
  if 
  these 
  fisheries 
  were 
  properly 
  managed, 
  the 
  

   annual 
  yield, 
  which 
  is 
  now 
  about 
  a 
  million 
  of 
  francs, 
  would 
  soon 
  reach 
  

   eight 
  or 
  ten 
  millions. 
  

  

  However 
  well 
  disposed 
  the 
  natives 
  may 
  be, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  necessary 
  in 
  

   the 
  beginning 
  to 
  aid 
  and 
  encourage 
  them. 
  I 
  would, 
  therefore, 
  propose 
  

   to 
  give 
  premiums 
  to 
  those 
  who, 
  by 
  their 
  labors, 
  had 
  obtained 
  the 
  best 
  

   results. 
  The 
  expense 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  very 
  great, 
  and 
  the 
  colony 
  would 
  

   doubtless 
  provide 
  the 
  necessary 
  funds. 
  

  

  