38 



encouraged and helped. Thus far, comparatively little effort 

 is made to grow fish in fresh-water streams and ponds in the 

 Philippines, although this is an important industry among the 

 farmers of China, Japan, and Germany. In 1903, Japan had 

 31,000 hectares of fresh water devoted to the cultivation of carp, 

 eel, snapping turtle, and the like, with a yearly income from 

 this source of t*=l,366,500. In ten years the annual returns have 

 been increased more than threefold or to =P4, 100,000, while the 

 area devoted to this purpose has been enlarged only a third. 



To carry on successful deep-sea fishing, it is necessary to 

 know the exact location and extent of the fishing banks. A 

 deep-sea fishing boat attempting to work without this informa- 

 tion and trusting to luck to find a bank, is almost certain to fail. 

 The determination of the location of the fishing banks is a gov- 

 ernmental function, and, like all other work with fishes, belongs 

 to the Bureau of Science. 



There is an investigation of minor marine animal food sources 

 and a large amount of commercial fishery work which should 

 be carried on along with a study of the fish food supply. The 

 preparation of isinglass is an undeveloped industry in the Phil- 

 ippines. The raw material for isinglass, of more value than 

 the fish, is now thrown away. Tortoise shell is collected and 

 marketed to a limited extent. It is the basis of a minor in- 

 dustry consisting of the manufacture of combs and similar 

 articles. There is also the possibility of canning the soup made 

 from the meat of the tortoise. The collecting and drying of 

 sharks' fin is a minor industry requiring little capital and yield- 

 ing fair returns. Trepang, or dried sea cucumbers, is a staple 

 food of most Oriental people. In 1909 the exports of this ma- 

 terial from the Philippines amounted to approximately ?75,000. 

 There is the possibility of the discovery of precious coral in 

 quantities of commercial value. Sponges of good quality are 

 found in the Moro Province. The skins of crocodiles, of water 

 snakes, and of sharks are of value for various purposes and 

 are easily dried for sale to leather manufacturers. The pearl- 

 ing banks should be protected and extended. Shells of various 

 species of mollusks are manufactured into buttons. There is 

 a possibility of cultivating these mollusks and they should at 

 least receive protection. 



The window-shell industry seems to exist only in the Phil- 

 ippine Islands. The mollusk which produces this shell requires 

 protection and artificial propagation if the export demand for the 

 shell in the manufacture of screens, lamp shades, and artificial 

 decorations is to be met. The possibility of the cultivation of 



