456 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 
the shore, and for a certain distance out to sea. The distance into the 
sea was to the reef, if there was one; if not, to one geographical mile 
from shore. The owner of this portion of the sea naturally had the 
right to control it, so far as the fishing was concerned, the same as he 
did his Jand. When he placed a tabu on it branches of the hau tree 
were planted all along the shore. The people seeing this token of the 
tabu respected it. With the removal of the hau branches, indicating 
that the tabu was lifted, the people fished as they desired, subject only 
to the tabu days of the priest or alii, when no canoes were allowed to 
go out upon the water. 
In accordance with a law which went into effect June 14, 1900, the 
fishery rights will cease on June 14, 1903. Some of these fishery 
rights are of considerable value. Close to Honolulu are two fisheries 
belonging to one person which bring in a yearly rental of $1,375. 
The fisheries on Oahu are the most valuable, owing to the excellent 
market for the saloc of fish at Honolulu. On Kauai only a few of the 
fisheries are of sufficient value to be rented, these being mainly around 
Waimea and Hanalei. One of these rents for $200 a year, while 
another brings in only $20 per year. A few owners allow the general 
use of their fisheries to the fishermen, reserving one species for them- 
selves, as they are allowed by law to do. 
Practically no effort is made to collect rent for any of the fishery 
rights of Hawaii. This is largely owing to the sparseness of the popu- 
lation and the consequent lack of markets for the sale of the fish, also 
somewhat to the disinclination of the people to pay rent. Some years 
ago the Government leased the Waiakea lands (at Hilo), including the 
fishing rights, to private parties. The lessees tried to collect rent for 
the use of the fishery, but without much success, and, as the lease ter- 
minated in October, 1899, it became free to everybody, as the new 
lease exempted the fishing rights. 
The principal fishery right on Mauiisat Kahului. The rest of them 
are practically free now. Merely nominal rents are exacted for the 
use of the fisheries around Molokai. Numerous attempts have been 
made by the owners to collect rent from the fishermen who frequent 
the waters around Lanai, but without success. 
No effort was made to secure complete data on the value of these 
fishery rights, as the whole matter would necessarily have to be passed 
upon by the courts in a short time and the owners did not care to go 
into the matter fully just now. 
For a more complete exposition of the laws concerning private fish- 
ery rights, reference is made to the preliminary report of Drs. Jordan 
and Evermann, pp. 355-380 of this volume. The same paper contains 
a discussion of the laws regulating the fisheries and of the measures 
recommended for the further protection and improvement of the 
industry. 
