COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 475 
In the Lihue district, on Kauai, there are 7 of these private fish 
ponds. 
Owners of fish ponds operated commercially rarely manage them 
directly, but lease them to others, usually Chinese. Nearly all of 
the Oahu ponds are controlled by a combination of Chinese, and are 
so operated as not to overstock the markets, thus keeping up the 
prices. This policy works to the disadvantage of the white popula- 
tion mainly, as they are the principal consumers of the ama-ama. 
Owing to the high prices received for this fish some of these ponds 
are very valuable, one located on Oahu being assessed by the Terri- 
tory on a valuation of $25,000 (the lessee of this pond pays a yearly 
rental of $2,500), while two others in the immediate vicinity are 
assessed at $16,000 and $12,450, respectively. One on Koolau Bay, 
Oahu, is assessed at $12,000; another in Waipio, Oahu, at $6,400, and 
one in Kalihi, Oahu, at $4,000. Aside from those located on Oahu, 
fish ponds are not very valuable, largely owing to the lack of a steady 
and sufficient demand for ama-ama. If the fish could be marketed, 
the Molokai fish ponds would produce almost unlimited quantities of 
amaama. 
The tables below show, by islands, the number and nationality of the 
persons employed, the number and value of the fish ponds and boats, 
the number, kind, and value of apparatus operated, the catch by 
_ species, and the catch by species and apparatus, together with the values 
of same, in the pond fisheries during 1903. The data in these tables 
appear also in the general statistical tables given elsewhere. 
The island of Oahu leads in every particular, with 67 fish ponds 
valued at $154,900, 138 persons employed, and a total investment, 
including value of ponds and boats, of $156,990. Molokai is second, 
with 12 ponds valued at $4,050, 30 persons employed, and a total 
investment of $5,310. Kauai, Hawaii, Maui, and Lanai follow in the 
order enumerated. As compared with the data for 1900 there has 
been a decrease of 13 in the number of fish ponds operated, but in 
every other regard there have been slight increases. Since 1900 the 
fish pond on Lanai and the one at Kahului, Maui, have been repaired 
and are now in use. In that year there were no fish ponds operated 
commercially on these two islands. 
Chinese predominate in the pond fisheries, 182 being so employed, 
to 55 Hawaiians and 6 Americans. In 1900 there were 147 Chinese, 
43 Hawaiians, and 1 American, showing a decrease in 1903 of 15 Chi- 
nese and an increase of 12 Hawaiians and 5 Americans. 
The total catch for Oahu is 578,292 pounds, valued at $93,568. As 
the total catch for all the islands was 672,953 pounds, valued at 
$111,321, the great preponderance of Oahu is manifest. Molokai is 
second, with 43,361 pounds, valued at $10,279, followed by Maui, 
