62 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



Vol. 28, No. 8 



Japan (Contd.): 



per kilogram (US$202 per short ton). (Sui- 

 san Tsushin, May 19; Kanzume Nippo, May 

 20, 1966.) 



:^ ::}: 4^ :^ :5c 



REDUCES USE OF DECK-CARRIED 



TUNA-FISHING VESSELS: 



It is reported that as a result of poor fish- 

 ing conditions Japanese vessel owners oper- 

 ating portable boat -carrying tuna mother - 

 ships are reducing the number of portable 

 vessels carried by motherships or seeking 

 permission to convert their vessels to reg- 

 ular distant-water tuna vessels. The owners 

 of one large tuna mothership reduced the 

 number of portable vessels from 8 to 6, while 

 another mothership owner reduced portable 

 vessels from 5 to 4. The somewhat lower 

 catch of the mothership resulting from the 

 employment of fewer deck -carried fishing 

 vessels is said to be more than compensated 

 for by large savings in labor costs, averag- 

 ing a crew reduction of about 12 men per 

 vessel. (Shin Suisan Shimbun Sokuho, May 

 11, 1966.) 



***** 



REFUELING BASE IN INDIAN OCEAN 

 PLANNED FOR TUNA LONG-LINERS : 



The Japan Federation of Tuna Fishermen's 

 Cooperative Associations (NIKKATSUREN), 

 which is planning on sending to the Indian 

 Ocean this year (1966) an oil tanker to serv- 

 ice at sea the tuna long-liners operating in 

 that ocean, is studying the possibility of es- 

 tablishing a refueling base in the Seychelles 

 Islands. ( Suisancho Nippo , May 18, 1966.) 



***** 



FISHING AFFECTED BY MAURITANIA'S 



EXTENSION OF FISHING LIMITS: 



The Government of Mauritania established, 

 effective May 15, an exclusive fishery zone 

 extending seaward 6 miles from her 6-mile 

 territorial sea. This action by Mauritania 

 shut out Japanese trawlers from the octopus 

 fishing grounds off that country. Japanese 

 trawl operators have requested their govern- 

 ment to negotiate an agreement with Mauri- 

 tania to permit their vessels to operate with- 

 in the newly established fishery zone. ( Nihon 

 Suisan Shimbun , May 23, 1966.) 



Note: See Commercial Fisheries Review. June 1966 p. 55. 

 ***** 



TUNA FISHERMEN REQUEST 

 LOWER INTEREST RATES ON 



GOVERNMENT LOANS: 



The Japan Federation of Tuna Fishermen' s 

 Cooperative Associations (NIKKATSUREN) on 

 April 27 held a general membership meeting 

 to discuss NIKKATSUREN' s plans for the cur- 

 rent business year and to seek ways and 

 means of improving management. Discus- 

 sion was centered on the financial condition 

 of the fishery, particularly on the interest 

 rate charged for government loans to indus- 

 try. The recommendation was made to seek 

 a reduction in the current 7. 5 -percent rate 

 on government loans to the fishing industry 

 since government loans to the maritime in- 

 dustry are granted at 4 percent interest. 



Also discussed at the meeting was the pro- 

 posed transshipment of Atlantic -caught al- 

 bacore to the U. S. west coast and other 

 measures to stabilize prices, and the pro- 

 motional work to expand canned tuna in oil 

 consumption in Japan. It was decided that 

 these matters should be further studied pend- 

 ing the outcome of the summer albacore fish- 

 ery. However, the promotion of canned tuna 

 in oil would be conducted on a limited scale. 

 ( Suisan Shuho, May 15, 1966.) 



::{« s[c :^<: ^ ;{; 



COMPUTER FOR IDENTIFYING 

 TUNA SCHOOLS UNDER DEVELOPMENT: 

 The Japanese Fisheries Agency's Fish- 

 ing Boat Research Office and the Tokai Re- 

 gional Fisheries Research Laboratory are 

 developing an electronic computer for the 

 tuna industry which can identify species and 

 determine sizes of fish schools. The device, 

 to be used in conjunction with a fish finder, 

 would analyze wave forms appearing on the 

 finder in identifying tuna species. The first 

 set was scheduled to be completed around 

 September 1966, following which it will be 

 tested at sea depths of 400-500 meters 

 (13,000-16,400 feet). Initial production costs 

 are estimated to be around 1 million yen 

 (US$2,778) a set. ( Suisan Keizai Shimbun, 

 May 13, 1966.) 



* * * * * 



SALMON LANDINGS HIGHER, 

 PRICES LOWER THAN 1965: 



Salmon fishing began on April 30 in the 

 coastal areas of the North Pacific off Japan 

 and in June was active both in Areas A and 

 B. Landings of salmon in Hokkaido and in 



