56 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



Vol. 28, No. 9 



Japan (Contd.): 



ern Atlantic Ocean. They include the fleets 

 led by the motherships Chichibu Maru No. 2, 

 Hakuryu Maru , and Seisho Maru . Each fleet 

 is accompanied by a number of support craft. 

 The Hakuryu and Seisho Maru fleets were op- 

 erating in the Atlantic fishery for the first 

 time this summer under contract to the fish- 

 ing company which operates the Chichibu 

 Maru . The fleets were operating out of Free - 

 town. Sierra Leone, and Tema, Ghana, and 

 fishing mainly for skipjack. To service the 

 three fleets, a large Japanese net manufac- 

 turing firm planned to open field offices in 

 Freetown and Tema. ( Suisancho Nippo, June 

 20, 1966.) 



if, >!« 3lc if. if 



LONG -LINERS MOVING 

 FROM INDIAN OCEAN: 



Japanese long-line fishing vessels "moved 

 on" from the Indian Ocean. It was reported 

 they discovered that long -line tuna fishing off 

 the eastern seaboard of Southern Africa, and 

 more particularly the fishing banks to the 

 south of Madagascar, was no longer an eco- 

 nomic proposition. 



The fishing fleets have, it is believed, 

 moved to the Atlantic Ocean, operating off 

 Adidjan on the Ivory Coast. Apart from fish 

 being plentiful there, they are found closer 

 inshore than off the easternseaboard of South 

 Africa. 



This factor eliminates the long hauls which 

 had to be made from the fishing grounds to 

 Durban where the catches were discharged 

 and stored in cold storage. It is known that 

 this space, which was booked on contract, 

 was cancelled from the end of April. 



For nearly three years the Japanese fish- 

 ing fleets operated with considerable success 

 to the south of Madaga,scar and were familiar 

 sights in port, landing their catches and taking 

 on supplies and huge quantities of fresh bait. 

 As of early May 1966, there were only iso- 

 lated Japanese fishing craft calling, mostly 

 en route for supplies and fuel. The presence 

 of up to half a dozen vessels in port at a time 

 has become a thing of the past. ( South Afri- 

 can Shipping News and Fishing Industry Re - 

 view , May 1966.) 



POLE-AND-LINE TUNA 

 LANDINGS, MAY 1966: 



A total of 2,698 metric tons of albacore 

 was landed in May at Yaizu (Japan's princi- 

 pal tuna port) by the pole-and-line fleet. Of 

 that quantity, 1,942 tons (76 percent) were 

 landed during the last 10 days of the month. 

 The albacore were sold ex -vessel at prices 

 ranging from 140-198 yen per kilogram 

 (US$353-499 a short ton) in late May, accord- 

 ing to data compiled by the Fisheries Agency 

 and published in the Agency's "Fishing Con- 

 dition Rapid Report." 



The report also showed skipjack landed in 

 May at Yaizu by the pole-and-line fleet to- 

 taled 6,674 metric tons, while purse seiners 

 landed 232 tons of skipjack and 139 tons of 

 yellowfin. 



The Agency's report for May 26-31 showed 

 that fishing picked up over a wide area. Since 

 May 26, albacore were reported being taken 

 in large quantities, up to 30 tons a day by 

 some vessels, in the grounds extending fromi 

 longitudes 1370-144° E. between latitudes 

 30°-33° N. Skipjack tuna fishing was report- 

 ed good also, with vessels averaging 50-100 

 tons a trip. (Fishing Condition Rapid Report , 

 Nos. 5-10, May 1966.) 



SUMMER POLE-AND-LINE 

 ALBACORE FISHING IMPROVES: 



The Japanese summer pole-and-line fish- 

 ery showed some improvement towards mid- 

 June 1966, with daily landings over 300 short 

 tons. During June 14-16, a total of 1,212 

 tons was landed at the tuna ports of Yaizu and 

 Shimizu. The increased landings served to 

 reduce prices by about US$10 a short ton 

 during the three -day period. Large albacore 

 were quoted June 16 ex-vessel at 186-188 

 yen a kilogram ($469-474 a short ton). (Mis- 

 cellaneous Japanese trade journals.) 



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TUNA PURSE SEINER 

 HAS SUCCESSFUL TRIP: 



The 255 -ton Japanese purse seiner Nissho 

 Maru owned by a Japanese whaling firm land- 

 ed, in a 30-day period, a total of 255 metric 

 tons of skipjack and yellowfin tuna valued at 

 27.7 million yen (US$77,000). The vessel op- 

 erated off Cape Nojima, Chiba Prefecture, 

 south to Hachijo Island (33O06' N. -139049' E.). 



