September 1966 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



59 



Japan (Contd.): 



ese catches was disappointing. The silver 

 salmon catches were low because of the ear- 

 ly closing date. It was expected that the 

 fleets showing the most profit for the opera- 

 tion would be those that moved a minimum 

 distance during the season. (Fisheries At- 

 tache, United States Embassy, Tokyo, July 12, 

 1966, and various press and other sources.) 



At the beginning of the season, for about 

 10 days, 10 of the 11 Japanese salmon fleets 

 were concentrated in the central fishing 

 grounds (latitudes 480-51° N., longitudes 

 167°-173°30' E.) but began to disperse from 

 about May 30 and move eastwards to inter- 

 cept the Bristol Bay run of red salmon. The 

 movement eastward was initially led by 

 Nichiro's three fleets, which moved to the 

 waters south of Kiska Island. 



Weather conditions were bad on May 29- 

 30. The catch in the central grounds up to 

 that time averaged 60-70 metric tons per 

 fleet per day, but with the approach of bad 

 weather declined in some cases to as low as 

 42-43 metric tons per day per fleet. The 

 catch consisted of about 60 percent reds. 

 The size of fish, both reds and chunis, was 

 reported large in comparison to those taken 

 usually. 



Following the movement of Michiro's three 

 fleets to the west longitudinal (east of 180°) 

 fishing grounds, within a week the remaining 

 fleets moved eastward and in early June were 

 strung along the area latitudes 48°-510 N., 

 longitudes 167O30' E.-1770 W., awaiting the 

 appearance of Bristol Bay fish but the ex- 

 pected run did not materialize. 



In early June those fleets fishing in the 

 eastern longitudinal grounds (west of 180°) 

 close to the 180° meridian were averaging 

 about 50 metric tons per day per fleet. The 

 proportion of reds in their catch was re- 

 ported less in comparison to the catch of 

 those fleets operating in the southeast, also 

 in the eastern longitudinal grounds. 



Towards mid -June three fleets ( Shinano 

 Maru, Meisei Maru No . _2, and Miyajima 

 Maru) had moved to the south of the Aleutian 

 Islands in the western longitudinal grounds. 

 One fleet ( Otsu Maru ) was operating along 

 longitudes 163°30' E. The remaining seven 

 fleets were fishing between these two groups 

 in the central fishing grounds. 



Near mid-June the entire fleet was aver- 

 aging 60-70 metric tons per dayper fleet. The 

 three fleets operating in the western longitu- 

 dinal grounds have not encountered any siz- 

 able run of North American reds. 



Their catches averaged 40 percent reds 

 and 60 percent chums. In contrast the fleets 

 operating in the central grounds were aver- 

 aging 60 percent reds and 40 percent chums. 



It was reported that the run of Bristol Bay 

 reds appeared to have been delayed this year 

 as a result of a cold water mass which con- 

 fined the naovement of the reds in the waters 

 south along the Aleutian chain. Mothership 

 operators were concerned over this situation 

 inasmuch as it would seriously affect the 

 success of their fishing operations as these 

 fish may not become available to their fleets. 



The catch of Asian reds and chums was 

 reported good and to be at about the same 

 level as the 1963 catch. 



***** 



VIEWS ON NORTH PACIFIC MOTHERSHIP 



SALMON FISHING SEASON: 



Japanese fleet operators who participated 

 in the 1966 North Pacific mothership salmon 

 fishery were interviewed by several trade 

 papers. Their views concerning this year's 

 salmon operation are summarized below : 



1. The expected migration of Bristol Bay 

 red salmon west of the provisional line did 

 not develop but red salmon of Asian origin 

 were abundant. One trade periodical report- 

 ed the reds to be mainly of east Kamchatkan 

 origin, 



2. Chum salmon were abundant contrary 

 to expectations. Being an even year, the pink 

 runs were expected to be poor but they ap- 

 peared everywhere and the runs to theOlyu- 

 torskii region (on the Siberian coast) seemed 

 particularly good. Silver salmon landings 

 were small due to the early termination of 

 fishing operations. 



3. The sea-surface temperature was cold 

 at the outset of the fishing season but towards 

 late May climbed to normal levels and fish- 

 ing in the central area began to pick up. 



4. The catch composition of the entire 

 fleet was estimated by one source as 40 per- 

 cent reds, 47 percent chums, 8.4 percent 



