September 1966 



COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW 



65 



Republic of Korea (Contd.): 



explore the North Pacific due to: (1) inten- 

 sive competition on the fishing grounds off 

 South Korea; (2) numerous international re- 

 strictions in the East China Sea; (3) the de- 

 clining catch trend in the South Pacific tuna 

 grounds where about 100 tuna vessels were 

 operating. In view of these developments, it 

 had become necessary to find substitute fish- 

 ing grounds as soon as possible. ( Minato 

 Shimbun , July 24, 1966.) 



sic ?;; i'fi y^: :?fi 



U.S. CANNER TO USE KOREANS 



TO FISH TUNA IN SOUTH ATLANTIC: 



According to fishing circles in Japan, a 

 U. S, tuna canning company with a plant in 

 Puerto Rico has decided to start fishing for 

 tuna with Korean fishermen in order to se- 

 cure a supply for its cannery. The canning 

 company^ considered among the top three, 

 has purchased as a first step three used fish- 

 ing vessels (250-ton class, probably long- 

 liners) from Japan. The company was re- 

 cruiting fishermen in South Korea in order to 

 start fishing in the Atlantic Ocean by the fall 

 of 1966. It is believed that the company plans 

 to obtain about 28 fishing vessels, and such a 

 fishing operation may affect the export price 

 of tuna from Japanese vessels fishing in the 

 Atlantic . 



The reasons for the company's decision 

 were said to be as follows: Because of the 

 low export price of tuna in the Atlantic dur- 

 ing the latter part of 1965, many Japanese 

 fishing vessels left the fishing grounds in the 

 Atlantic to go to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, 

 resulting in a large decrease in the supply of 

 tuna. Thus it was difficult for the company 

 to obtain sufficientfishfor its cannery. (Fish- 

 eries Attache, United States Embassy, Tokyo, 

 July 15, 1966 from Yomiuri Shimbun , Julyl2, 

 1966.) 



Libya 



THREE TUNA LONG-LINERS 

 IMPORTED FROM JAPAN: 



A fishing company at Shimizu, Japan, has 

 contracted to export to Libya three of its tuna 

 long-line vessels, Seiju Maru Nos. 8.(484 

 gross tons), 14_and J^ (each of 99 tons). The 

 vessels, which were sold to a Libyan fish 



cannery in Tripoli at a total cost of 120 mil- 

 lion yen (US$333,000), departed for Libya 

 July 16, 1966. 



Under a three -year employment contract 

 signed between the Japanese and Libyan com- 

 panies, the three vessels will be crewed by 

 70 Japanese nationals who will be rotated by 

 air transport after 18 months. The contract 

 calls for monthly salary payments of 190,000 

 yen ($528) for fishing captain; 170,000-180,000 

 yen ($472-500) for captain, chief engineer, 

 and chief communication officer; and 73,000 

 yen ($203) for a deckhand. (Note: One peri- 

 odical listed the salaries as $503 for fishing 

 captain, $480 for captain, and $186 for deck- 

 hand, plus a production bonus of $10 per ton 

 of tuna.) It was reported that the compara- 

 tively high salary schedule for the crew was 

 arrived at after consultations held with the 

 Japan Seamen's Union and by taking into con- 

 sideration the wage base of the International 

 Transport Federation and the special nature 

 of fishing labor. 



The crew will not be covered by the Ja- 

 pan Seamen's Law and hence will not be eli- 

 gible for accident compensation. Under the 

 terms of the wage contract agreement, the 

 Libyan firm will be wholly responsible for 

 their medical expenses arising from any work- 

 connected injuries. ( Katsuo - Maguro Tsushin , 

 July 20 ; Suisan Keizai Shimbun , July 2 1 , 1 9 6 6 . ) 



Malaysia 



FISHERMEN'S SUBSIDY : 



The Ministry of Agriculture and Coopera- 

 tives announced April 5, 1966, the allocation 

 of M$500,000 (US$165,000) to help fishermen 

 buy boats and equipment for deep-sea fishing. 

 The subsidy will be given through fishermen's 

 associations which are to be set up. Although 

 the Ministry did not specify the type of deep- 

 sea fishing to be encouraged, it probably in- 

 tends to assist more fishermen to develop a 

 capability for trawling. Trawling licenses 

 have been severely limited in Malaysia over 

 the past year because of conflicts between in- 

 shore fishermen and trawlers. The Malaysian 

 Government now apparently feels that the 

 controls that have been set up to insure that 

 trawlers do not fish grounds reserved to in- 

 shore fishermen are reasonably effective and 

 is now prepared to encourage more fisher- 



