XI, D, 3 Seale: Fishes of Mindanao and Sulu 239 



Solder or clamp the covers so that they are absolutely air-tight. 



Immerse the cans of fish in boiling water for two hours. This cooks the 



fish and softens the bones. 

 Remove the cans from the water, allow them to cool, and rub them in dry 



sawdust to remove all oil from the outside. 

 The sardines are then ready for the market. 



SALT, DRY, AND SMOKED FISH 



Practically the only method used in curing fish among the 

 Moros is by drying and salting. The fish are cleaned, left in 

 brine until the salt "strikes in," and placed in the sun to dry. 

 The methods now in use can be greatly improved 



During a recent inspection of the Sitanki fisheries some of the 

 vats used in salting fish were found to be very filthy, and in 

 many cases the brine was not strong enough. Probably this is 

 why some of the prepared fish from Sitanki spoil so readily. 

 An effort was made to impress upon those in charge the necessity 

 for keeping their vats clean and trying to cure unspoiled fish 

 only. 



Methods of preparing fish in the tropics are described in one 

 of my papers.^ 



PLANTING FISH IN MINDANAO 



After a careful inspection of the Cotabato River system, I 

 have advised the planting of carp in this watershed, my reasons 

 for so doing being: (1) The obvious need for an abundant supply 

 of cheap flesh food; (2) carp multiply so rapidly that they would 

 soon supply the food; (3) Cotabato River is muddy and the local 

 fish fauna poor, so no injury can result from the introduction of 

 carp; (4) the carp is a favorite fish of Oriental people; more 

 carp are sold in Hongkong than any other kind of fish. 



A lake adapted to carp culture is located in Agricultural 

 Colony No. 1. I advise that carp culture be introduced into this 

 region and that Cotabato River be stocked from the lake. Ad- 

 ditional black bass should be planted in Lake Lanao and in such 

 other lakes as can conveniently be reached. 



THE SHARK-FIN FISHERY 



The returns from the shark fishery could be increased if all the 

 products of the shark were more generally utilized. 



In the northern part of the Philippine Islands nothing but 

 the fins of the shark are saved ; among the Moros certain of the 

 sharks are used for food, but the liver and the skin are utilized 



^This Journal, Sec. D (1914), 9, 1. 



