718 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



FISHERMEN. 



Owing to their location between the continents of Asia and America, the islands 

 have been securing recruits from each direction as well as from the numerous islands 

 to the south. Europe, too, has furnished immigrants, until at present the islands 

 present quite a cosmopolitan appearance. An idea of the extent of this admixture 

 may be gjiined from the fact that public notices in the fish markets and other places 

 are usually printed in five languages — English, Hawaiian, Chinese, Japanese, and 

 Portuguese. 



In numbers the native Hawaiian fishei'men surpass all the others combined, but 

 this is partly because so many women and children engage in the hand fishery for 

 octopus, algfp, etc., and these have been counted in the total. Some of the natives 

 are at the head of quite important fisheries, and for many years held a monopoly' of 

 the industry, but more recently the Japanese have been engaging in it in large num- 

 bers and now occupy second place. The natives fish spasmodical Ij', as a rule, while 

 the Japanese give to it their whole time and attention, and as a result are profiting 

 much more. They are especially numerous on Oahu and Hawaii, most of them being 

 engaged in deep-sea line fishing, which they viituall}- monopolize. They have 

 several companies at Honolulu, Lahaina, and Hilo, and in this way control certain 

 features of the fishing industry', thus enhancing the cost of the products to the 

 general public. 



Only six Americans have a direct connection with the fisheries, and thej' princi- 

 pallj' as managers of the large fishery rights on Kauai and Maui. The few Chinese 

 fishermen confine themselves to the fisheries immediately along the shores. A few 

 years ago thev began leasing the fish ponds still in use on most of the islands, and 

 now have practicallj' a monopoly of this part of the industry. They also quite gen- 

 erally control the selling of fish in the markets. A number of South Sea Islanders, 

 mainly from the Gilbert, Caroline, and Marquesas islands, are engaged in fishing, 

 principally at Honolulu and Lahaina. Thej' are more industrious in this business 

 than the natives and are quite expert. They are the principal users of fish baskets. 

 The Portuguese are not largely engaged in fi.shing. The Italians have made some 

 efi'orts in this pursuit, but none are now thus employed. 



LAY OF THE FISHERMEN. 



The native fishermen usually make an equal division of the fi.sh taken, or of the 

 proceeds, among all engaged in it. In a few instances they arc hired and paid 

 regular wages. 



At Hilo, on Hawaii, in the gill-net and line fisheries the Japanese work on the 

 following basis: The owner of the boat furnishes the lines, nets, etc., and takes 22 

 per cent of the gross proceeds. The balance is then divided equally among the owner 

 and others who participate in the fishery. Should the owner not go out in the boat 

 he does not get anything in the final division. 



In the seine fisherj- at Hilo the owner of the boat and net receives from 30 to 35 

 per cent of the gross proceeds, this being regulated by the size of the net and boat 

 while the balance is divided equally among the fishermen, the owner, if he accom- 

 panies them, receiving his share with the rest. When the fishermen work on salary 

 they receive $15 per month, with their board and lodging. 



