COMMERCIAL FISHERIES OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
721 
APPARATUS AND METHODS OF FISHING. 
Owing to the proximity of the sea to all of the habitable portions of the islands, 
and the natural dependence of the people upon the products obtained from it for a 
considerable part of their sustenance, the natives early developed into expert fisher- 
men and fisherwomen, and as time went on gradually evolved newer and more effective 
forms of apparatus to take the place of or to aid the more primitive forms. The 
advent of foreigners hastened this development by the introduction of appliances in 
use in their own countries and heretofore unknown in the islands. The earlier 
American settlei's, coming as they did principally from New England, where fishing- 
had been brought to a higher state of perfection than elsewhere in the United States, 
were especially helpful in this regard. 
It has been the endeavor to give as complete a list as possible of the forms of 
apparatus in use, together with the methods of operating them. Since many forms 
bear native names, while others have names different, from those by which they are 
commonly known on the mainland, every possible effort was made to see each form and 
witness the methods of operation. Where this could not be done the statements of 
reliable fishermen and others were taken. 
At Hilo the large seines used on the beach average 250 feet in length, with bag 
7 feet deep, and mesh of one-half inch. The wings average 1 feet in depth and have 
a mesh of 1 inch. They are usually made from No. 9 to No. 8 cotton twine. 
On Maui seines 150 feet long, 8 to 12 feet deep, with l^inch mesh, are used. They 
have no bag, and several of them are often laced together and used as one net. They 
are usually hauled up on the shore. 
At Pearl Harbor, Oahu, the Chinese use what is practically a purse seine, 50 
fathoms long and 20 fathoms deep, with a mesh of 1 inch in the center and 1£ inches 
in the wings. The bottom of the net has rings, with a rope running through them. 
After the fish are surrounded the lower line is pulled up bjr the fishermen. The 
bottom comes up together, thus forming a bag or purse on each side, and this is 
pulled in until the fish are all in a small bag on each side of the boat, whence they 
ai-e dipped out by means' of small scoop nets. 
The bait seines average from 10 to 60 yards in length, with one-half inch mesh 
or less. They are quite generally used by all classes of line fishermen in securing 
their bait. No. 3 cotton twine is generally used in the manufacture of these seines. 
GILL NETS. 
Gill nets are a popular form of apparatus in the fisheries at the present time. 
They are either set or hauled; rarely, if ever, drifted. When set they are generally 
stretched, at high tide, across the shallow openings in the coral reefs. As the tide 
goes out the fish rush for these openings and become enmeshed in the net. The 
fishermen are on the seaward side of the net and pass to and fro, removing the fish 
as fast as caught. This fishing is carried on at night, and the nets are of varying 
lengths and depths, according to the locality. 
