fishermen and workers were employed on these floating canneries 
(Table 28). 
Floating salmon canneries made their first appearance in 1927, 
in direct competition with the fishery of the leased lots; fishing con¬ 
cerns which had lost their lots to the Nichiro Gyogyo X. X. turned to 
floating canneries. After 1935, however, when there was an amalgama¬ 
tion of the canneries under a subsidiary of the Nichiro Gyogyo X. X. f 
the factory vessels were developed in competition with Soviet operators 
of leased lots. Most of the canned salmon produced on floating factory 
ships were red salmon, the most valuable canned product and also the 
mainstay of the fishing lots. 47/ 
Floating crab canneries, controlled by Nippon Suisan, accounted 
for about half of the Japanese production of canned crab in 1936 and 
other prewar years. 48/ The system of operation was much like that 
i 
for salmon. The season began in April and lasted until October. 
Actual fishing was done from small "kawasaki” boats, which spread 
their gill nets 49/ in lengths of 2^ to 4 miles along the sea bottom 
surrounding the cannery. The crabs caught, giant or "taraba-kani■ 
crabs, were taken to the factory ships for canning. 
47/ Operations of floating salmon canneries as conducted were in 
many respects tantamount to an economic blockade against coastal 
fisheries. Shore canneries complained of decreases in the size of 
fish caught and reported that many were marked by the nets of the 
floating canneries. 
48/ Competing with the Japanese ships for crab after 1928 were float¬ 
ing crab canneries of the Soviet Union. 
49/ Each crab catcher boat carried about 500, 168 foot gill nets of 
18* mesh (stretched) which were used in the lengths of several miles. 
-99- 
ifi-nsi Piai bu 
