related to the government pricing of food fish. Large and medium sized 
fishing vessels were commandeered by the armed forces; others were re¬ 
quisitioned for use in transporting materials not only in the coastal 
trade hut also between Japan and Manchuria, Korea and Formosa and many 
of the small boats were transferred to China for use in landing opera¬ 
tions. 17/ Military conscription, the removal of large numbers of fish¬ 
ermen for the operation of commercial boats and the shift of fishermen 
to other more lucrative war industries has resulted in a manpower short¬ 
age. Many of the fishing industries are functioning with older men, 
women and children; since 1942 women have increasingly replaced men in 
the fishing industry. All boats using Diesel oil or gasoline have been 
restricted because of fuel shortages; fuel for Diesel-powered fishing 
vessels began to be rationed in August 1941 whereas small gasoline boats 
were less severely restricted at this time but later suffered sizable 
reductions in fuel rations. Shortages of equipment, including nets, have 
been reported. 
Fisheries in the outlying areas — deep sea, northern waters and 
trawling — were particularly curtailed because of these shortages. 
Production in the Soviet waters, for example, in 1942 was reported to be 
about half that of the prewar period and in 1943 only one salmon floating 
177 Reports indicate that the number of fishing boats even of the 
smaller sizes which were taken over by the government was considerable. 
According to a report of conditions in late 1943 about one-third of the 
30 - 60 ton fishing boats had been commandeered for military or trans¬ 
port purposes. (Report from prisoner. Information Bulletin No. 21 
(No. 2) of Southwest Pacific Area, July 5, 1944.) 
196 — 
16-03 t ?225 6u 
