Applications for COMMERCIAL FISHERIES REVIEW, which is mailed tree to members of the fishery industries and allied interests, should be addressed to the Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, 25, D.C. January 1950 Washington 25, D.C. Vol.12, No. 1 PRELIMINARY FISHERIES SURVEY OF THE HAWAIIAN-LINE ISLANDS AREA PARTI-THE HAWAIIAN LONG-LINE FISHERY By Fred C. June* PREFACE This survey was undertaken for the purpose of gathering information on the tunas and tuna bait fishes of the Hawaiian-Line Islands region to be used in planning the operations of POFI research and exploratory fishing vessels in the waters of the tropical and sub-tropical central Pacific Ocean. Since commercial tuna fisheries now exist in this region only in the Hawaiian Islands proper, some emphasis has been placed on a study of the fisheries of this island group. This report is based upon the information gathered between January 3 and June 30, 1949. The data were gathered from trips aboard fishing vessels, field trips to outlying islands, examination of catches landed at local markets, and discussions with fishermen and market personnel. There has been opportunity to study the tuna fisheries of a small section of the central Pacific Ocean. The data compiled on places of occurrence, abundance, species, and methods of capture of tunas, spearfishes and bait fishes include information which will be of value toward understanding the vertical and horizontal distribution, seasonal changes in occurrence, and habits of these fishes in this area. It was originally planned that the results of the entire survey be presented in a single report; however, it seems desirable that certain phases of the work should be summarized at present in order that this information may be made readily available during the early stages of planning vessel operations. This paper is Part I of the complete report. Other parts will follow. INTRODUCTION The tuna long line has become an important fishing gear for exploiting the large pelagic tunas and spearfishes that enter the coastal and offshore waters of the Hawaiian Archipelago. This island group is the only region in the tropical central Pacific Ocean where a long-line fishery is now established. Fishery Research Biologist, Section of Biology and Oceanography, Pacific Oceanic Fishery 1/Spearfishes include the marlins, swordfishes, and sailfishes. NOTE: Many persons aided the reconnaissance survey of the Hawaiian-Line Islands region. Bdg. JOL # 1951 Prior to World War II, Japanese tuna boats conducted similar operations in the waters south of Japan, including the former Mandated Islands region, and offshore from Japan to the longitude of Midway. The bulk of the tunas which were THOUSANDS 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 FIGURE I TUNA CATCH (YELLOWFIN AND BIG-EYED TUNAS AND ALBACORE caught in these areas was landed at Japanese home ports. At present SCAP regulations do not permit the Japanese to fish south of 24° N. latitude or east of 1800 E. longitude. Within the authorized area, however, an extensive long-line fishery is conducted. The waters about the Hawaiian Islands provide favorable conditions for a dependable concentration of these commercially important fishes throughout the year. Early Japanese immigrants recognized the potentialities of the Hawaiian Archipelago as a fishing ground for many of the oceanic fishes; however, it was not until the year 1917 that a Japanese fisherman by the name of Imose, began exploiting, by means of long lines, the sub-surface levels for the large tunas in the waters off the Waianae coast of Oahu. Following the introduction of the Japanese long-line technique, it became possible to exploit the coastal and offshore waters more efficiently. Thus, the Hawaiian tuna fishery, which had previously been limited to surface fishing by trolling and pole and line, expanded considerably, once it was demonstrated that these large oceanic fishes occurred in sufficient abundance to support the present existing commercial fishery. Source: Catch records of the Territorial Division of Fish and Game. |