The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-09-10
DR.. EIERhlH TALKS
lB0UT HIHI|IlH Fish
Fully Three Hundred
Species Found
Here.
MANY IRE VERY INTERESTING
LEGISLATION NECESSARY TO
PREVENT THEIR uLTI-
MATE DESTRUCTION.
Many of the Species Have Distinct
Habits of Their own-Prices
Here Very High Compared to
the Mainland.
lFrom 3 slaf corre.pondeni. J


WASHINGTON, Aug ga scien-
tific party. including several Of the
icthyologists of the United States fish
commission. has just returned from
a trip to the Hawaiian Islands. where
for the past few months it has been
examining into the fishing industry
of that locality.
This party was organized under
authority granted by Congress, which
passed a law creating it. in order
that recommendations might be sub
mitted designed to secure the en-
actment of legislation for the protec-
ton of fish and fisheries in Hawaii.
The investigations of the party prov
ed very fruitful. both in the matter
of benefit to the science of technology
and the protection of species of fish
which are fast becoming depleted.
The expedition was made by DR..
Barton W. Everman, John n. Cobb
and L. E. Goldsborough of the fish
commission, DIR. Jordan, DR.. o. P.
Jenkins and George Sindo of the
Stanford University of California
and c. B. Hudson and A. H. Baldwin.
artists.
Or. Everman's Statement.
In speaking of the trip DIR, Ever
man said today: This expedition
was of great benefit to the science of
fish and the fisheries. During our
trip we found and examined some
800 species of native Hawaiian fishes.
All of them are indigenous to that
section of the world. and we found
fully seventy-five species which were
unknown to our science before the
investigations were made.
THAT region of the Pacific in the
neighborhood of Hawaii is especially
prolific of fish, There are great
many species and there are great
many people engaged in the fishing
industry. OF the species we exam
ined many were interesting. They
were of all sizes and have all manner
of habits and names. All OF them
bear native names, and it would be
useless for me to repeat them for
public benefit For instance one spe-
cies is named the 'humuhumunuku-
nukuapuaa' It's a hard name to pro-
nounce. but it is fair specimen OF
the titles given the fishes by the ma
tives.
an this connection it is interesting
to note that the Hawaiian alphabet
consists of only twelve letters. The
word 'humu' means a certain thing
but when it is repeated, as it is in the
case of the name mentioned. it means
something else. That accounts FOR
the existence of such extremely long
words in the native language. 1t
would never do. by the way, for a
man to stutter in speaking this
tongue He would constantly be say
ing something he didn't mean.
Legislation Necessary.
"Our party found that great deal
OF legislation must be enacted in or
] der to protect the fishes and the
| fishing industry of Hawaii Many
species are rapidly becoming depict
ed. We must have a law designed tc
| protect such species. This law must
provide that the meshess of the nets
used by fishermen must be of large
Il 6lLG III OIUEi that tOQ Ii04t Va Tx
small fishes may not be caught. II
almost every instance now the nets
are woven too finely. BY increasing
the size of the meshes a great many
of the smaller fishes viii be allowed
10 escape the nets and thus gaiI
their full growth before being cap
i-tured. This viii tend to increas'
the supply of such species.
"Ali OF the fishes of Hawaii ar
different from anything we have il
this section OF the world. We havl
tropical fishes here, too. but thos
Of Hawaii are too far separated gee
graphically to have many character
istics ia common with those of tn
species of orr own zone. The hshe
of Hawaii are very great in numbe
of species. and each specimen
rich in is own numerical strength
Hawaii has q great many OF the pom
PIANO family. which abounds in eel
tain sections of this geographical SCI
ton Hawaiian waters also contai
many snappeTs ana groupers. On
Of the most important there, hovevei
Is a certain species OF mullets. I
times gone BY law was enforced
Hawaii decreeing that the muIiet va
the food fish for kings and kins
alone. The common people were NJ
| allowed 10 catch it. This dainty rs
was for the table OF the regent. and
anyone outside Of the royal circi
dared TO catch him he was made
feel the arm Of the law. Now. hos
ever. i Is diHernef. Any one ms
ensnare the mulief. II is a par'
cularlr fne food fish. and is in gre,
demand throughout the Islands Il
rfitivated 70 certain extent By Il
Hnwaiians- Artificial ponds are co
stTncsed near the sea, and when 4
tide is in fiocd many Of the fish
rad their war into these small lake
When the water recedes the fish