The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-30

5, tected and that a clause to that effec
be made a part of any legislation tina
;, may be had.
), That legislation equivalent to the abov
recommendations is demanded by the in
terests of Hawaii admit of no question
1t, however, raises the more importan
, question: Should such statute be pass
ed by Congress and enforced by the Fed
eral judges, marshals. and other officials
or should it be left to the action of tn,
Territorial legislature?
The present commission desires to eX
press no opinion on this large question o.
national policy. 1t is proper, however, tC
state this fact. With the present Terri
torial legislature it is apparently wholly
impossible to pass any kind of statute
for the protection of the fisheries. With
the present laws governing suffrage there
is no prospect of any change in this re-
gard.
The chief argument used against pro-
tective laws is the desire of the Hawaii
an people to eat little fishes raw. OF
these little fishes thus eaten, one or two,
called "nehu," never grow large. On
the other hand, it may be urged that the
nehu is an important food of larger
fishes; that the market value of all
which are taken is insignificant, and that
the young of the mullet and other fishes
| of real value are taken and eaten with
| the nehu.
INTRODUCTION OF ADDITIONAL
SPECIES
The fresh waters of the Hawaiian ISL
| ands are too limited in Importance to
Justify experiments in standardization
The chief streams are On the island of
Kauai. The only native fishes in any of
the streams are different species of 60
bieS, known collectively as 'oopu" These
nave some value as food but are not
highly esteemed.
Although the waters adjacent to the
Islands TEEN with fishes and other DENT
zens of the sea, numerous efforts have
been made to introduce additional spe-
cies. Among the principal species SO far
introduced are the following:
From China and Japan-Goldfish, china
fish, a species of catfish, and one or more
species of frogs.
From the United States-Brook trout
black bass, catfish, carp, the bullfrog,
and the terrapin. In 1876 some salmon
and trout eggs were sent to parties in
Honolulu in exchange for 100 ava. There
is no record of what became of these
eggs.
The Goldfish and frogs have thrived
very well and are now to be found on
most of the islands. AT Hilo the frogs
are so abundant that they have become
an article of sale. On the island of
Kauai they have been found especially
useful in destroying the fuke, an insect
which works considerable damage to the |
cattle. They have also assisted very ma
terially in thinning out some of the nox- |
ious insects which have been introduced |
The china-fish is to be found in num- |
berS in the vicinity of Honolulu alone, |
and is raised in the irrigation bitches and I
fresh-water ponds. The china-fish and |
goldfish are generally sold alive to the
Chinese.
The rivers of the islands are, in nearly
n ofaira
which become torrents in the wet season
and a series of pools, connected by slen-
DER rivulets, during the dry season. Trout I
do not thrive under such conditions. and
IL is waste of time to attempt to ac- /
climatic them. Only one plant ION /
Kauai in 1890 has far been made and !.
nothing has been seen or heard of them
since. The small-mouthed black lass, !,
however, would probably thrive under
such conditions. One plant of this spe.
cieS has been made Cat Hilol, and al =
though they were never seen again it is
probable that this was owing to their
poor physical condition when planted. i
Owing to the absence of the consignee
when they arrived, they were allowed to
remain in the cans for some time before
,elng planted, and as a freshet occurred I
he next day it is probable they were all '
carried out to sea. AS the rivers are s
illed with fresh-water shrimp, the bass '
would have an abundant food supply S
The catfish American and Chinese) are '
ound in considerable numbers on Oahu, {
n the vicinity of Honolulu. Carp are f
ound on the islands of Maui and Kauai. e
'ut are not yet common. ia
VALUABLE FISH RECOMMENDED. :
A more valuable fish than the black Q
'ass is probably available for these ISL r
nds. 1t is the Japanese dwarf salmon Q
r ayu, Plecoglossus. altivelis. 1t is one 5
f n oil
RELY, and lives in every clear stream of u
apan from Hokkaido to Formosa, being y
nus Wei adapted to the climate of Ha-
'afi Perhaps more than any other for n
Ign fish whatever it merits introduction
nto the waters of the United States =
specially into those of California II
Several lots of oysters from the eastern G
art of the United States and from Cali
ornta have been brought to the islands Z
different times since 1893 and planted d
Pearl Harbor. While the results =
chieved were not very satisfactory from y,
financial standpoint, still they were -
efficient to show that the business IL
light be put upon a remunerative basis o,
1t were given the time and attention A
The eastern oyster was found p,
} breed to limited extent ~
CLAIMS could be planted in Pearl Har- -,
or and in other favorable localities, and
-ould probably thrive well.
The abalone. which is very highly priz- y,
oV the chinese, might be introduced -
the rocky reefs and sea walls. a.
The depletion of the fisheries of these | "A
lands can be best prevented by proper 81
reflective legislation such as we have ',
Fish-cultural methods have '"
ot Yet been developed with regard to VI
ny of the fishes native to or suitable for ~
lese islands. The establishment of -
sh-cuItural station there is at present q.
molly impracticable and unnecessary. %
o;,oI $500 ho"eSer, Oh Do ID
ole or that at Beaufort, N c., for the -.
udy of the many important problems RI
with tropical insular aouati da
e is of the highest Importance and is CO
rnestly recommended. =,