Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-31

fishing by means of one net The catch
brought in about fifty thousand dollars a
year, which is a large income for a small
japanese town.
Where are the chief Japanese fisheries,
DR.. Smith,
They are found everywhere along the
coast. Japan consists of many hundreds
of volcanic islands, some large and some
very small. The water is very deep a
short distance from the coast and you
have all kinds of fishing and almost all
kinds of fish. There is scarcely any part
of the empire where fresh fish may not be
had daily. Every one eats fish, and dried
fish are stored away and shipped to China,
Korea and other parts of the far east"
1.-THE government dos more to foster the
fisheries than here in the United States.
We devote ourselves to propagating fish in
order to increase the fish supply. In Japan
the fisheries are controlled by the govern
ment. They are regulated and advanced
In every way possible. In addition to the
imperial government, the various states
have fish departments connected with
them, and altogether the industry receives
large government aid.
The Red Herrings Of Japan.
docs Japan have about the same fish
that we have?'
cit has many similar to ours, such as
mackerel. halibut, herring and others.
did not find the shad. The favorite fish is
the tai, somewhat similar to our red snap
per. About 100000 worth of it is con-
sumed yearly.
LAS to the herring" continued DR.. Smith,
that is one of the most valuable of the
Japanese fishes. 1t runs in schools just as
off the coast of northern Europe. 1t is
caught in seineS and the product sells fol
about 100000 annually. The herring are
also dried and picked for export
How about eating fish. raw, doctor.
understand that is common in Japan
1T is, and / assure you that raw fish are
not SO bad when properly served. Take a
fresh tai and slice it thin. Bring it cold
to the table and eat it with chopsticks.
and you will find it delicious
The japanese. however usually eat their
fish cooked They have fried fish, baked
fish, fish soup. and fish reliShes of various
kinds. They are good cooks and are espe-
cially skilled in the preparation of fish,.
Water Farms Which Pay $500 Per Acre
THE Japanese have many water prod
ucts in addition to fish," said DIR. Smith
''They raise sea weed and water vegetables
Indeed some of the bays are far more val
liable for farming than the lands adjoining
them. The Bay of Tokyo is valuable
that it is held by the government and
leased out by the acre to farmers Some
parts Of that bay produce as much as $5t
per acre every year in water vegetables
The farmers cut brush, tie it up in bundles
and stick it down into the sand SO that il
is almost covered at high tide. The spores
of the water plants attach themselves tC
these bushes and grow. being fed by tho
water which rises and falls with the tide
From time to time during the year the
plants are picked Off and carried to The
market for sale. They are used for flavor
inc nd
hundred thousand dollars worth of such
vegetables annually taken from Tokyo
bay.
Sea Weed and Fish Oatmeal.
"An enormous amount of sea weed is also
produced in Japan" DR.. Smith continued
This is gathered and used in variety oil
shapes. 1t is very nutritious. and is sc
much liked by the people that you will not
find a Japanese family which does not con
sumo some of it every day of the year
We have about the same varieties of Sea
weed but the most of it goes to waste
Take the kombu. for instance which is
made from kelp, such as is found along ouI
Atlantic coast. The Japanese use million
dollars worth of it every year and We lei
1t go to waste. About the only sea weed
that we take advantage OF Is the Kind
known as Irish moss We gather about
$40 900 worth per year. Some of the Jap.
!.
powder and used for soup and favoring
Some of it might be made into very nour-
ishing breakfast food. Indeed, l have a
bottle Of such breakfast food here now.
"And then the Japanese make vegetable
isinglass out Of sea weed and ship it to Eu-
rope. America and China. They send 1t tc
Holland for soup and to China to be used
In place of birds nest soup. 1t is very cleal
and it has much the same properties
They Eat Sharks.
ST have been told. DR.. Smith, that the
japanese eat sharks
Eyes, they do" was the reply. "They
make 100000 year out of their shark fish
cries, and something like $4,000 out OF
shark fins. Many of the fins are sent te
China, where they are considered great
delicacy. AS to sharks, they are even eater
in this country being often served up under
other names. They eat dog fish. such as We
have in great droyes along our coast. We
do not eat them, but they are excellent
when fresh or canned. and I predict thai
the day win come when one will be able to
buy either dog fish or shark meat in the
markets..
"How about salmon?'
1.-The Japanese have salmon, but they are
not SO good as ours. They are like the
poorest variety of the Pacific coast salmon
The people consider them great delicacy
and It is customary to send a big salmon te
ones friend on New Year day"
They Want Saghalin.
.Are there good fisheries in northern
Japan, DR.. Smith?''
Eyes, very rich ones" There are many
cod along the Island OF Yezzo. and the
fisheries still farther north are valuable
This is especially so about Saghaiin, the Is.
land which the Russians took from Japan
I understand that the japanese will de-
mand it's return. II they are successful In
the present war. II they get It 1t will
add 49, 900 q year to their fishing prod.
uct'
sHow do the Chinese fishermen compare
with those OF Japan
ST have not been In China" said DR..
Smith. Indeed. but little Is known about
the water wealth of the country. except