The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-03-28
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Sea Tigers !:
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BY c. T: Maxwell. K
e.
BY C. Z. Maxwell.
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The shark is the most hated and
dreaded of all the creatures whose
abode is in the salt seas His title of
man-eater fully explains why men
detest him.
Although shark flesh is used by
primitive peoples as an article of food.
mankind in general look upon sharks
with adherence, and destroy them
without mercy Their cruel and for
bidding appearance, together with a
most repulsive odor, is sufficient to ac-
count for the disfavor with which they
are regarded.
The light of modern science has
shown. however, that sharks are of
great economic and commercial value.
Every part of their bodies may be uti-
lied for the service of man.
It seems safe to predict that in fu-
ture sharks will be eagerly hunted and
turned Ia as profitable use as the whale
was formerly.
Owing to the destructiyeness of mod
ern methods of taking whales, the
great eetaeean will soon become prae-
tieally extinct. When there are no
more whales, the sharks will be taken
in hand in earnest.
There are many varieties of sharks,
ranging from the tiny dogfsh, "Squalus
mitsukuru, to the huge basking shark,
- Cotorhinus maximus, which attains
a length of forty feet.
The most valuable variety of shark
from commercial point of view is the
great white man-eater, "Carcharodon
carcharias, which is abundant around
these Islands, as may be inferred by
the fact that fishing party harpoon-
ed nine in few hours off Honolulu
harbor, and secured five monsters,
twelve TO fifteen feet in length.
Fortunately these sharks rarely ven
ture over the reefs, and bathers are
never molested by them. 1t seems sur
prising that capital is not enlisted to
pursue with vigor the industry of
shark fishing, and converting their ear
cases into marketable products. Luera-
tive returns must undoubtedly reward
an enterprise of this nature.
The raw material is here in abund-
anee. and the class of labor required
is also available No better fishermen
than the Japanese could be found for
this kind of work. It may be asked,
What part of shark is of valuee The
whole body of shark is useful It's
liver yields an oil which when properly
deodorized and refined is equal to cod
liver oil, and is worth 81 per gallon
for lnhrieating purposes. Shark fms
and tails are valuable in Asiatic mar
kets. It's skin when tanned furnishes
the valuable leather called shagreen.
The terrible teeth and jaws of the
shark are in request as curios, while
its carcass can be converted into high
grade fertilizer, as it contains a high
percentage of valuable materials suit
able for plant food.
In New Zealand, shark fishing is now
an established business The company
which initiated the industry furnish
suitable fishing tackle and containers
to any settlers whose homes are on the
sea coast, who may desire to supple
lnent their income by catching sharks.
A fixed price is paid for the shark oil,
fms and dried sharks.
The principal shark taken in New
Zealand is the school shark which aver
ages six feet in length. Vast numbers
of these fish frequent the shallow estua-
ries during their breeding season. In
former times the Maoris caught them
in thousands, and dried them on stages
in the sun and wind The dry earcasses
were then stored for winter food The
natives living in the interior of the
country highly esteem these dried
sharks as a welcome relish to their
diet. The fresh shark is not
eaten by the Maoris.
An interesting species of shark is
the soup fin shark tGalens zyopterus. =
The Chinese prize the fins of this fish
much as they do the famous birdnests.
Both shark fins and birdnests are used
for making very rich soup. Fabulous
prices are readily paid by the celestials
for both of these delicacies.
The dog-toothed shark :" Lamna Gus
pidata.' is the strongest, swiftest,
most ferocious and most voraeious of
a keel on either side. This shark is
called s'mako' by the Maoris, who
prize its long curved white teeth for
ear ornaments. 1T is probably identical
with the famous niuhi of Hawaiian
legend.
/ have known a mako to bite through
the bottom of canoe causing it to
sink 1t did not modest the occupants,
which it left struggling in the water.
Several of its teeth were embedded in
the wood of the canoe and broken off.
was able to identify the assailant by
The teeth.
When the commercial possibilities of
shark fisheries is fully realized the in
iustrv will be exploited wherever they
are found sufficiently numerous to rem