Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-05-15
re A L Ne S
GOlERDMENT CONTROL OF fISHIO,
TBRCEDOWNPR|CES IS ADVOCATED

Ing 6ampans, seven OF which are over
fifty feet In length. The majority OF
these are owned or controlled by the.
large fishing companies who are IN q
position 70 know the chances Of en-
ploying additional craft At o profit.
Facts about khe FIshlns Fleet
In 1914 the total number Of register.
ed fishing boats IN Honolulu harbor
was 217, Of which number rs we're
power Sampans. BY April or the pres
ent year the total number Of boats Of
all classes had increased 10 30I. OF
this number 221 are power boats: the
remaining IS being sail boats Of suffi-
Gent size to admit thena engaging In
offshore fishing. Fffty-fiSe Of the
power boats now fiahing out Of Homo
lulu exceed forty feet in length while
thirtytwo are over 50 feet long. These
are equipped In most cases with fuel
and cold storage capacity sufficient -
enable them TO cruise six or eight hun.
dred miles to sea and return. Not In
frequently they remain away from por.
for two or three weeks, almost In
~ar.ably returning loaded with iced
fish The average power boats, how.
ever, usually remaiEs at sea frcn four
TO ten days. =. -, - -s..-s.-- Z z
Statistics are not at hand to shoW
the number OF deep sea fishing boats
In use fifteen years ago, but the num-
Der was small In comparison with the
number now occdpied In deep sea fish.
ing. The total number Of boats Of all
kinds fchiefly outrieger canoes and
row boats) employed In fishing opera,
items en- the island Of Oahu in 1909
was placed ct All and valued by Mr..
Cobb al $3e, 325. The value OF fishing
boats has increased many fold since
1902. $3.50 Z ! a.. 80.
Deep Sea Fishing .fs 49,.
The development Of the deep sea
and off.shore fishing IN these Islands
has very largely taKen place In the
past decade and Is today a. a flourish
ing and prosperous condition. During
that time. however, there has been. =
rapid decrease IN the number Of men
and boats regularly employed in In.
shore and reef fishing with the result
that these important fishing grounds
which were for many decades the only
important source OF supply for the
population Of Oahu have been In large
measure, abandoned owing 70 the In.
ability Of the individual fisherman with
limited capital to compete with the
large fishing companies that have de.
velope1. In short the source OF supply
Of fish that IN nddition TO the normal
supply Of pond fish was formerly suffI-
Gent to supply our demand locally at
4 Price much lower than the present
price has been In q large measure
abandoned. Skilled native fishermen
are now irregularly employed in other
occupations. Under changed condi-
lions these men could be induced to
return to their old occupations as 1
matter Of patriotism should the neces-
sity arize.
Sufficient statistics are al hand to
show that the present supply OF fish
on sale. aside from mullet, Is largely
n the fern Of an added supply to that
formerly relied upon This can be
shown By the statistics available rela-
tive to the comparative abundance Of
certain imported fish. During the
month Of March. 1902. there were
seventy three Ulaula sold In our city
market. During the same month last
year, 1916. there we're sold 1850, while
for four weeks in March this year 600
Of this very high class food fish were
offered for sale
Alxu has q coarser flavor but Is re-
garded as . favorite fish BY the poorer
Glasses. During March. 1909, there
were 2802 marketed IN H0nolulu.
During the same month Last year 81 100
we're sold. This year during March
5000 alu were offered for sale In spite
Of this very Large supply the price
was uniformly high; the wholesale
price Of fish three feet lone being 1900
for basket containing fixe fish Ten
years ago Il IS said that fish Of this
sire sold retail at 25c each.
Pond Mnllet lnerease
During the period Of the fifteen
years Tor which statistics have been
kept the supply Of pond niullet famal
anal has. with few explainabie ex.
eepticns, steadily increased. A supply
/ OF 50, s26 auhama were marketed in
March, 1902 The average monthly
supply for that year was S. $40. max
! Ing yearly total supply Of over three
quarters Of million Of this Important
species alone The minimum month
| II supply Tor the year was 1862 and
occurred III July. The average catch
| for the month Of March ii the three
years. 1902 to 1904. was 1888. In
the month Of March. 1916. there were
Isl 900 mullets sold. while this year
the March supply was 1s0. 900 fish.
conclusicns
From an examination Of the above
figures. collected for certain selected
species which indicate the general ten
dency Of the mafkes supply for other
important species. when they are view.
ed n the light Of other similar data
e hand II Is concluded:
1st That the available supply 81
fresh fish IN the waters about Oahu i
sufficiently abuadant to supply al ouf
Legitimate needs and st approximately
the prices current u 1904.
Ind That the supply Of pond fish Is
larger than n former years.
3rd That since tie army does not
use fresh fish 70 any considerable ex
tent a. ration, there has not been !
Sufficient increase n the demand foI
I - -. -