The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-01-12
A. R. TODD ANSWERS
CHARGES BY FIELD
Denies That PurSe-Net Fishing
Would 0epIete Waters of
Territory of Fish

A. R. Todd, practical Rsherman, and
the man back of the recently organized
Mid.Paei6c Tuna Canning Company,
has taken up the>cudgcIs in behalf Of
commercial fishing in the Territory 3
wGters, in reply to the statement issued
by H. Gooding Field, sportsman fisher.
Mr.. Todd believes that tho fish Of the
sea are there for the use of men and
begins his statement with a question,
"Why is the price Of fish higher in
Honolulu than it is in Chicagoi" ,
In his statement the commercial Ssh.
erman says:
81 noticed in your issue of the
9th inst. with considerable interest n
lengthy interview with Mr.. Field
touching upon the use of the purse. net
in the catching of fish by the proposed
Mid Pacific Tuna Canning Company. As
Mr.. Field does not seem to have q very
clear understanding of purse!net per.
haps ] had best explain that il is q
seine which is Operated entirely from
the power boat, and only in deep water.
It never at any time is employed in
fishing where the lower or bead line
Consequently when thrown around a
school of aku or other fish it catches
only the fish of this school and does
not pull in tons of fish of all kinds. ,
Its operation does not require that mil
lions of small fish be caught and killed
for every hundred marketable fish
taken as is the custom in the fisheries
rs conducted about these islands at
present.
''Mr. Field might give the condition
his attention. Some time ago I went
on record as favoring any legislation
,ither by the Territory or of the Ma.
tiOnal Government that would tend to
perpetuate the fisheries Of the Islands.
Any plan that will guarantee the SUPP
ply of deep sea fish that abound here
would have my ardent support. / be.
iievc sincerely in the use, not the abuse
of the fish from the sea. That they
are here to be caught for profit but
not for waste, and not to the point of
destruction, is also my belief But one
purse seine bringing in ten toms of fish
will do no more to dcplete tho supply
than ten sam pans bringing in one ton
each
lSH " utUJ' as Will the lnNcbI-
ors in the California tuna canneries,
that the supply is being destroyed 1t
is being used to the great profit of the
companies engaged in canning and to
the permanent good of the communities
in which the canncrics are located and
The production Of canned tuna is today
me ~ the best industries of Southern
California
% In the report of the commissioner
If fisheries of the State of California
1t is stated that the tuna industry is
as great as the salmon industry of the
Columbia River, and they are proud
of it.
~ have no doubt Mr.. Field sees IN
his enterprise a menace to sport fish.
ing, and the attendant good of the
Islands from those who come to enjoy
'atching the big fellows. To put his
fears at rest / want to make it plain--
80 plain that even those who run may
read-that the hui lding of the proposed
aiming plant win do more to encOur.
&c sport fishing than anything that
ras yet been done, because it will place
within the reach of hundreds an oppor.
unity to 60 out at q reasonable ex.
~ h"N anu ISL W luSlT HtuTL y content
Vt the present time there is no such
opportunity afforded the tourist on the
business man of Honolulu, there being
no craft available along the shores OF
the Islands, suitable for the sport, al
reasonable rates. Even Mr.. Jump is
ringing his own launch from the
cast, and he is doing so because he
tnows the conditions here.
cit has never been said that flsh
Hatchcries could keep up the supply OF
fish in the manner followed in the prop
agation of salmon, either by myself OF
anyone connected with the proposed
'annery.
Mr., Field claims that market fish
ng will soon be a thing of the past
II the purse seine be used in catching
ish If we are to destroy the fishing
30 very. quickly with these nets, why
:iOes not Mr.. Field invest in one and
make good his benevolent feeling
toward the poor 3 food supply
by placing some really cheap Ash upon
the Honolulu market, where the prict
of fish is as high as in Chicago, OF
most any of the inland cities of the
countryf ...
"Mr, Field himself told me that he
tried to get the Booth company to put
cannery on these Islands, but I pre-
'ume that, had he been successful in
this effort, any methods so modern and
ilVldend-producing as purse netting
would have been tahoo -