Tuna Prove Coy

Around Palmyra

WHEN vessels of the Kayler-Dhal Fish Company of Se'attle, USA, returned recently to Honolulu, they reported that tuna fishing in the Palmyra area had been dis appointing.

The company set up a fishing camp on the atoll following good reports by US Fish and Wildlife survey vessels, but their results were far below those of the Government vessels.

Earlier this year, as a result of Fish & Wildlife surveys in the area, Honolulu and American West Coast fishermen began to show a lot of interest in the Line Islands as a tuna fishing ground.

Considerable hauls were taken in the vicinity of Palmyra and Christmas Islands, on two survey voyages from Honolulu by the de partment’s fishery research vessels.

Some time later we reported that plans were afoot for the establish ment of a fishing camp on Ameri can Palmyra atoll.

No one can account for the poor results achieved by Kayler-Dahl.

The director of Pacific Ocean Fishery Investigations, an organisa tion set up by F & W, said that re search work had indicated that the northern summer months were the time when yellowfin were at their greatest abundance in the area. He considered that the blame must be

placed on the fishing gear employed, which was steel cable instead of the usual cotton line.

A half to two-thirds of all fish hooked were lost through wire breakages of the branch lines, or the tearing of the hooks from the jaws due to the non-elasticity of the wire.

Commonwealth, one of the Co.’s

vessels, under Captain Harry Spel ling, was to head south again ir September for another trial witt other equipment. Wire gear is be ing experimented with as it can be more readily handled mechanically with less expensive manpower re quired. On the results of these ex periments the future of the Line Island fishery will largely depend