Experiment
p. 117 · Read in the full issue
[?]Ving Fish Food
Ound
A Polynesian Experiment
BOUT a year ago PIM reported that a US Fish and Wildlife Service vessel had made an ex imental transfer of a variety of ill fish from the Marquesas to Kraii. It was hoped they would iblish themselves in Hawaiian Btal waters and provide much ded live-bait for the Honolulu a fishing fleet, which is faced i a serious live-bait shortage. 1 September, in the course of [ “Operation Equapac” cruise, ttitly reported in PIM, the F & ,S vessel Hugh M. Smith took ard about 2,000 fish of six ieties at Moorea. These were all I fish varieties, in no way con fced with the earlier bait-fish Bine.
Brly this year Dr. John Randall, lonoluiu marine biologist, went th to French Oceania in his hr Nani to investigate the feed fhabits of likely edible varieties [has been engaged in this work
\ since.
he fish now taken north from )rea were largely his selection. 1 addition to a shortage of bait- L there is a general depletion of )le fish in the Hawaii area, and [is part of a scheme to improve
lers.
Off-Season Fish For
The Atolls
he Tilapia Mossamhica fish, in iuced to Rakahanga by Raro ga’s Agricultural Department, e grown well; and 21 of the pger fish, averaging between 21iches in length, have been trans rt e d to Pukapuka by the vrlotte Donald. [r. Ronald Powell, assisted by ) a Marsters (of Palmerston md». placed the fish in an ficial pond near Ngake village, hese fish, which can reproduce 00 young from one male and [female in 12 months, will later transferred to a natural pond ited among the taro swamps of tapuka. dthough deep-sea fish are itiful in season at Pukapuka, )on fish are almost non-existent, ides being a source of food •ply in times of scarcity, the ipia make excellent fish bait, and 1 upon algae and mosquito larvae. [Pukapuka is infested with squitoes, the Tilapia’s feeding •its will undoubtedly meet with i approval of the Pukapukans. [ census was taken in New edonia on the night of December All bars were closed at 9 p.m. encourage the local populace to B the task seriously.