S H 
 
 sot 
 
 CopyS 
 
g#t 
 
Fisheries 
 
 of the 
 
 Far Ea^em Republic 
 
 Published by 
 
 The Special Delegation of the Far Eastern Republic 
 to the United States of America 
 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
 1922. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGi^ESS 
 
 JUN191922 
 
• FbAs 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 Page 
 
 Chapter I. Introduction 3 
 
 Chapter II. Species of Fish in the Waters of the Russian Far East — 6 
 
 Chapter III. Fishing Industry of the Far Eastern Republic 12 
 
 1 — The Nilcolaevsk District 12 
 
 2 — The Southwestern District 19 
 
 3— The Saghalien District 20 
 
 Fishing in the Convention Waters 20 
 
 Fishing in the District Outside of the Convention 
 
 Waters 21 
 
 Total Catch and Preparation of Fish 21 
 
 4 — The Mariinsk (Lower Amur) District 22 
 
 5 — The Khabarovsk District 22 
 
 Chapter IV. The Fishing Industry in the Territories adjacent to the 
 
 Far Eastern Republic and connected with it 24 
 
 1— Okhotsk District 25 
 
 2 — Western Kamchatka District 26 
 
 3 — Eastern Kamchatka District 28 
 
 Chapter V. The Japanese and the Russian Fishing Industry in the 
 
 Russian Far East 30 
 
 Appendix The Nnmber of Fishing Leases and average catch of Fish 
 in the Districts of the Far Eastern Republic and those ad 
 
 jacent to it 33 
 
 A — Waters of the Far Eastern Republic 33 
 
 I — Bay of Peter the Great 33 
 
 II — Tartar Straight 34 
 
 III — Basin of the Lower Amur River and its Firth 34 
 
 B — Waters adjacent to the Far Eastern Republic 34 
 
 I — Northern Coast of the Okhotsk Sea 34 
 
 \ II — Western Coast of Kamchatka 34 
 
 III — Eastern Coast of Kamchatka 35 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2011 with funding from 
 The Library of Congress 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/fisheriesoffareaOOfare 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 The Russian Far East iis sunroimded by ttie seas of Japan, 
 Okhotsk and Behring, asnd it has a coastline of ailmostt 12,000 
 miles. Becauisie of the inexhaustible wealth in fish, it became, 
 in the period prior to the World War, one of the important 
 sources of food supply. From the Russian Far East fish and 
 fish products were shipped to Japan, China, Korea, Siberia, 
 European Russia and western European countries. In spite of 
 the primitive m|ethods employed in the fishinig industry in the 
 Far East, which are characteristic of thie first stages of any in- 
 dustry, the genieral world situation in the fisherieis was such 
 that sales for any quantity of fish were assured. This made 
 oeirtain the influx of capital and thfe organization of the fishing 
 industry by more modern methods, as well as the organization 
 of industries allied to the fis^hing industry, siuch as salting, can- 
 ning and refrigerating. 
 
 In 1914 the Rusisilan fishing indusjtry had at its disposal 22 
 steamers of the Russian^ Volunteer Fleet, with a registered ton- 
 nage of 42,100 tons. The Amiur fishing industry had a great 
 many river vessels which transported from Khabarovsk, Blagov- 
 eshchensk, Stretensk and Harbin, about 50,000 tons of fislh pro- 
 ducts to ithe markets of Siberia and Rusisia. In 1904 the total 
 number of men em(ployed in the fishing imdutetry was^ 24,904, of 
 whiCh 11,925 were Russian. The total catch of salmon during 1914 
 was 96,500,000 pieces. During the year 1912, 796.7 tons of canned 
 fish were exported to the London market ; to the other Europan 
 maJrkets, 39,417.5 tons of fislh and fish products and to Japan, 
 58,140.8 tons. In 1913 the amount of fish and fish products ex- 
 ported reached similar proportions. Exports to the European 
 miarkets amounted to 56,695.8 tonsi; to the Japanesie markets, 
 69,775.7 tonis', besides shipments of 849.2 tons of herring to 
 Europe and 2,155.4 tons of herring to Japan during the same 
 year. 
 
 3 
 
In(d!icatioins that sources of fish in otihier countries were be- 
 coming exhaiusted emphasized the world importance for the im- 
 mediate future of the fish supply of the Russian Far East. Lack 
 of regulaitions in the fishing industry in the Russian Far East 
 and the resulting injury to the industry were felt. The Japan- 
 ese, who, isince the Russo-Japamese war, had received greiat free- 
 dom in the expiloitation of the Russian fishieries, have been par- 
 ticularly rapacioius. But, in spite of this', until the present time 
 there has been noticed no sign of any exhaustion of the fish 
 stupply in the Russian Far Easit. The considerable curtailment 
 in the wqrld supplies of fish nevertheless makes it imperative 
 that the fishing industry be more regulated and that the existing 
 supplies be protected and that scientific methods of breeding 
 various valuable species of fish be applied. During the last few 
 years, becausie of miLitary intervention in the Russian Far East, 
 which gave the Japanese an opportunity to freely dispose on 
 land and sea with the fishing industry, the Russian Far East 
 haS' been prevented from carrying out the necessary measures, 
 but there is no doubt that upon the establislhment of a normal 
 state of affairs, i. e. after the departure of the Japanese troops, 
 such mieasures will be adopted and the fish supply of the Russian 
 Far East will be assured a place in the world markets that it 
 deserves. 
 
 Inasmuch as the terriltory of the Far Eastiem Republic is 
 surrounded only by the Japanese Sea, and only partly by the 
 Okhotsk Sea (Kalmchatka and a larger part of the Okhotsk coast 
 do not belbng to the territory of the Far Eastem Republic. The 
 coast line of the Far Eastern Republic stretches from Vladiv- 
 ositok along the Japaniesiei Sea acrosis the Tartar Strait, including 
 Saghalien and along the Okhotsk Sea to Cape MadjaMhda), con- 
 eequently althoug^h the natural resources of the Russian Far 
 East cannot be considered ajs the direct wealth of the Far East- 
 em Republic, nevertheless the unity which always existed be- 
 tween the various parts of the Russian Far East and the fact 
 that Vladivostok was the principlie trading center of that 
 country makes it imperative to consider economically the entire 
 Russian Far East as a single unit. Vladivostok will remain in 
 the future or at least for the next twenty years, the trading 
 center of the entire Ruslsian Far East. 
 
Besiides the markets of Japan, Kofrea and China, as well as 
 the European miarkets, all of Siberia and European Russia will 
 undoubtedly sioon become a vast market for the fish and fish 
 products of the Far Eastern Republic. Even prior to the war, 
 when Russia consiumed on the average 3,'0i00','000 tons of meat, 
 Russia coniaumied about 2,000,000 tons of fish, of which about 
 1,700,000 tons were obtained within Russian territory. Now, 
 when, in connection with war and revolution, the annual consum- 
 ption of meat has been reduced to a minimum, the consiumption 
 of fisih will have to increasie in a considerable porportion. This 
 fisih will have to be brought from the outside, and in this respect 
 the first place will undoubtedly belong to the fish products of 
 the Far Eastern Republic. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 SPECIES OF FISH IN THE WATEiRS OF THE 
 
 RUSSIAN FAR 
 EAST 
 
 In accordance with authoritative Rusisian investiigations, 
 there are 116 different species of fish in the northern part of the 
 Japanese Sea, 121 in the Okhotsk Sea, and 165 in the Behrimg 
 Sea. Most of the fish found in these countries are as follows: 
 
 Sea Fish 
 
 Fish Ascending 
 
 Fresh Water 
 
 Crustaceans 
 
 
 Rivers 
 
 Fish 
 
 
 cod 
 
 sturgeon 
 
 carp 
 
 crabs 
 
 herring 
 
 dogfish 
 
 bream 
 
 shrimps 
 
 haddock 
 
 hansen 
 
 pike 
 
 
 turbot 
 
 humpback 
 
 ellpont 
 
 
 flounder 
 
 red salmon 
 
 grayling 
 
 
 (various species) 
 
 
 trout 
 
 
 mackerel 
 
 dolly varden 
 king salmon 
 whitefish 
 smelt 
 
 etc. 
 
 
 Fish mjoist valuable commercially are as follows: salmon, 
 codfish, iherring also crabs and shrimps. Of commerical value 
 also are: trepangis, oysters, and sea weed (kelp, etc.) 
 
 COD — found in great numbers along the entire coast from 
 the gulf of Peter the Great to Behring Sea. Many Japanese are 
 engaged in cod catching on the Russian shores. There is a big 
 future in store for the cod fishing industry. This is also true 
 with respect to the haddock (a member of the ood family, and 
 closely related to the European navaga). The haddock (wak- 
 hnia) can be found lin great abundanioe, and is a valuable fish. 
 
 HERRING — along the coasts of the seas of Japan, Okhotsk, 
 Behring, in large quantities. Industry is being conducted in 
 the Japan Sea, Gulf of Peter, the Great, Gulf of Tartary, and 
 Saghalien (w^estern coast). Herring is caught during the sea- 
 son beginning with the end of March up to the middle of June. 
 
In the Gulf of Peter the Great it can also be caught from the 
 middle of November to the mliddle of March. The bigg-eist speci- 
 mens weigh over one pound; the average weight (abounding in 
 the Sea of Japan) is about one-half pound. Korea and the ad- 
 jacent part of Manchuria consume a considerable amount, most 
 of the catch oominig from the Gulf of Peter the Great. The 
 average annual catch is 75,000,000 pieces, or 17^000' tons, in 
 weight. There is practically no industry on the coast of Kam 
 chatka, Okhotsk Sea and Behring Sea, but the steadily grow- 
 ing demand will, no doubt, lead to the development of the indust- 
 ry there in the near future. The herring is used as food and 
 for fish guano in Japan. The product prepared from the herring 
 is of a high quality. The highest quality herring is of the au- 
 tumn catch. Russia is a very large consiumer of her ring, and 
 the Russian market will always be open to the products of the 
 Far Eastern Republic. 
 
 FLAT FISH— There are between 15 and 20 species of flat 
 fish, most of them of considerable industrial value. The indus- 
 try at present iis small, but will grow up in the future owing to 
 the increasing demand. 
 
 SALMONS — Represent the bulk of the fishing industry in 
 the Russian Far East. The species of soUmon are: humpback 
 (gorbusha — local name) , "dog salmon" or "chum" (keta) , silver 
 salmon (kijuch), red salmon (krasnaya), king salmon (chavicha). 
 The earliest fish is the king salmon, entering the rivers at the 
 middle of May; then come the red sa'lmoin, at tihe beginning of 
 June. The humpback comes at the end of June (in the Amur 
 at thie middle of June) ; the dog salmon at the beginning of July, 
 and silver salmon last in August. In the Amiur river the first 
 arrival is the humpback, after the river has been cleared from 
 ice. Then from the middle of July the summer "keta" arrives, 
 and from tlie middle of August the so-called autumn "keta" 
 makes its appearance. The most valuable Amur salmon is the 
 autumn "keta" which comes up the latest. The summer keta 
 is in the second place. The Kamchatka keta is of about the 
 same quality as that of the Amur. The Okhtotsk keta is con- 
 sidered by some people as even superior. As pointed out, the 
 "dog salmon", (keta), of the Pacific coast of the Far Eastern 
 Republie and that of the adjacent Russian Pacific coast terri- 
 
1914 
 
 1916 
 
 Average 
 
 % 
 
 % 
 
 1911-1916 
 
 % 
 
 76.7 
 
 78.0 
 
 47.6 
 
 21.1 
 
 15.0 
 
 47.0 
 
 1.5 
 
 5.3 
 
 4.0 
 
 0.7 
 
 1.7 
 
 1.4 
 
 tory ia of a high quality and of great economiic value, and must 
 not be confused with the American "dog salmon". 
 
 With regard to the quantity of the different species of sal- 
 mon, caught in the Russian Pacific waters, the first place belongs 
 to the humpback, then the dog salmon, and, following consecu- 
 tively, the red salmon, king salmon, and silver salmon. Th<e 
 figures of the 1914, 1916,, and average for the period 1911-1916, 
 may serve as an illustratiiom : 
 
 Fish 
 
 humpback 
 
 keta (dog salmon) 
 
 red salmon 
 
 king and silver salmon 
 
 Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 
 
 As regards the place of catch of salmon, in the most im- 
 portant parts of the Russian Far East, the folowing figures 
 based on official statistics for the period of 1911-1916 may be 
 given as average: 
 
 Average Catch in Percentage 
 
 Place tons 
 
 Japan Sea 
 
 )Amur 
 Okhotsk ) Okhotsk & Sagalien 
 Sea ) regions 
 
 )Wesitern Kamchatka 
 
 Behring Sea, Eastern 
 
 TC ^ TD p n Ji i" K 3 
 Total average catch 161,200 100.0 
 
 As all the official statistics are based upon the returns of 
 the traders, most of whom dimiinish the figures in order to avoid 
 taxation, the total figures may safely be increased ten percent. 
 
 Th'e above table includes both the coastal waters of the 
 Far Eastern Republic and those of the adjacent Russian Terri- 
 tory closidy connected with the economic hfe of the Far Eastern 
 Republic. 
 
 8 
 
 53,300) 
 
 8,300) 
 
 ) 
 
 75,000) 
 
 1,300 
 136.600 
 
 33.0) 
 
 5.2) 
 
 ) 
 
 46.6) 
 
 0.7 
 84.8 
 
 
 23,300 
 
 
 14.5 
 
With reference only to the Far Eastern RepubHc, the aver- 
 age figures are : 
 
 PLACE AVERAGE CATCH (in tons) PERCENTAGE 
 
 Japan Sea l.aOO 0?7 
 
 Okhotsk Sea 
 
 (Amur 53,300 33.0 
 
 (Saghalin 2,800 1.7 
 
 Total 57,400 35.4% 
 
 So the mo'st important coastal territory in the Russian Far 
 East with regard to salmon fishing is the Amur in the Far East- 
 em Republic, and Western Kamchatka in the adjacent terri- 
 tories. 
 
 The future salmon industry must be based not upon the 
 quantity but upon the quality of the product, and attention 
 must be paid in the first place to canning, salting, and refrigera- 
 tion. 
 
 CRABS — Becauise of their large size and their tasty meat, 
 these are espedalily valuable. During the last few years they 
 have becomie of great commercial importance. The principle 
 place of catch is the southern waters of the Far Eastern Repub- 
 lic, the Bay of America up to Cape Povorotni, the Bay Vostok, 
 the Us'sury Bay and Amur Bay. Crab fishing takes place in the 
 spring from the middle of March to thie end of April, and in the 
 fall from the beiginning of September to the middle of Novem- 
 ber, and in isome places even up to December. The spring sea- 
 son is considered the best. Crabs are sold fre^h or dried (for 
 Korean and Chinese markets) , and canined. 
 
 There iS no doubt a bright future for the crab industry, 
 which is just beginning to be developed. The markets for them 
 were Korea, China proper, and Manchuria, the people of which 
 used them in the form of dried crab-meat. The canning of crabs 
 began but a few years ago, and the Japanese were very busy 
 in securing considerable amounts of coast sections for crab- 
 fishing. In 1921 on one of the coast sections, near the Povorotni 
 peninsiulla, there was constructed a plant for canming, and, in a 
 short time, it prepared from the season's yield 1,500 boxes of 
 canned crabs. A plant erected in the same year near the river 
 
Svetlaya, south of Imperial Bay, prepared, during the first half 
 of the seasion, sieveral thousands of boxes. 
 
 SHRIMPS — Are found in great quanties in small enclosed 
 bays', which are thickly grown with seaweeds. They are found 
 ©specially in the Bay of Strelok, the Bay Vostok, Bay Nakhodka, 
 the southern waters of the Far Eastern Republic. They are got^ 
 ten, like crabsi, in the spring and the fall. Because of their ten- 
 der and tasty meat and the large quaiftities in which they are 
 found they are important in the fishing industry. 
 
 OYSTERS — In numbers oysters occupy the first place among 
 the mollusks', in the waters of the Far Eastern Republic. Oyster 
 beds can be found in the northern part of the Amur Bay, in the 
 Bay Expediition and Novgorodsk. The oysters are of a very 
 large size. Chiniese, Koreans and Japanese buy them in large 
 quantities. The best oysters of the< Russian Far East are con- 
 sidered those in the Bay of De-Kastri. 
 
 TREPANGS — Fishermen and peasants catch trepangs pri- 
 marily for the Chinesie. They are caught in the spring and the 
 fall. In summer they cannot be caught because they submerge 
 to a very great depth (105 — 140 feet), and hide in the rocks, 
 while in the spring and the fall they submerge to a depth of from 
 40^ — 56 feet. The catch is particulady good in the fall. The 
 value of the trepang depends upon the color (when alive) . They 
 are white and violet. The violet ones are of the greatest value. 
 
 Of sea products of industrial importance is SEA CABBAGE. 
 Sea cabbage is a brown sea weed, of long leaves emanating 
 from a common root which grows from the bottom of the sea. 
 The length of the leaves is about 7 meters and the width about 
 40 centimeters. The sea cabbage grows mainly in rocky soil, 
 usually near the shore. In some places it is so thick that it is 
 difficulty for a boat to pass. This weed grows to a depth of from 
 3-31/2 feet and as deep as 210 feet. There is a great demand for 
 this weed in China, to which it was exported in large quantities. 
 It is found along the entire coast of the Japanese sea, and along 
 the Saghaiien Island. In th^ Bay of Peter the Great, the prin^ 
 cipal places where sea cabbage is found is the Bay of America, 
 the Bay Vostok, Strait of Strelok, Island Askold, the coastline 
 of the mainlland of the Ussury Bay, and other places. The sea- 
 
 10 
 
©on for obtaining isea cabbage begins in April and ends in Sep- 
 tember. 
 
 Of some commercial importance also are whales, cachalots, 
 delphins and seals. Whales and cachalots are found in con- 
 siderable numbersi near the northwest end of Saghalien, and 
 north of the Chaivinsk Bay, near Shantar Islands, and in the 
 Okhotsk Sea, but mostly! in the waters of Chukotsk-Anadir re- 
 gion. Sea lions are found mostly in the Chukotsk-Anadir region. 
 
 11 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 FISHING INDUSTRY 
 
 of the 
 
 FAR EASTERN REPUBLIC 
 
 The fishing industry of the Far Eastern Republic is con- 
 centrated in the Amur River, Japanese Sea and the Bay of 
 Peter the Great. The Govern'ment divided the fishing region 
 into five districts^ of which the first three are the most impor- 
 tant. The districts are as follows: 
 
 1 — Nikolaevsk 
 
 2 — So uth western 
 
 3 — Saghalien 
 
 4 — Mariinsk (Lower Aimur) 
 
 5 — Khabarovsk 
 
 I — The Nikolaevsk District 
 
 The Nikolaevsk District includes: all of the lower part of 
 the river Amur, from the village Zimmermanovka to the mouth 
 of the Amur River, a distance of 300 miles, in which district in- 
 tensive fishing is done; the river Amgun, a tributary of the 
 Amur River, 200 miles long; the Amur Firth, along the mainland 
 coastline, 145 miles long, and the ooaist of Saghalien for about 
 135 miles; also the southwestern coast of the Okhotsk Sea, west 
 of the firth, within the limits of the( Ud County, with a coast- 
 line of 870 miles. This district was almost the first one where 
 the Russian fishing industry began to devdopi in the Far East, 
 and it has attained great proportions and is the best organized. 
 
 About fifty years ago the fishing in this district was very 
 small. Because of the lack of railroads, sales could be made only 
 in local city markets, and these cities at that time, were very 
 siparselly populated, such as Khabarovsk, Blagoveshchensk, 
 Stretenisk, Nikolsk, Vladivostok, etc. The principal buyer was 
 the War Department which isupplied local troops with Amur 
 fish. Since 1892, when the Japanese market was opened for this 
 
 12 
 
fiiSihi, the situation changed. In 1892, 2 Japanese schooners of 
 160 tons each came for the first time to Nikolaevsk. Ten years 
 later, in 1902, there came to the Nikolaevsk fisheries 52 schoon- 
 ers and 22 ©hips, with a total tonnage of 12,490 tons, and eight 
 years later, in 1910, there came to the lower Amur and Saghalien 
 coast of the Amur firth 52 schooners and 81 ships with a total 
 tonnage of 36,404 tons (6,622+29,782). These figures show 
 how speedily the export of Nikolaevsk fish for Japanese markets 
 grew. 
 
 The following table shows conclusively the general growth 
 in the fisihdng industry of this district. 
 
 Year 
 
 Total Catch of Fish in the Nikolaevsk Region 
 
 Total Catch Exported to Japan 
 tons tons 
 
 Consumed in 
 
 Internal 
 
 Markets 
 
 tons 
 
 1892 
 1893 
 1894 
 1895 
 1896 
 1897 
 1898 
 1899 
 1900 
 1901 
 1902 
 1903 
 1904 
 1905 
 1906 
 1907 
 1908 
 1909 
 1910 
 1911 
 1912 
 1913 
 1914 
 
 3,533.3 
 2,550.0 
 2,516.7 
 3,200.0 
 5,283.3 
 16,900.0 
 19,250.0 
 29.983.3 
 47,116.7 
 36,033.3 
 40,100.0 
 48,450.0 
 28,416.7 
 26,950.0 
 43,900.0 
 36,450.0 
 35,566.7 
 47,383.3 
 56,416.7 
 50,216.7 
 49,483.3 
 58,033.0 
 35,433.3 
 
 83.3 
 
 250.0 
 
 500.0 
 
 1,000.0 
 
 1,833.3 
 
 12,233.3 
 
 15,500.0 
 
 25,100.0 
 
 43,283.3 
 
 31,766.7 
 
 33,066.7 
 
 41,383.3 
 
 9,483.3 
 
 11,833.3 
 
 20,333.3 
 
 20,283.3 
 
 19.783.3 
 
 20,633.3 
 
 16,950.0 
 
 7,283.3 
 
 6,033.3 
 
 5,433.3 
 
 3,450.0 
 
 2,300.0 
 
 2,016.7 
 
 2,200.0 
 
 3,450.0 
 
 4,666.7 
 
 3.750.0 
 
 4,883.3 
 
 3,833.3 
 
 4,266.7 
 
 7,033.3 
 
 7,066.7 
 
 18,933.3 
 
 26,950.0 
 
 32,066.7 
 
 16,116.7 
 
 15,283.3 
 
 27,600.0 
 
 35,783.3 
 
 33,266.7 
 
 42,200.0 
 
 52^000.0 
 
 30,000.0 
 
 According to the statistics of the Pri-Amur Department of 
 State Properties in 1913 the fisheries of this district brought 
 to the Government Treasury as payment for the annual rental 
 of these district fisheries 320,796 gold rubles, and to the city 
 of Nikolaevsk during the same year 170,198 gold rubles, a total 
 of 490,994 gold rubles. These districts are divided in the fol- 
 lowing manner. 
 
 13 
 
Category of Fisheries No. of Annual Rent 
 
 Districts Rubles Kopeks 
 
 National Government 
 
 Fishing Districts 
 
 (Long term lease 
 (One year lease 
 
 23 
 
 7 
 
 218,024 
 21,354 
 
 ~ 
 
 Allied fishing 
 industries 
 
 (Long term lease 
 (One year lease 
 
 Total 
 
 47 
 34 
 
 39,484 
 41,934 
 
 21 
 
 
 111 
 
 320,796 
 
 21 
 
 City Government 
 
 Fishing Districts 
 
 (Long term lease 
 (One year lease 
 
 14 
 
 13 
 
 112,564 
 56.384 
 
 23 
 
 Allied fisihing 
 indtistries 
 
 (Long term lease 
 (One year lease 
 Total 
 
 "i 
 
 "250 
 
 ~ 
 
 
 28 
 
 170,198 
 
 23 
 
 
 Grand Total 
 
 139 
 
 490,994 
 
 44 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 The Japanese played an important part in the development 
 of the fishing industry of this distirict, but this growth could in 
 no way be cons.idered as a gain for the local population, and the 
 state. For a long time Russia received only a smaTil tax (7 kopeks 
 per pood (36.11 lbs.) from Japanese fishing in the lower part of 
 the Amlur. The catching and all the work in the canning, etc., 
 of the fish which) were caught by the Japanese themselves and 
 also those bought by them were done exclusively by Japanese 
 labor, and all the supplies for the laborers, such as their food, 
 clothing, etc., as well as all the supplies necessary to carry on 
 these industries were brought from Japan. Under such condi- 
 tions the local Russian population had very little benefit from 
 the constantly growing exports of the Amur fish to Japan. At 
 the same time it was necessary to colonize these fruitful dis- 
 tracts and to use the fishing resources for the increasing of the 
 prosperity of the Russian and aboriginal local population. This 
 situation compelled the Priamur Department of State Properties, 
 under whose jurisdiction were four provinces, Amur, Maritime 
 Kamchatka and Saghalien, to work out special provisional reg- 
 ulations for the fishing industry in the lower part of the Amur. 
 In accordance with these regulations, which were formulated in 
 1900 by the Priamur Governor General, foreigners were abso- 
 
 14 
 
luteliy prohibited from fishing in the Nikolaevsk district, and 
 were given only the right to buy fish from the local population 
 and to prepare the fish in special government aliTjotments, which 
 were leased for that purpose. After this, the district entered 
 upon a new phase of developm^ent. Because of the demand for 
 fresh fish in the lower part of the Amur, the local population, 
 (aboriginal and peasants), engaged in fishing on a large scale> 
 and later, Russdan subjects engaged in this industry on a large 
 scale, and Russian labor was used. The Japanese had to limit 
 themsel(ves to the salting of fresh fish which was sold by the 
 Russians, but the fact that the fishing industry depended upon 
 the Japanese market was used by the Japanese in order to con- 
 stantly lower the prices of fish. After the conclusion of the 
 Russo-Japanese Fisheries Convention in 1907 when the Japanese 
 received great opportunity to exploit the fishing resources of 
 the Kamchatka-Okhotsk districts, they began to lower the prices 
 still more for the fish purchased by them in the Amur District. 
 This constant dependency of the fisihing industry of this district 
 on the Japanese market soon began to be felt, and local fisher- 
 men began making efforts to obtain additional markets. The 
 lowering to a considerable deigree of the railroad tariffs in 1910 
 for the transportation of fish to Siberia and European Russia 
 showed inmiediate results: the export to Russia of valuable fish 
 products from the Nikolaevsk district began to grow and the 
 exports to Japan decreasied. In 1912 ondy 34 schooners and 53 
 ships, having a total tonnage of 20,536, (4304 plus 16,232), came 
 to the Nikolaevsk fisheriesi and beginning wilth 1915, when tre- 
 mendous quantities of fish were needed for the army and the 
 ' population at the front, the export to Japan ceased almost en- 
 tirely. The following two tables show the state of the fishing 
 industry from 1910-1917, the amount of fish exported to Japan, 
 and the amount of fish consumed by the Russian market. The 
 exact data regarding the exports during 1915 and 1916 is lack- 
 ing, but it is known that almost the entire fish supply was con- 
 sumed at that time (during the war) by the Russian market. 
 
 15 
 
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 17 
 
In 1920, as a result of the aggressive actions of the Jap- 
 anese Nikolaevsk events began to develop, as a result of which 
 many fishermen have suffered. In the period after the Japanese 
 occupation of Saghalien and the Nikolaevsk region, almost the 
 entire Russian fishing industry was seized by the Japanese Mili- 
 tary Command, which substituted Japanese for Russians, and 
 the new temporary masters began to loot the fishing wealth 
 without any control or regulations. 
 
 Besides the keta and humpback in the Nikolaevsk District, 
 of great importance is the catch of sturgeon and whitefish in 
 the Amur Firth. The number of sturgeon and whitefish caught 
 is much less than that of keta and humpback, and is conceal, 
 trated almost exclusively in the hands of the local peasant and 
 aboriginal population. The commercial value of other fish, such 
 as carp, gwiniad, pike, crucian, salmo-thymallus, grayling, brook 
 trout, is not yet great. In the firth are caught smelts, dorse, and 
 herring. All these species are often sold fresh in the local 
 markets. They are also partially sold in the frozen, salted and 
 smoked states. There is also to be found lamprey, of which 
 valuable products can be made, but there is not much fishing 
 of this species because of the lack of demand for it. 
 
 In 1907 a great deal of salmon caviar was thrown away, 
 and only since 1908 has the demand for it become such that it 
 began to be prepared in large quantities. 
 
 Approximate) figures- of the catch and of the species for the 
 years 1909-1912 can be seen froim the following table: 
 
 
 1909 
 
 1910 
 
 1911 
 
 1912 
 
 Kind of Fish 
 
 
 in 
 
 tons 
 
 
 whitefish 
 
 91.1 
 
 216.3 
 
 176.8 
 
 234.7 
 
 whitefish roe 
 
 1.0 
 
 1.3 
 
 1.6 
 
 1.6 
 
 sturgeon 
 
 18.3 
 
 48.8 
 
 33.3 
 
 37.2 
 
 gwiniad 
 
 36.9 
 
 65.5 
 
 204.8 
 
 79.3 
 
 crucian 
 
 18.2 
 
 19.8 
 
 99.4 
 
 86.3 
 
 carp 
 
 21.1 
 
 17.4 
 
 59.9 
 
 55.2 
 
 pike 
 
 
 11.1 
 
 58.9 
 
 43.7 
 
 salmo-thymallus 
 
 1.6 
 
 4.2 
 
 30.0 
 
 1.2 
 
 dorse 
 
 1.8 
 
 26.1 
 
 15.1 
 
 30.8 
 
 smelt 
 
 7.6 
 
 80.0 
 
 34.6 
 
 79.7 
 
 The canning industry of the Nikolaevsk District did not 
 attain large proportions although it began to develop. 
 
 18 
 
2 — The Southwestern District 
 
 The Southwestern District stretches from the frontier of 
 Korea to the southern frontier of the firth of the Amur River 
 (along the capes of Lazarev and Pogdbi) , and embraces the coast- 
 line of the Ck)nvention Waters, and also the coastline of the Bays 
 which are excluded from the Convention Waters (Bay of Peter 
 the Great, The Imperatorsky Port, Bay of Vanin, etc.) the length 
 of the coastline of the district being about 1300 miles. 
 
 The character and the conditions of the fishing industry 
 of this district is divided into unequal parts: the northern, which 
 begins with Cape Povorotny, and which, with the exception of 
 a few bays, contains the Convention Waters of the district ; and, 
 secondly, the southern, which consists of the large Bay of Peter 
 the Great and the Bay Posiet, which are excluded from the 
 Convention Waters. In the northern, the Convention 
 part (i. e. the parts in which the Japanese have equal rights 
 with the Russians to the fisheries) , the industry is mostly fish- 
 ing. During the last few years, the catching of crabs and the 
 obtaining of sea cabbage began to develop. The fishing dis- 
 tricts here are leased at auction, and the overwhelming ma- 
 jority of the large and small scale fishermen are Japanese. 
 
 Of the isalmon species, only the humpback and keta are 
 caught here, both species in rather small quantities, and the 
 humpback predominating. The principle catch is the spring 
 herring, which is prepared by the Japanese for fertilizer. In 
 the Bay of Peter the Great, the area of which is about 3,000 
 square sea miles, there is a great variety of fishinig. Besides 
 these, there are caught crabs, sihrimps, oysters, trepangs, and 
 sea cabbage is also 6btained. 
 
 Fishermen of the Bay of Peter the Great have very close 
 conections with the Chinese and Korean markets. The fishing 
 in the district goes on throughout the year. A great deal of the 
 fish is salted for the European market, and the proximity of 
 Vladivostok to the railroad permits the isale of fish in a fres'h 
 state or freshly salted state. Almost all the fishermen, large 
 and small, are Russians. 
 
 In the Bay of Peter the Great the average catch for the 
 last three years was approximately as follows: 
 
 19 
 
Herring caught by large scale fishermen 
 
 45,000,000 pes.. 
 
 Herring caught by peasants 
 
 40,000,000 pes. 
 
 Various Species 
 
 2,500 tons 
 
 Sea Cabbage 
 
 1,666.7 tons 
 
 Shrimps 
 
 25 tons 
 
 Crabs 
 
 5,000 tons 
 
 Trepangs 
 
 from 1,000,000 pes. 
 
 
 up to 4,000.000 pes. 
 
 Oysters and Clams of various sorts 
 
 from 1,000,000 pes. 
 
 
 up to 2,000.000 pc» 
 
 An approximate idea of the total catch in the entire i&outh- 
 em sea district can be obtained from the following table em- 
 bracing the period from 1910-1919. 
 
 Total Catch of Fish in the Southern Sea District 
 
 Year 
 
 Total Catch 
 
 Exported to Japan 
 
 For Internal 
 
 
 
 in tons. 
 
 
 Market 
 
 1910 
 
 3,100.0 
 
 
 3,100.0 
 
 
 1911 
 
 5,700.0 
 
 
 4,500.0 
 
 1,200.0 
 
 1912 
 
 5,050.0 
 
 
 3,566.7 
 
 1,483.3 
 
 1913 
 
 5.500.0 
 
 
 3,833.3 
 
 1,666.7 
 
 1914 
 
 7,416.7 
 
 
 4,716.7 
 
 2,700.0 
 
 1918 
 
 8,333.3 
 
 
 5,000.0 
 
 3,333.3 
 
 1919 
 
 16,666.7 
 
 
 7,950.0 
 
 8,716.7 
 
 3_The Saghalien District 
 Fishing in the Convention Waters 
 
 This district embraces the entire coastline excluding that, 
 part of the Tartar Strait which belongs to Nikolaevsk. 
 
 The fishing industry in the coastline in the Convention part 
 of the District in 1913 consisted of 9 leases for sea fishing, of 
 which 4 were leased by Russians and 5 by Japanese. Besides 
 those in the Niisk Bay, one fishing district was leased by the 
 Japanese. In 1911, 13 districts were leased ; in 1912, 10 districts. 
 During the following years the fishing industry grew. During 
 the years 1911, 1912, and 1913, the following quantities of fish 
 were caught in this district : 
 
 Kind of Fish 
 
 1911 
 
 1912 1913 
 
 number of pieces caught 
 
 Keta 
 
 Humpback 
 
 Herring 
 
 31,000 
 
 286,000 
 
 12,640,000 
 
 16,000 
 
 126,000 
 
 14,036,000 
 
 38,000 
 
 183,000 
 
 4,482,000 
 
 20 
 
The total quantity of prepared fish products amounted to: 
 
 1911 1,211.5 tons 
 
 1912 1,067.9 tons 
 
 1913 598.8 tons 
 
 The quantity from 583 to 1,350 tons is considered the aver- 
 ;age catch of this district. 
 
 Fishing in the District Outside of the Convention Waters 
 
 In 1913 Russian fishermen had leased 4 fishing allotments, 
 of which 2 were for fishing and 2 for fish preparation. The fish- 
 ing preparation was actually done only on one allotment, (salt- 
 ing). In this district there was purchased from the population 
 35,000 pieces of keta, and 956 pieces of humpback, all of which 
 was prepared. The fish salted by the Russian method amounted 
 to 79.2 tons, and the amount of roe salted according to the Rus- 
 sian method was 11.7 tons, a total of 90.9 tons. During the year 
 1912, 1248.3 tons of various fish products were prepared in this 
 district. 
 
 The Total Catch and Preparation of Fish 
 
 The total catch and preparation of fish in the districts out- 
 side of the Convention Waters during the year 1913 were as 
 f oldows : 
 
 fish salted, Russian method 
 
 fish salted by dry method for . 
 
 caviar salted, Russian method 
 
 fertilizer from herrings 
 
 fish oil 
 
 caviar prepared by Japanese method 
 
 During the year 1911 in the entire district there were pre- 
 pared for commercial purposes 1317.1 tons, and during the year 
 1912 1,192.7 tons of fish products. During the latter years the 
 total catch increased, and the number of herring caught was 
 from twenty to twenty-five million pieces, and humpback up to 
 five hundred thousand pieces. These figures are the average 
 for this district. 
 
 4 — The Mariinsk (Lower Amur) District 
 
 This district borders on the lower part of the Amur, from 
 
 21 
 
 
 79.1 tons 
 
 mese market 
 
 274.0 tons 
 
 
 21.9 tons 
 
 
 274.0 tons 
 
 
 37.6 tons 
 
 )d 
 
 3.0 tons 
 
 Total for the dist. 
 
 689.6 tons 
 
the village Troitsky to the village Sofiisk, a length of 275 miles, 
 and in the north it reaches Khabarovsk and in the south the 
 Nikolaevsk fishing districts. 
 
 The total catch during the years 1911, 1912, and 1913, was 
 as follows: 
 
 Kind of fish 1911 ] 1912 1913 
 
 number of pieces cau.ght 
 
 humpback - 450 
 
 summer keta 78,461 117,700 77,460 
 
 fall keta 1,118.770 1,033,559 948,056 
 
 The quantity of fish products prepared for commercial purposes in 
 
 1913 was: 
 
 summer keta 189.4 tons 
 
 fall keta 2,352.4 tons 
 
 salmon roe 130.5 tons 
 
 total 2,672.3 tons 
 
 Sturgeon fishing was in the hands of the local population, 
 and is shipped to the Russian market. The average annual 
 catch is about 170 tons. 
 
 5— The Khabarovsk District 
 
 This district embraces 130 miles along the Amur River,, 
 from the City of Khabarovsk to the northern bolder of the Mari- 
 insk District. The Khabarovsk District is very much like the- 
 neighboring Mariinsk District. 
 
 During the year 1913 the population caught 268,514 pieces 
 of fall keta, and two large scale fishermen caught 10,000 pieces, 
 a total of 278,514 pieces. Of this amount 154,035 pieces were 
 consumed by the local population, and the rest was sold in a 
 fresh and salted state. Sturgeon caught for commercial pur- 
 poses amounted to 2,865 pieces, weighing 12.1 tons, Kaluga 
 (kind of sturgeon) for commercial purposes amounted to 1,575 
 pieces, weighing 17.8 tons. These figures have been very much 
 reduced, and in reality they are much greater. 
 
 Besides these species the following are caught in this dis- 
 trict : pike, bream, carp, silurus, crucian, etc. 
 
 As is evident from these figures, which are average for this, 
 district, it is not important from a commercial point of view. 
 
 22 
 
The following table shows the quantity of salmon caviar 
 prepared from 1907-1912, in the fisheries located now in the 
 territory of the Far Eastern Republic. The caviar was prepared 
 by the Russiian Method. 
 
 
 in 
 tons 
 
 
 DISTRICTS 
 
 
 Year 
 
 
 Khabar- 
 
 South- 
 
 
 
 Total 
 
 Nikolaevsk 
 
 Marinsk ovsk 
 
 western 
 
 Sap:halien 
 
 
 
 tons 
 
 tons tons 
 
 tons 
 
 tons 
 
 1907 
 
 200 
 
 200 
 
 
 
 
 1908 
 
 808.3 
 
 808.3 
 
 
 
 
 1909 
 
 1,616.7 
 
 1,616.7 
 
 
 
 
 1910 
 
 2,577.3 
 
 2,400.0 
 
 160.6 10.0 
 
 
 6.7 
 
 1911 
 
 1,653.2 
 
 1,420.0 
 
 130.0 41.7 
 
 11.6 
 
 49.9 
 
 1912 
 
 1,560.4 
 
 1,390.8 
 
 122.8 20.0 
 
 11.3 
 
 15.5 
 
 28 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE FISHING INDUSTRY IN THE TERRITORIES 
 
 ADJACENT TO THE FAR EASTERN 
 
 REPUBLIC AND CONNECTED 
 
 WITH IT. 
 
 The fishing industry of the adjacent districts is concentrated 
 in the following regions: Okhotsk, Western Kamchatka, East- 
 ern Kamchatka. 
 
 The industry is mostly concentrated in Japanese hands, 
 who have taken great advantage of the rights received by them 
 in 1907, and which were provided for by the Fisheries Conven- 
 tion. In general, the beginning of the fishing industry in this 
 large and rich district began in 1896. The followig tables, noim- 
 bers I and II, indicate: first, the quick development of the indus- 
 try during the period 1896-1900; and second: the condition of 
 the fishing industry during the period 1910-1915. 
 
 TABLE NO. I 
 
 
 
 Qu: 
 
 antity of 
 
 Catch 
 
 Years 
 
 fisheries 
 
 
 fish 
 
 in 
 
 
 
 
 
 pieces 
 
 tons 
 
 1896 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 13,292 
 
 32.4 
 
 1897 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 15,400 
 
 348.1 
 
 1898 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 329,770 
 
 631.6 
 
 1899 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 1,000,000 
 
 2,083.3 
 
 1900 
 
 47 
 
 
 31/2-4.000,000 
 
 7,500.0 
 
 
 
 TABLE 
 
 NO. II 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 For Home 
 
 Years 
 
 Total 
 
 Catch 
 
 
 Exp. Abroad 
 in tons 
 
 Consumption 
 in tons 
 
 1910 
 
 
 32,750.0 
 
 
 32,750.0 
 
 
 1911 
 
 
 71,900.0 
 
 
 64,350.0 
 
 7,550.0 
 
 1912 
 
 
 47,233.3 
 
 
 39,733.3 
 
 7,500.0 
 
 1913 
 
 
 46,366.7 
 
 
 41,333.3 
 
 5,033.4 
 
 1914 
 
 
 95,533.3 
 
 
 82,250.0 
 
 13,283.3 
 
 1915 
 
 
 132,183.3 
 
 
 54,266.7 
 
 77,916.6 
 
 1916 
 
 
 133,200.0 
 
 
 61,666.7 
 
 71,533.3 
 
 1917 
 
 
 124,116.7 
 
 
 
 
 1918 
 
 
 93,350.0 
 
 
 73,683.3 
 
 19,666.7 
 
 1919 
 
 
 39,950.0 
 
 
 34,166.7 
 
 5,783.3 
 
 24 
 
The center of the Russian fishing industry was the Bays 
 and Rivers in which, according to the Convention, the Japanese 
 had no right to fish. There were 34 such bays, and the Japanese 
 were not allowed to fish in any of the rivers. Brief data regard- 
 ing individual districts will give a general view of the state of 
 the fishing industry and its possibilities : 
 
 1— OKHOTSK DISTRICT 
 
 The Catch on the Sea Coast (Convention Waters) 
 
 (4 districts ) (4 districts) (7 districts) 
 
 Kind of Fish 1911 _ 1912 1913 
 
 Pieces caug^ht 
 
 keta 
 
 641,000 
 
 730,000 
 
 680,000 
 
 humpback 
 
 _ 
 
 16,000 
 
 204,000 
 
 red salmon 
 
 38,000 
 
 9 
 
 _ 
 
 total quantity of 
 
 prepared fish shipped 
 
 from this district 1,729.2 tons 1,891.5 tons 2,004.7 tons 
 
 The Catch in the River Districts (Non-Convention Waters) 
 
 Kind of Fish 1911 1912 
 
 in tons 
 
 1913 
 
 mostly keta 713.6 1,334.5 
 
 1442.3 
 
 Total Catch in the Okhotsk District (for 
 
 3 years) 
 
 1911 1912 
 in tons 
 
 1913 
 
 Convention Waters 1.729.2 1,891.5 
 Non-Convention Waters 713.6 1,334.0 
 
 2,004.7 
 1,442.4 
 
 total 2,442.8 3,225.5 
 
 3,447.1 
 
 Keta occupied the first place, and then the humpback and 
 then red salmon. During the following years, the num^ber of 
 districts increased comsiderably, and the total catch also in- 
 creased. The total catch of Keta reached from 50,000.-58,333.3 
 tons. 
 
 2— WESTERN KAMCHATKA DISTRICT 
 
 This district includes all of the western coast of Kamchatka 
 
 25 
 
133 
 
 148 
 
 allot- 
 
 allot- 
 
 ments 
 
 ments 
 
 with a length of 800 miles. The lessees are overwhelmlinigly 
 Japanese. The Russians were mostly concerned in the prepa- 
 ration of caviar. The total catch in the Sea Districts (Conven- 
 tion Waters) was : 
 
 Total Catch in Sea Districts (Convention Waters) 
 
 Kind of Fish 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 
 
 109 102 139 
 allot- allot- allot- 
 ments ments ments 
 number of pieces caught 
 
 keta 2,047,000 7,112,000 2,790.000 3,557,000 4,094,000 
 
 humpback 9,702,000 3,313,000 39,128,000 17,048,000 25,501,000 
 
 red salmon 527,000 1,298,000 1,528,000 819,000 1,294,000 
 
 silver salmon 18,000 615,000 329,000 74,000 68,000 
 
 Total pes. 12,294,000 12,338,000 43,775,000 21,498,000 30,957,000 
 Total in tons 15,518.2 48,321,7 23,837.3 24,553.3 37,603.7 
 
 The sale of caviar prepared in these districts assumed 
 wide proportions in the Russian market, and became one of the 
 principal fish products prepared in the sea districts. The Rus- 
 sian fishermen, primarily the lessees of the river districts pur- 
 chased it from the lessees of the sea districts. Those Japanese 
 lessees who did not sell the roe to the Russians prepared it them- 
 selves by the Japanese method. (Their method of preparing the 
 roe is as follows : the roe is washed out thoroughly, then mixed 
 with a great quantity of salt, and shipped in specially prepared 
 boxes or small barrels.) 
 
 In 1913, the Japanese prepared, by their method, 152.4 tons 
 of roe. By the Russian method there were prepared 1,134.5 tons, 
 of which quantity 191.4 tons were prepared in the river disw 
 tricts by Russian fishermen and 943.1 tons were prepared by 
 Russians in the Sea Districts, (from roe purchased from the 
 Japanese. 
 
 The total catch in the River Districts (Non-Convention Waters) 
 
 Kind of Fish 
 
 (12 allotments) (13 allotmentsi) 
 number of pieces 
 1912 1913 
 
 Keta 
 
 Humpback 
 Red Salmon 
 Silver Salmon 
 
 246,000 
 
 930,000 
 
 480,000 
 
 33,000 
 
 
 373,000 
 
 1,842,000 
 
 226.000 
 
 33,000 
 
 Total 
 
 1,689,000 
 
 
 2,474,000 
 
 26 
 
In 1911 the catch in the River District was 3,595.1 tons. Of 
 this amount 2,095.6 tons, or 58% was exported to the Japanese 
 market. In 1912, the catch was 2,830.7 tons, of which 835.5 tons, 
 or 30%, was exported to the Japanese market. In 1913, the 
 catch was 4,010 tons, of which 844.7 tons, or 21%, was exported 
 to tbe Japanese market. The balance went to the Rusisian 
 market, where the demand was constantly growing. Hump- 
 back was the fish miostly exported to Japan. 
 
 Total Catch of Fish in the District in 1913 
 
 number of pieces 
 
 King Red Silver 
 
 Districts salmon Keta humpback Salmon Salmon 
 
 Sea Districts 
 (Convention 
 Waters) 
 Hiver Districts 
 (Non Conv. 
 Waters) 
 
 Total no. pes. 
 
 5,311 4,094,519 25,501,447 1,294,623 68.274 
 
 4,196 373,812 1,842,090 226,653 33,195 
 
 9,507 4,468,331 27,343,537 1,521,276 101.469 
 
 Of this Amount was prepared: 
 
 Fish for the Russian Market 
 Canned for European market 
 Dried, salted, for Japanese market 
 Roe by Russian method 
 Roe by Japanse method 
 Fertilizer 
 
 Total 
 
 tons 
 
 2,843,9 
 
 1.134.9 
 
 37,429.4 
 
 1,349.3 
 
 152.4 
 
 4.2 
 
 42,914.2 tons 
 
 In 1911 fishing products prepared from the total catch 51,779.8 tons 
 
 In 1912 fishing products prepared from the total catch 28,307.6 tons 
 
 In 1913, 12 canneries were worked in this district. Of this 
 2 were on the River allotments. In all of the canneries of the 
 Sea aldotmentsi there were prepared 41,186 cases of canned fish 
 and in the canneries of tbe River allotments, 4,208 cases were 
 prepared. Altogether there were prepared 45,394 cases, weigh- 
 ing about 1,134.9 tons net. 
 
 27 
 
3— EASTERN KAMCHATKA DISTRICT 
 
 This district embraces the eastern coast of Kamtchatka 
 and Anadir regian, the coastline being 1,840 miles. 
 
 Catch in the Sea District (Convention Waters) 
 
 (38 dist.) (54 dist.) (61 dist.) 
 
 Kind of Fish 1911 1912 1913 
 
 Number of Pieces 
 
 king salmon 
 
 8,000 
 
 29,000 
 
 30.000 
 
 keta 
 
 3,085,000 
 
 3,414.000 
 
 6,464,000 
 
 humpback 
 
 1,627,000 
 
 497,000 
 
 2,624,000^ 
 
 silver salmon 
 
 218,000 
 
 249,000 
 
 98,000 
 
 red salmon 
 
 750,000 
 
 745,000 
 
 399.000 
 
 Toatl pieces 
 
 5,688,000 
 
 4,934,000 
 
 9,615,000 
 
 Total tons 
 
 11,399.2 
 
 11,467.5 
 
 21,192.0 
 
 In 1913 the total fish products amounted as follows: 
 
 Fish for the Russian market 
 Fish canned for European market 
 Roe prepared by Russian method 
 Roe prepared by Japanese method 
 Fish for Japanese market 
 
 249.8 tons 
 
 1,030.0 
 
 " 
 
 699.7 
 
 << 
 
 136.6 
 
 " 
 
 19,075.9 
 
 *' 
 
 Total 21,192.0 
 
 Besides, in the canneries of Dembi were prepared 23 cases 
 of canned crabs. 
 
 The Catch in the River Distpicts and Bays (N on- Convention Waters) 
 
 Fish 1913 
 in tons 
 
 King Salmon 21.9 
 
 Keta 17,584.1 
 
 Humpback 11,293.2 
 
 Silver Salmon - 913.0 
 
 Herring 1.479.0 
 
 Of this fish was prepared: 
 
 Fish for Russian Market 
 
 Fish canned for European Market 
 
 Fish for Japanese Market 
 
 Roe prepared by Russian method 
 
 1,405.2 
 
 tons 
 
 611.1 
 
 « 
 
 2,260.9 
 
 « 
 
 198.1 
 
 <( 
 
 Total 4,475.3 tons 
 
 28 
 
In 1912 the total quantity of fish prepared was 3,583.3 tons. 
 The Total Catch in the Entire District for 1913 
 
 Kind of Fish 
 
 Convention Waters Non-Convention Waters 
 
 number of pieces 
 
 Total 
 
 •King Salmon 
 Keta 
 
 Humpback 
 Silver Salmon 
 Red Salmon 
 Herring' 
 
 30.167 
 
 1,315 
 
 31,482 
 
 6,464,224 
 
 1,055,045 
 
 7,519,272 
 
 2,623,997 
 
 647,565 
 
 3,271,592 
 
 98,043 
 
 54,780 
 
 152,823 
 
 399,000 
 
 _ 
 
 399,000 
 
 _ 
 
 88,740 
 
 88,740 
 
 Of this fish the follovsring products were prepared: 
 
 Fish for Russian Market 
 
 Fish canned for European markets 
 
 Fish for Japanese market 
 
 Roe prepared by Russian Method 
 
 ■Roe prepared by Japanese method 
 
 Total 
 
 1,655.0 tons 
 1,641.1 
 21,336.7 
 897.8 
 136.5 " 
 
 25.667.3 tons 
 
 In 1911 the total quality of fish products were 16,387.6 tons 
 
 In 1912 the total quantity of fish products were 15,662.8 tons 
 
 The foUowimg table gives the general outline of the produc- 
 tion of Russian Roe on the Okhotsk-Kamchatsk Coast during 
 the period 1909-1913. 
 
 in tons 
 
 Year 
 
 Okhotsk 
 Dist. 
 
 Western 
 Kamchatsk 
 
 Eastern 
 Kamchatsk 
 
 Total 
 
 1909 
 
 
 56.6 
 
 56.7 
 
 113.3 
 
 1910 
 
 47.6 
 
 359.9 
 
 353.4 
 
 760.0 
 
 1911 
 
 81.5 
 
 699.5 
 
 339.9 
 
 1,120.9 
 
 1912 
 
 166.1 
 
 808.5 
 
 432.2 
 
 1,406.8 
 
 1913 
 
 - 
 
 1,134.5 
 
 198.2 
 
 1,332.6 
 
 29 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 THE JAPANESE AND THE RUSSIAN FISHING INDUSTRY 
 
 in the 
 
 RUSSIAN FAR EAST 
 
 As has alreadty been shown above, the Japanese market 
 played an important part in the first stage of the development 
 of the fishing industry in t^e Nikolaevsk District. But the 
 tendency of this market to constantly lower the prices of the- 
 fishing products made it finally intolerable for the Nikolaevsk 
 fishermen who were forced to seek the Siberian-Russian 
 markets. With the Japanese thus engaged in fishing in this, 
 district, they exploited it intensively, but at the same time were 
 of no usefulness to the local population nor to the state which 
 granted them wide possibilities (not counting the insignificant 
 tax of 7 kopeks per pood, which was collected by the state on all 
 prepared fish products.) The entire work was done by the Jap- 
 anese with the aid of Japanese labor, and their supplies, begin- 
 ning with food and ending with clothing, as well as all the fish- 
 ing implements, were brought entirely from Japan. Thus the 
 Japanese forced the population to feel that they were a strange 
 element interested only in ravaging the wealth of this popula- 
 tion. When the Japanese in 1907 received the right to fish along 
 the entire isea coast (excluding the rivers and part of the bays), 
 they made great use of this permission and came in great num- 
 bers to the Okhotsk-Kamchatsk region. The leases for fishing 
 districts were let to Japanese and to Russians by auction on 
 equal terms. The nationality of the workers in the sea dis- 
 tricts was not restricted, nor was the method of preparation of 
 products in any way restricted, the only exception being the 
 prohibition on making fertilizer of fish of the salmon species. 
 It was permitted to use ships flying a foreign flag in fishing in 
 these diiStricts. While competing with Russians in the auction 
 sales, the Japanese at once found themselves in a more advan- 
 
 30 
 
tageous position. The Japanese were in a much more favorable 
 condition than the Russians because they had at their dis^posal 
 money, (credit), ships, labor, and fishing implements. The fish- 
 ing industy is in the same condition as it was in the lower part 
 of the Amur up to 1899, before the use of foreign labor in fish- 
 ing was prohibited. Japanese were compelled to pay to the 
 Government a little more money ; the rental for the lease of the 
 district, and certain taxes, such as stamp duty, trade certificates, 
 taxes for wood cutting and passport vises. But all of these to- 
 gether amounted to from 8 to 15 kopeks per pood of prepared 
 products, which was slightly higher than the former 7 kopeks 
 per pood. This was the only income that accrued to Russia from 
 the Japanese fishing on the Russian sea coasts. The labor was 
 as before, Japanese. Their clothing, food supplies, the salt used 
 in salting, the fishing nets, and in general all the fishing imple- 
 ments were brought from Japan. 
 
 How quickly the fishing industry developed may be seen 
 from the fact that prior to the Russo-Japanese war, in the Ok- 
 hotsk-Kamchatsk District, during the year 1903, there was put 
 up for auction only eight leases, while after the war, in 1907, the 
 numiber of fishing leases put up for auction increased 24 times, 
 reaching the figure of 192. 
 
 As to the number of leases in this region after the con- 
 clusion of the Fisheries Convention, the situation was very much 
 the same, as is evident from the following table : 
 
 1907 74 districts 
 
 1908 100 
 
 1909 169 
 
 1910 149 
 
 1911 205 
 
 1912 197 
 
 While fishing in the Russian waters, the Japanese, after 
 supplying their own market, began to supply the Chinese market 
 with Russian fish. In this respect the follov/ing statistical data, 
 obtained from the Russian Vioe-Con&uilate at Hakodate, are 
 interesting. 
 
 31 
 
Quantity of Fish Exported by Japanese from Russian Waters to China. 
 
 1911 1,599.2 tons 
 
 1912 911.5 " 
 
 1913 4,752.9 " 
 
 1914 13,160.2 " 
 
 1915 16,786.7 " 
 
 1916 10,317.3 " 
 
 1917 11,4605 " 
 
 1918 10,918.9 " 
 
 1919 9,345.9 " 
 
 The fish that were exported by Japan to China consisted 
 mostly of humpback. Besides these salted fish, the Japanese ex- 
 ported to foreign markets annually more than a million poods 
 (16,666.7 tons) of canned fish prepared also in Russian waters. 
 
 But even this was not enough for the Japanese, and after 
 the revolution, and particularly at the beginning of intervention, 
 the Japanese began to demand the right to fish in the rivers and 
 bays whch were excluded by the Convention. Besides this, the 
 Japanese demanded many other privileges. Not satisfied with 
 demands only, the Japanese Military Comlmand seized by force 
 almost the entire Russian fishing industry, disregarding the 
 rights of the Russian fishermen or the local Russian population. 
 In complete violation of the regulations of the Fisheries Con- 
 vention, the Japenese are fishing everywhere they please, vio- 
 lating all the laws and regulations which were issued for the 
 purpose of the preservation of the fishing wealth. Having de- 
 stroyed in a rapacious manner their own fishing wealth, the Jap- 
 anese are beginning to do the same thing to the Russian waters. 
 Only after the departure of the Japanese troops will it be pos- 
 sible to restore the Russian fishing industry. 
 
 32 
 
APPENDIX 
 
 THE NUMBER OF FISHING LEASES AND AVERAGE 
 CATCH OF FISH 
 in the 
 Districts of the Far Eastern Republic and Those Adjacent 
 
 To It. 
 
 The number of fishing leases and the average catch of fish 
 during the last years in the districts of the Far Eastern Re- 
 public and those adjacent to it may be seen from the following 
 tables) : 
 
 A— WATERS OF THE FAR EASTERN REPUBLIC 
 
 I — Bay of Peter the Great 
 
 sea fishing districts 
 sea salting districts 
 trepang districts 
 
 98 
 4 
 9 
 
 Boat licenses for fishing: 
 
 fish 
 
 crabs 
 
 shrimps 
 
 sea cabbage 
 
 clams and oysters 
 
 129 
 99 
 39 
 99 
 49 
 
 Total Annual Catch 
 
 herring 50.000,000 
 fish accompanying herrings 7,000,000 
 crabs 500,000 
 shrimps 25 
 trepangs 4,000,000 
 sea cabbage 667 
 clams and oysters 1,000,000 
 
 pieces 
 
 « 
 
 tons 
 pieces 
 
 tons 
 pieces 
 
 33 
 
II Tartar Strait 
 
 sea fishing districts 
 river salting districts 
 cod fishing districts 
 crab catching districts 
 
 
 30 
 
 1 
 
 16 
 
 28 
 
 
 Annual 
 
 Product 
 
 
 herring 
 
 humpback 
 
 keta 
 
 
 25,000,000 
 500,000 
 36,000 
 
 pieces 
 
 « 
 
 III — Basin of the Lower Part of the Amur River and Its Firth 
 
 fishing districts 
 salting districts 
 
 24 
 18 
 
 Annual Product 
 
 keta 
 humpback 
 
 (quantity of keta reached 
 15,000.000 and humpback 
 9,000,000) 
 
 12,500,000 piipces^ 
 6,000,000 pieces 
 
 B— WATERS ADJACENT TO THE FAR EASTERN REPUBLIC 
 I — Northern Coast of the Okhotsk Sea 
 
 sea fishing districts 
 river fishing districts 
 river salting districts 
 
 66 
 13 
 
 28 
 
 Annual Product 
 
 keta 3,500,000 
 humpback 100,000 
 red salmon 75,000 
 silver salmon 25,000 
 
 pieces 
 « 
 
 II — Western Coast of Kamchatka 
 
 sea fishing districts 179 
 
 river fishing districts 15 
 
 river salting districts 26 
 
 cod fishing districts 15 
 
 crab catching districts 11 
 
 34 
 
Annual Product 
 
 humpback 
 
 keta 
 
 red salmon 
 
 silver salmon 
 
 king salmon 
 
 herring 
 
 18,000,000 
 
 3,500,000 
 
 800,000 
 
 180,000 
 
 3,000 
 
 50000 
 
 pieces 
 
 III — Eastern Coast of Kamchatka 
 
 sea fishing districts 
 river fishing districts 
 river salting districts 
 cod fishing districts 
 crab catching districts 
 
 108 
 
 34 
 
 29 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 Annual Product 
 
 red salmon 
 
 keta 
 
 silver salmon 
 
 humpback 
 
 herring 
 
 king salmon 
 
 1,000,000 
 
 3,000,000 
 
 500,000 
 
 1,500,000 
 
 50,000 
 
 30,000 
 
 pieces 
 
 NOTE: The crab catching and the cod fishing districts have just been 
 opened up, and therefore their product has not yet been determined. 
 
 35 
 
I -y 
 
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