894.628/153: Telegram The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State TOKYO, June 11, 1936-noon. [Received June 11-12:30 a. m.] 92 124. Embassy's 120, June 4, 10 a. m.,22 Bering Sea fishing. The Embassy is now informed by the Foreign Office that the Department of Agriculture and Forests had arranged for the Tenyo Maru 657 tons, with auxiliary motor boat 61 tons, to leave Hakodate about June 15 for the purpose of making investigations concerning manner and density of distribution of salmon and other fishes, fishing grounds and marine and meterological conditions in the North Pacific. Foreign Office states that these vessels are scheduled to return to Hakodate in mid-August, will conduct their investigations on the high seas and will not enter American waters. GREW 894.628/153: Telegram The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Japan (Grew) WASHINGTON, July 3, 1936-5 p. m. 93 87. Your 82, March 31, 5 p. m.; 120, June 4, 10 a. m.; 9 and 124, June 11, noon. Department is reliably informed that a Japanese fishing vessel, Chichibu Maru, of which the Department had previously no knowledge, has been observed fishing with gill nets for salmon in Bristol Bay. In view of the assurances mentioned in your 124 the Department would appreciate receipt of your comment and of available information. HULL 894.628/162 The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State No. 1930 TOKYO, July 7, 1936. SIR: I have the honor to refer to the Department's telegram No. 87 of July 3, 5 p. m., 1936, and to the Embassy's reply thereto, No. 148 of July 6, noon, 1936,94 and to enclose a copy of a memorandum of conversation between the Counselor of the Embassy and the Chief of the American Bureau of the Foreign Office in regard to fishing in the Bristol Bay region. The discussion on this subject took place during an informal talk which covered a number of other matters. The Department will note that Mr. Okamoto brought up revision of the Fur Seal Treaty in the course of the conversation. This lends some force to the idea that the Japanese Government may wish to use our apprehensions of Japanese pelagic salmon fishing in Bering Sea to bring about an alteration in the Fur Seal Treaty, a possibility to which the Embassy has previously invited attention. Respectfully yours, JOSEPH C. GREW [Enclosure] Memorandum by the Counselor of Embassy in Japan (Neville) [TOKYO,] July 6, 1936. I told Mr. Okamoto that the Embassy had received information from Washington that a Japanese vessel named Chichibu Maru had been observed fishing for salmon with gill nets in Bristol Bay, and asked him whether the Foreign Office had any information in regard to this vessel. He sent for the file and the Section Chief in charge of it, and after some conversation with him and an examination of the dossier, Mr. Okamoto said that there was no information on file at all, and that the Foreign Office knew nothing about it. This statement was confirmed by the Section Chief who was emphatic that the Fisheries Bureau had given the Foreign Office no information in regard to this vessel. Mr. Okamoto said that the Foreign Office would investigate the report and give the Embassy what information it could obtain. Mr. Okamoto then stated that he had first become acquainted with this question when he was Consul at Seattle. He said that the Japanese Government was under some pressure from time to time to grant licenses to fish in Bristol Bay, but so far had refused, because in the first place such action would irritate the Americans and secondly it was doubtful whether such fishing would be profitable. He said that one object of the investigation which the Fisheries Bureau was making was to ascertain the commercial feasibility of fishing off Alaska. He then said that another question which was brought up from time to time was the problem of fur seals. He said that the Japanese Government had first raised the question of revision of the fur seal treaty some ten years ago, but that the American Government had been unable to consider the matter because it had no diplomatic relations with the Soviets at that time. I told him that I was unable to discuss that question because I had no instructions to that end, and asked him if the Japanese Government wanted to raise the question now. He said that so far as he knew the Japanese were not ready to do so now, but the treaty had expired, was in force only from year to year and there were certain features of it which he understood the Japanese wish modified. He seemed unable to give more detailed information. E[DWIN] L. N[EVILLE] 894.628/160: Telegram The Ambassador in Japan (Grew) to the Secretary of State TOKYO, July 21, 1936-noon. [Received July 21-2:22 a. m.] 159. Department's 87, July 3, 5 p. m. The Foreign Office states that according to a report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Chichibu Maru is a vessel of the Pacific Ocean Fishing Company which is licensed to fish for salmon with drift nets only along the coast of Kamchatka. No license was given that vessel to fish in Bristol Bay. The vessel left Hakodate, May 7, for the Gulf of Anadyr but could not operate owing to drifting ice and turned back from Kamchatka before reaching the Gulf of Anadyr. On July 4 it reported that it had abandoned fishing for the season. It is now operating as a transport ship for the other fishing vessels of the company. GREW 842.628/512 The Secretary of State to the Minister in Canada (Armour) No. 546 WASHINGTON, October 9, 1936. SIR: The receipt is acknowledged of your despatch No. 966 dated September 28, 1936,95 in which reference is made to the concern of the government of the Province of British Columbia over the effect upon the fishing industry in the north Pacific area of fishing operations by Japanese in non-territorial waters in that area. The possibility that Japanese fishery interests might operate in waters off the coast of Alaska, especially in the non-territorial waters of Bristol Bay, has engaged the attention for several years past of the Department and of its representatives in Japan. So early as 1931, the desirability was suggested to the Japanese Government of the withholding from Japanese fishing vessels of licenses to fish in Bristol Bay, into which, as you are no doubt aware, flow the rivers where are spawned the highly prized red salmon. Unfortunately, 95 Not printed. the Japanese Government did not find it practicable to give this Government a formal undertaking that it would take effective measures to prevent Japanese fishing vessels from operating in Bristol Bay, but informal assurances were given that no licenses would be issued to private Japanese fishing interests to fish for salmon in that area without previous notification having been given to this Government. The Japanese Government further communicated the information that so-called "floating canneries" would be licensed to pack crab in the north Pacific area and that licenses would be issued to a limited number of Japanese fishing vessels to fish for cod, hake and halibut for reduction into fertilizer and for extraction of fish oil. In view of evidences of increasing interest of the Japanese in the fishery resources of Bering Sea, a further approach was made last year by this Government to the Japanese Government, and renewed assurances were given by the Japanese Government that no licenses would be granted for the time being by the Japanese Government to private vessels to fish for salmon in Bristol Bay. It is understood, however, that one or more vessels belonging to the Bureau of Fisheries of the Japanese Government have recently been conducting experimental operations in Bristol Bay. The Canadian Legation at Washington has manifested interest with regard to the attitude of this Government in relation to the effect of possible increasing activity by Japanese fishing vessels in the high seas off the coast of Alaska, and it is probable that in the near future opportunity will be found for an informal exchange of the views of this Government and of the Canadian Government. The Department will expect to keep you informed of any discussions which may be had with the Canadian Legation. Very truly yours, For the Secretary of State: 711.008 North Pacific/1 Memorandum by Mr. Eugene H. Dooman of the Division of Far Eastern Affairs [WASHINGTON,] December 16, 1936. The Canadian Minister, Sir Herbert Marler, called at the Department this morning accompanied by Mr. Hume Wrong, Counselor of Legation, and Mr. Charles Ritchie, Third Secretary of Legation. The following officers of the Department were present: Mr. Dooman (FE) [Far Eastern Affairs] Mr. Hickerson (WE) [Western European Affairs] Mr. Bonbright (WE) The Canadian Minister stated that his Legation had received from the Canadian Department of Fisheries a memorandum setting forth views with regard to certain fishing problems, and that he thought that it would be helpful to him and to his Government if there could be had an informal discussion on these problems. Mr. Wrong distributed copies of the memorandum referred to by the Minister (copy attached), the purport of which he outlined and amplified by certain observations. He said that the methods of catching fish and distributing fish had been revolutionized by the development of the so-called "mother" ships and by improvements in refrigeration. He understood that it was now possible for fish to be immersed in brine and frozen without injuring the cell structure of the fish and without materially altering its flavor. It was thus possible for ships now to be sent to all parts of the world to engage in fishing and also to distribute catches in widely separated markets. He thought that there was reason for reviewing the whole problem, with a view to determining new principles calculated to conserve the fishery resources of the various countries. Mr. Wrong then referred to the specific question of Japanese fishing vessels operating along the coast of North America, and to the fear that operations of this kind would eventually deplete the salmon and halibut of the Pacific. Mr. Dooman then gave in strict confidence an account of the discussions which have been held between this Government and the Japanese Government over the possibility of action being taken by the Japanese Government to prohibit Japanese nationals from fishing for salmon in the waters of Bristol Bay. He referred to the informal conversations which were held at Tokyo in 1930 and 1931, to the plan which was formulated at that time and which fell through, to the investigations carried out during the last four or five years by vessels of the Japanese Government with regard to the salmon resources of Bristol Bay, and finally to the inquiry made by this Government last year with regard to the possibility of a convention to provide for the exclusion of Japanese fishing vessels from operating in Bristol Bay. The Japanese Government expressed inability to consider any such convention until certain studies which were being conducted of the salmon resources of Bristol Bay were concluded. The Japanese Government had given assurances, however, that Japanese fishing vessels would not be licensed to operate in that area for the time being, and so far as this Government was aware there had been no cases of Japanese packing salmon in the waters of Bristol Bay. Mr. Dooman went on to say that the studies which were being made by the Japanese Government would, he understood, continue for an "Not printed. |