The postwar prosperity of the port of Misaki has much to do with the growth of the oversea fishery. The increase of the catch has been chiefly due to that of the tuna. At that time Japanese boats were excluded from the fishing grounds of Antarctic and Arctic Oceans, and the large companies like Taiyo Fishing Co., Nichiro Fishing Co. and etc., set their establishments in Misaki, and covered to tuna fishery. The number of medium and small companies and shipowners for thg oversea fishery also increased in this period. They started the tuna fishery in the South Pacific and the Indian Oceans as soon as the limitations of fishing-grounds were removed after the conclusion of the Peace Treaty in 1952.
Since 1953, the increase of the number and the size of fishing boats has been accelerated, the trend was especially remarkable in Misaki and it has been so till now.
In April in 1962, the number of the fishing boats belonging to Kanagawa Prefecture engaged in tuna fishery was 172, though that was 116 in 1953. Moreover the increase in size is remarkable and the total tonnage of ships for this prefecture was 69, 300 in 1962. It is 3.7 times larger than 18, 400 tons in 1953 and is 5.5 times larger than that in 1951. In 1960, the national average tonnage of ships was 193, and that of Kanagawa Prefecture was 363.
The landing of the tuna at Misaki Port was increasing until 1955, but it has been decreasing since. Thus gradual increase in number and rapid increase in size of boats have been going on, but on the other hand, the landing of fish has been decreasing. In contrast to the decrease of the landing at Misaki Port, that landing in the national total has been increasing.
We cannot explain the fact through the location of the port in relation to the market. Part of the reason will be the changes in the fishing grounds, while another part will be reduced to the difference of accommodations at various ports concerned.
(1) The catch was increasing until 1955, owing mainly to the increasing number of larger ships.
(2) Since 1956, operations in the Atlantic, the South Pacific and the Indian Oceans became prominent, and the landing at European countries and Samoa Islands has also been increasing rapidly.
(3) The landing at the ports engaged in export, for instance, Shimizu, Kurihama and Yokohama has been increaing, while the landing at Misaki is decreasing.
(4) More and more, the system of the tuna fishery has been organized and controled by fishing companies and trading firms with capitals.
* In this paper, the word tuna stands for Japanese maguro, which includes various kinds of tuna as well as frigate mackerel and other fishes.