ABSTRACT
The fishing industry holds a leading place in the economy of IndoChina, since fish with its various by-products forms an indispensable item in native diet. Production figures for the whole country cannot be given accurately, as a large proportion of the catch is consumed on the spot, though all authorities agree that the fisheries are second only in importance to rice cultivation and far ahead of other agricultural crops, of forestry products and of all manufacturing industries. Fishing is carried on as a part-time activity by almost the whole population; the number of persons engaged solely in fishing would appear to be relatively small, though no complete statistics are available. The fresh-water catch far exceeds that from salt water, owing partly to the meagre stocks of fish in the tropical sea and partly also to the lack of a maritime tradition.
