existence, while the sea nearer the coast, especially in the most southerly portion examined by us, was swarming with "herring-food." In this we could only see a favorable sign of a possible return of the springherring fisheries; and later reports from the spring-herring district seem to confirm our expectations. Near Jan-Mayen we also observed, every now and then, below the above-mentioned sea-slime, great quantities of unusually large "herring-food," besides other animals peculiar to the Polar Sea. The sea immediately surrounding Jan-Mayen seems both from a physical and biological point of view to resemble the Western Greenland Sea, and like this it is a genuine glacial sea, which all the year round is subject to the direct influence of the polar current, and even near the surface its temperature is very low, falling to 0° at the depth of a few fathoms. In such water no herring or codfish can live. The "herring-food" here chiefly serves as food for numberless sea-birds, and farther north, also, for the giant of the sea, the Greenland whale. The Northern Ocean, properly so-called, is, on the other hand, a partly temperate sea, through the warm Atlantic current, even as far as Spitzbergen. The waters of the Polar Sea only mingle with it occasionally, bringing with it some of the above-mentioned sea-slime, which here in warmer water begins to play the significant part to which we referred above, viz, forming the primary cause of success of one of the most important industries of our country, the salt-water fisheries. 45 F VII.-AN ACCOUNT OF THE FISHERIES OF NORWAY IN 1877. BY M. FRIELE.* A.-INTRODUCTION. The fisheries of Norway are of considerable importance, whether studied in a general point of view or in the more limited sense of a source of prosperity to Norway alone. The methods employed, which approach nearer perfection every day, equally deserve our attention. They have, then, a triple interest-commercial, economical, and technical—which we trust will justify the publication of the present notices. Derived from the most competent sources, and resting upon very accurate official statistics, they will furnish to persons interested in the subject information which can be relied upon as perfectly exact and authentic. B. THE COD-FISHERY. The different species of Gadus, or those constituting the family of the codfishes, give rise in Norway to fisheries of varying importance, but under the heading of the codfishery is generally understood the pursuit and capture of the true Gadus morrhua (skrei, cabillaud). The inhabitants of Northern Scandinavia, from the most distant period, have applied themselves to this fishery; and at all times where it has been carried on, it has furnished the principal means of subsistence, and is to-day almost the only source of their income. This is all the more true as the cod-fishery is carried on to the greatest extent in the northern part of the country, where agriculture is little developed, and where the population from time immemorial has been accustomed to consider fishing its dominant occupation; in the north, in fact, agriculture is extremely unremunerative, and even in the south it furnishes but a secondary revenue. Fishing, too, is carried on in a season when the snow covers everything, when agriculture is necessarily at a standstill. Fishing for cod has, then, a good claim to be considered the principal means of subsistence of the inhabitants; never in the memory of man has it failed for a single year upon the coast of Norway, though this has unfortunately been the case quite frequently with the spring herring. It has, of course, like everything in this world, undergone variations; in certain years, during certain periods, it has been less productive than ordinarily. This was the case in Söndmöre from 1714 to 1717, and in 1735, 1760, and 1775. At the latter date fishing failed almost entirely in the Loffoden Islands. In Finmark (Norwegian Lapland), too, * Notices sur les Pêcheries de la Norwège. Impression à part du catalogue spécial de la Norwège à l'exposition universelle de 1878 à Paris. Translated by J. Paul Wilson. in 1627, 1628, and 1629, the suffering was extreme, the cod having failed completely. There are also periodical variations in the richness of the yield. During a stormy winter tempests have succeeded in injuring the fisheries more or less, and at certain points the fishermen will tell you of periodical migrations of the cod from one bay or ledge to another, but tradition has never told us that the cod has at any period whatever ceased to visit the coasts of Norway; on the contrary, one may consider as assured the great fisheries of the Loffoden Islands and Söndmöre; this is more than can be said of the spring herring. The cod is found all along the coast, but the best places for its capture are found in certain special regions. These, as before remarked, are principally the Loffoden Islands and Söndmöre, but the cod occur in other places in such quantity that they ought to be mentioned also. We may therefore mention the entire coast of East and West Finmark, where sometimes the fishing is as abundant as in the Loffoden Islands, especially when their favorite food, the capelan, (Malotus arcticus) occurs in abundance along the coast; several points off the coast of Helgeland, and the two prefectures of Drontheim, from Brönö to the mouth of the Gulf of Drontheim, on which points, however, the fishing is of less importance, a large part of the population preferring the Loffoden Islands; and finally the coast of Nordmöre and Romsdal. Formerly, the cod was sought more to the south, even beyond the coast of Jaederen, and especially toward Skudesnaes, as far as Bergen, but the product of this fishery has diminished gradually since 1796, and it may be said to have entirely ceased since the return of the spring herring; it appears, however, to have increased again since 1869, the epoch when the spring herring again diminished. At the Loffoden Islands fishing is not generally in operation until the beginning of February. The cod, having passed the extremity of the group of the Loffoden Islands, press in innumerable legions between Moskenaes and Vaerö, or between Vaerö and Röst, to get into the Vestfjord. They follow this fjord until they meet the coast of Eastern Loffoden, and there fishing is most profitable. Fishing, however, is prosecuted also at the same time more to the west among these islands, where the fish shows itself before reaching the coast, that is, Eastern Loffoden. After this, fishing continues between Moskenaes and the most retired point of Eastern Loffoden until the 14th of April, the period when all the fish should be hung up for drying, and when the engagements of the hired fishermen generally expire. In general, after this date the fishermen return home, but in Western Loffoden even up to the end of the month, they carry on a subsidiary fishery during the retreat of the fish. The product is, however, very meager. As soon as the Loffoden fisheries close, and, for several years back, before they have entirely ceased, a great part of the fishermen betake themselves to Western Finmark, where at this time the fishing generally commences. In the fisheries of Finmark we must distinguish between the "godtfiskeri," which takes place early in the spawning season, and the "loddefiskeri," or capelan fishing, which occurs later. Although in Finmark also the cod seek the coast every year, especially after spawning time, the fisheries are very uncertain, and have often in late years caused losses to buyers and to the fishermen who have come from a distance. The extent of the coast of Finland, where the fish come to seek the shores, is so great, and the weather generally so tempestuous, that it is difficult for the fishermen to arrive at the proper time at the most advantageous localities, especially as precisely at this portion of the year the means of communication are very defective. The capelan, too, whose presence is indispensable to success, is very capricious in its proceedings; it appears sometimes at one point, sometimes at another, and sometimes not at all. It follows that the fisheries of Finmark, as far as outsiders are concerned, are generally of a doubtful character, sometimes very lucrative, sometimes quite the opposite, while the home fishermen can always work them to advantage. The principal banks (fiskevaer) are Bredvig, Midfjord, Ingö, Gjaesvaer, Hjelmesö, Havösund, Horningsvaag, and Kjeldvig. The same instinct which drives these incalculable masses of fish toward the coasts of the north to spawn, sends also to the coast of Söndmöre all the right wing of the same army. From the end of January or the beginning of February the cod commence to rush in by three or four openings (Vanelvsgab, Bredsundsdyb, Boddy b, Griphölen); and it is claimed that this movement continues until the 12th of March. Here, as in the Loffoden Islands, fishing closes toward the middle of April. These fisheries have always been very important, and particular attention has been paid to their development in the last half century; the inhabitants of the district all take part in it, and the benefits have not ceased to increase since Aalesund has become a fair and sure market for the products. Even here, howmuchsoever assured the product of the fisheries of Söudmöre may be, there are great irregularities of distribution. As an illustration, the fishery of Borgund, after passing through the different extremes of great richness and extreme poverty, disappeared almost entirely in 1830; and it is only in the last two or three years that it has shown signs of returning animation; in 1877 the fishing there was pre-eminently abundant. The yield of cod in 1877 was the most abundant of which we have any record. According to official reports it amounted to In the Loffoden Islands.... In other fisheries of the north At Finmark ............. And at Söndmöre, Römsdal, Nordmöre Adding the yield of the various little fisheries along the coast, estimated at We have in all.... Cod. 29,500,000 4,500,000 17,500,000 8, 500,000 7,500,000 70, 000, 000 |