The Cod Fishery in Various Countries. 35 



100 hooks. Set-line fishing usually begins in the after- 

 noon, but in any case only at the time and in the place 

 prescribed by the officers appointed at each station for the 

 purpose. The baited hooks are generally suspended near 

 the bottom, but if there is reason to believe that the fish 

 have risen, as they sometimes will, the lines are shortened 

 and the bait raised to the required height by means of 

 glass floats. They are then left all night. On the follow- 

 ing morning the lines are taken in, and the crews are well 

 content with an average take of 50 to 60 fish daily on each 

 set of 1 20 hooks. 



Net fishing requires larger capital, and is only followed 

 by the more wealthy fishermen, who provide both nets and 

 lines, to be used according to circumstances. 



When the fish are fat, and especially during the spawning 

 season, they will hardly take any notice of the bait ; then 

 is the time the nets are used. Every boat carries at least 

 60 nets of from 10 to 20 fathoms deep. These nets are 

 suspended in the water from floats of wood, cork, or glass. 

 Hollow glass floats are preferred, and are almost exclusively 

 used at Lofoden. Sixteen to 20 nets bound together in 

 one length are set out in the afternoon, and, weather per- 

 mitting, are taken up the following morning. A catch of 

 from 500 to 600 cod is considered satisfactory ; but if this 

 number is largely exceeded, part are left in the nets till the 

 afternoon, because the boats could not safely carry so heavy 

 a freight, together with the crew and wet nets. The total 

 take of cod by these various methods has ranged during 

 the last few years from 15,000,000 to 25,000,000 of fish per 

 annum. 



Although the cod fisheries of Lofoden are the largest 

 and most renowned, Norway has many others of great 

 value along her far-stretching sea-board. 



