HERRING-FISHERIES ON THE COAST OF SWEDEN. 155 



era coast, the outer ends (wings) have larger meshes. For each wing, 

 they have 500 fathoms of line on the southern coast 5 while, on the cen- 

 tral and northern coasts, they have shorter lines. On the southern coast, 

 the line is hauled in by a winch, and the stone weights are likewise 

 brought up in this manner. On the southern coast, twenty men usually 

 belong to a net, while, on the northern coast, only fourteen. Before the 

 Det is cast, the current is examined, but no search is made for the her- 

 ring. The nets can only be hauled on land in a few places on the coast 

 of Oekero, e. g., (where these places are most numerous, from 12 to 15 

 only, in number,) where there is deep water close up to the coast. The 

 net while being dragged moves along the bottom, and its position is in- 

 dicated by floats, which are fastened to long ropes. Fishing is carried 

 on in about the same manner as Ekstiom has described it. 1 



Middle-sized nets. — On the whole central coast and on the northern 

 coast, with the exception of its northernmost portion, these nets, which 

 are mainly intended for the small-herring fisheries, are in common use. 

 They are from 50 to 100 fathoms long, and from 21 to 29 yards deep, 

 having from 20 to 21 meshes to the yard. Generally, however, there 

 are 22 meshes to the yard. They are hauled in with winches, and their 

 lines vary in length from 100 to 300 fathoms. On the Fjellbacka coast, 

 they are usually brought on land in boats. 



Small herring-nets. — On the southern portion of the central coast — 

 e. g., near Tjorn — these nets are much used for catching spring-herring, 

 sea-herring, small-herring, mackerel, and other fish to be used either for 

 bait or in the household. They are from 35 to 40 fathoms long and 

 from 12 to 1G yards deep. Their meshes are fine, generally from 18 to 

 22 to a yard. In hauling them in, a winch is used, employing generally 

 four men. As to their nature and the manner in which they are used, 

 they seem to correspond with the "mackerel-nets" mentioned in several 

 places in the "Act Concerning Blubber-Refineries." 2 On the northern 

 coast north of Hafstensund, similar nets are used, and are called in 

 Swedish "Bolke" nets. They are generally 40 fathoms long, and from 

 4 to 1 a thorns deep. Four men haul them in, and no winch is employed. 



Half-nets. — This kind of net is, as far as I am informed, used only near 

 Hisingen, where there are said to be four such nets, chiefly used for 

 catching sea-herring. They are about 100 fathoms long and 9 fathoms 

 deep, and their meshes have the same size as the large herring-nets. 



Nets for small-herring. — These nets, chiefly intended for catching 

 small-herring, were introduced twenty or thirty years ago from Sponvi- 

 geu, in Norway, where they have been in use for a long time. 3 In the 

 neighboring portions of Norway, they were formerly called "herring- 



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1 Practical Essayj pp. 21-24. Dubb, Reports of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 

 1817, pp. 36-39. 



2 Act Concerniug Blubber-Refineries, pp. 73, 77, 79-81. 



3 Ekstwm ) Practical Essay, p. 29, note. Basch and Berg, Memorial and Petition, 

 p. 33. 



