HERRING-FISHERIES ON THE COAST OF SWEDEN. 159 



nearly the same as that in present use, 1 except, perhaps, that during the 

 old fisheries the greater experience and the more unfavorable localities, 

 where fisuing was carried on, 2 made the fishermen more practical and 

 venturesome, and taught them many a crafty ruse in placing and man- 

 aging them, which is now forgotten. In this respect, the inhabitants of 

 the northern portion of Bohuslan gained great fame. 3 During the 

 great fishing-periods of the oldeu time, fishing was mostly carried on by 

 daytime, which at present is only possible on the southern coast, where 

 the water, at least near the surface, is less transparent. 4 The use of so- 

 called "locks" is, at present, not known in Bohuslan. 



As the large and deep nets cannot be hauled on land except on a steep 

 coast, and cannot be dragged along if the bottom is not perfectly even 

 and the water comparatively deep, it will readily be seen that these 

 nets cannot injure the spawning-places of the herring on the coast of 

 Bohuslan. These spawning-places consist either of a stony bottom 

 overgrown with algcc, or of a clayey bottom overgrown with zostera, 6 

 over none of which can the nets be dragged. Neither do these nets 

 bring up any large quantity of algae and sea-weeds, and for reasons 

 which can easily be understood, the fishermen are very particular in using 

 them and in keeping them in repair. The places where they can be used 

 are comparatively few in number, and at the present time, at least, it 

 may be said that the portion of the coast over which they may be safely 

 dragged is exceedingly small. In consequence of this fact, the igno- 

 rance of the fishermen concerning the spawning-places of the herring is 

 very great, and has often been mentioned in the reports on the herring- 

 fisheries. On the other hand, smaller and shallower nets can be used 

 everywhere on an even bottom overgrown with sea- weeds, or merely 

 covered with sand ; and even these nets bring up sea-weeds and small 

 fish, especially during the summer. In the spring, when the herrings 

 spawn, the sea- weeds are shorter and adhere more firmly to the ground, 

 so that the light spring-nets do not do much injury to the grassy bot- 

 toms. As to the injury which they may possibly inflict by disturbing 

 the spawn, I have not sufficient information. The number of places 

 where they can be hauled on land is also very limited. 



It is not necessary to say anything more with regard to the so-called 

 11 dog-nets," (the fish caught in them being mostly used for bait, 6 ) since 

 these, as well as the small nets and two-men's nets, have become law- 

 ful for the coast of Bohuslan, by a royal ordinance of February 23, 

 1855. 



1 Dubb, Transactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1817, pp. 36-39. Eh' 

 strom, Practical Essay, pp. 21-24. 



2 Act Concerning +he Blubber-Refineries, p. 176. 



3 Dubb, Transactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1817, p. 36. 

 *Dubb, Transactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1817, p. 39. 

 6 Dubb, Transactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1817, p. 33. 



6 Dubb, Transactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences for 1817, pp. 45, 54. 



