236 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



vigorous measures than expositions are required. As regards the 

 much talked of Bohuslan herring fisheries, the use of floating nets in 

 these fisheries is nothing new. During- the eighteenth century this iin. 

 plement was employed Car more extensively than now, and with the 

 same results. Even in our day it has been repeatedly employed on the 

 coast of Bohuslan, even before Professor Smitt came in the winter of 

 1S80-'S1, and, aided by a Government subsidy, made a great ado about 

 it in the papers, in spite of which, owing to very plain causes, matters 

 remained pretty much as they had been before. Four years ago I 

 stated, relative to the proposition, made too soon, then, to introduce 

 floating nets for the herring fisheries on the Bohuslan coast, the follow- 

 ing, which ought to be taken to heart by those concerned: "To intro- 

 duce with advantage a new implement or a new method of fishing re- 

 quires that its application will pay. Thus futile attempts were made to 

 introduce floating nets for the mackerel fisheries on the coast of Bohus- 

 lan as long as the price of mackerel was so low that the larger number 

 of fish caught with the floating nets was not sufficient to pay for the 

 getting and keeping of these expensive implements. When the price 

 of mackerel rose, the floating nets were quickly introduced; but if the 

 price of mackerel should again decrease, the floating uets would again 

 disappear, and the common and inexpensive nets would soon agaiu be 

 in general use." If the Bohuslan people are to use floating nets on a 

 large scale for the herring fisheries, it is of course necessary for them to 

 be able to count on catching every year a sufficiently large quantity of 

 herring before the fisheries commence near the coast to make it worth 

 their while to get these expensive implements. That this applies to a 

 small quantity of fish which, when brought into the Gotteuburg market, 

 are, owing to their small number, sold by the score or by the piece, does 

 by no means prove that this will also apply to large fisheries; for as 

 soon as very large quantities of fish are brought into the market prices 

 decline. Whether the herring fisheries can be profitably carried on with 

 floating nets will, in Bohuslan, as in Scotland, depend on the price 

 which the salters can pay for the herrings. In order to form some idea 

 as to the prospects of such fisheries, one ought to know the average 

 catch per boat in tons. To judge of the prospects of a certain method 

 of fishing by the prices which are paid when only small quantities of 

 herring are brought into the market, would be just as erroneous as to 

 judge of the prospects of the potato harvest from the prices which early 

 in the season are paid in the city markets for new potatoes. It should 

 be borne in mind that both herring and potatoes are the poor man's 

 food, and that the large quantity of each of these articles makes it 

 necessary for them to be sold cheap. It is highly characteristic of 

 Professor Sinitt's method of proving his assertions that he does not 

 venture to state the quantity of herring caught by each boat, or by the 

 one which caught most. All he gives is the excessively high price 

 paid for herring when they are scarce. If the herring fisheries on the 



