26 G BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



tliat year by the statistical bureau at Christiauia give an excelleut idea 

 of the condition of the Norwegian sea fisheries. 



Norwegian statisticians refer to the extraordinary difiQculties in the 

 way of obtaining reliable statistics, and to the consequent necessity of 

 confining them within certain limits. The daily small fisheries, which 

 l)lay an important part in the households of the fishing population, have 

 been entirely left out from the reports, because it was absolutely im- 

 possible to obtain any reliable data; the statistics consequently relate 

 only to the fisheries which have been regularly carried on on a large 

 scale. Even in these statistics no account could frequently be taken 

 of the fish which were immediately consumed by the fishermen, so that 

 in many cases the reports covered only the fish which were brought 

 into the market. It will therefore be seen that in most cases the figures 

 given in the statistics are below the actual figures. Least reliable are 

 the statistics relative to the herring fisheries, over which it is exceed- 

 ingly difficult to exercise any control ; while the statistics of the Lofodeu 

 cod fisheries and the so-called "lodde" fisheries in Finmark are the most 

 reliable, and in fact often absolutely correct, because these fisheries 

 have for years been under a police supervision organized on a model 

 system. 



There are separate s^tistics for every fishery, covering many differ- 

 ent points, especially the number of fishermen, boats, and apparatus; 

 the total yield of the fisheries and the separate yields according to i)rov- 

 inces, counties, districts, and sub-districts ; the value of the fisb ; the 

 quantities of fish curcl in various ways ; the prices of fish : the shares 

 and wages of the fishermen ; the quantity offish exported from Norway, 

 giving the entire quantity and the quantities exported from each port, 



i&C. 



According to the census of December 31, 1875, there were engaged in 

 the fisheries 33,255 male persons upwards of fifteen years of age, that 

 is, 6 per cent of the adult male population. To these should be added 

 23,381 male persons upwards of fifteen years of age who occasionally 

 engaged ic fisliing; therefore a total of 5G,G3G, or 10 per cent of the 

 adult male population. In no other civilized country is the percentage 

 of fishermen so large as this. 



The total value of the Norwegian fisheries (exclusive of oysters) was^ 

 for the period from 18GG to 1874, on an average per annum 22,470,000 

 crowns* [$G,021,9G0], the minimum (18G9) was 18,044,000 crowns 

 [$4,99G,502], and the maximum (1877) 29,434,000 crowns [87,888,312]. 

 Tliese calcuhitions, like all the following, have been made on the basis 

 of the average prices paid at the fishing stations ; they cannot, therefore, 

 lay claim to absolute correctness, but give a fair approximation of the 

 actual value. 



As regards the different kinds of fisheries carried on in Norway, this 

 country shows a remarkable difference from all other nations inhabit- 



* The reductions are made on the basis of one crown equaling 26 ^^^ cents. 



