46 REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



Along the European coast it is not possible to trace the move- 

 ments of the mackerel with the same definiteness. In January and 

 February a very few fish are present in the western part of the 

 English Channel, and off the southwest coast of Ireland, and in the 

 Gulf of Marseilles. On the west coast of France th^ey may appear 

 in February and remain from that time onward. Toward the end of 

 March or early in April large schools of full-grown fish approach the 

 southwest coast of Ireland and the west coast of France, and at these 

 places now begins the great spring mackerel fishery. At about the 

 same time mackerel fishing begins in the ^lediterranean. In May 

 and June the fish are all along the coasts of the British Isles and 

 France, and the spring fishery is at its height. In Norway the large 

 schools appear toward the end of May, and the principal fishery is 

 carried on during the latter part of that month and in June; it con- 

 tinues to be good until the middle of July, when it practically ceases. 

 Professor Sars mentions large schools which are observed near the 

 Orkney Islands at the end of July; these he considers to be the 

 schools returning from Norwegian coasts to the Atlantic. As a 

 general rule, along the whole European coast there is a season of 

 scarcity during July and August. The autumn fishing is very 

 important and takes place during September and October on the 

 southwestern coast of Ireland, in the southern part of the North 

 Sea, and in the eastern portion of the English Channel, and also on 

 the west coast of France. In Norway in the autumn there also 

 exists a very considerable fishery; the. mackerel at this time are 

 crowding into the deep water fjords to feed on the young herring 

 and other small fish which abound there; they leave and go to sea 

 again as soon as this small fry becomes scarce. On the south coast 

 of France a small number of mackerel remain until winter. The 

 fisheries practically close in November and December along the 

 whole European coast, though a very few are sometimes taken in 

 winter in various localities, especially off the southwest coast of 

 Ireland.* 



* Allen, loc. cit. 12. 



