94 THE COD 



Xofes on the Table. 



I. In the North Sea the heaviest catches of large cod generally occur in 

 March. They apparently congregate chiefly from January to May. But in 

 some years, for instance in 1908, 1909, and 1910, they are also abundant in 

 August, September, and October. The total catch does not vary very heavily 

 from month to month. But generally the lightest catch is in May. 



II. In Iceland the catches of large cod are usually in April and May. And 

 the heaviest total catch is always in March, April, and May. The leanest 

 months are July to November inclusive. 



III. In the Faeroes the large cod predominated as follows. 1906 in March 

 and April ; 1907 in March, April, June, and July ; in 1908 in January, Septem- 

 ber, and October (but this was a bad year) ; in 1909 in August and September ; 

 in 1910 in February. The largest total catch occurs as a rule in July and 

 August. But the catches are sometimes heavy also in January, February, 

 March, June, September, and December. 



IV. To the ' Westward of Scotland ', an area of 32,100 square miles which is 

 the meeting-place of the ' Northern ' and ' Southern ' fishes, the large cod 

 predominate in every month in the year. Generally speaking the heaviest 

 catches appear to be made in March and April, but the fluctuations are almost 

 incredible, and it is impossible from the statistics to say what constitutes the 

 cod season in these waters. 



It will be seen that the international investigators have done 

 a great deal of work on the cod. They are agreed that the 

 species is in no danger of diminution. Most of the work has 

 been done by Danish, Norwegian, French, and German 

 investigators, though the Scottish research vessel Goldseeker 

 has also made important observations. But the work is at 

 present mainly in the very competent hands of Norway. 

 As in the case of other species, it is clearly desirable that 

 arrangements should be made to explain the progress of the 

 work in simple language to British owners and skippers as it 

 goes on — ^just as Dr. Hjort is wont to explain it to Norwegian 

 fishermen. 



Dr. Hiort on the Newjoundland Cod 



In 1910 the Michael Sars investigated the Newfoundland 

 Banks. At the end of June she found the cod to the south of 

 the Great Bank j.ust ready to spawn at about 35 fathoms. At 

 that time the temperatures were (a little north of 50° N.) down 

 to the 20-fathom layer 42-8° F. and over. At the bottom, 

 however, the water went down to between 35° F. and 39° F., 

 and on either side of the bank the temperatures below 20 fathoms 

 were very nearly what Nansen found at the North Pole. These 

 big cod, 24 to 40 inches long, therefore begin spawning in July ; 

 whereas the smaller race of cod on the New England coast begin 

 in November and finish in April. 



Dr. Hjort on the Fluctuations in the Stock oj Cod 

 In the year 1908 the Norwegians who were studying cod- 

 scales discovered an enormous preponderance of the fish hatched 



