300 SALT-WATER FISHES 



discoveries of the Norwegian marine biologists Dr. Hjort 

 and Dr. Dahl. Speaking generally, it may be said that the 

 discoveries of these Norwegian scientists seem to prove that 

 there is no fear that such important fish as the cod and 

 herring can ever become extinct or even reduced in number 

 by man except locally ; they are so prolific that what is 

 abstracted by man merely allows for the development of 

 a similar amount of fish life which would not otherwise have 

 developed. 



Artificial Cultivation of the Cod in Norway 



It is curious to note that although the celebrated cod 

 fishery of the Lofoten Islands, Norway, has been regularly 

 fished for over a thousand years, there has been absolutely 

 no indication that the fishing has prejudicially affected the 

 supply ; it fluctuates, as will be seen from an interesting 

 and most convincing diagram given on p. 182 of the Report 

 on Norwegian Fishery and Marine Investigations * edited by 

 Dr. J. Hjort, and published at Christiania. This table shows, 

 for instance, that in 1872 eighteen million cod were taken ; 

 in 1878 twenty-eight millions; in 1884 sixteen millions; 

 in 1886 thirty-one millions; in 1889 seventeen millions; 

 in 1890 thirty millions; in 1892 sixteen millions; in 1895 

 thirty-eight millions; in 1898 only fifteen millions. 



There can be absolutely no question of over-fishing when 

 the results jump up and down in this way. It is certainly, 

 as Dr. Hjort says, caused by variations in the approach of the 

 fish to land. In some years the evidence seems to point to 

 the numbers of cod-fish being larger than their available food- 

 supply ; the fish are so poor that, as Mr. F. M. Wallem tells 

 us, it takes from nine hundred to twelve hundred fish to give 



* This splendid work is in English, and must have cost hundreds of 

 pounds to produce. It ought to be studied by every one interested in our 

 sea fish, their food, etc. — R. B. M. 



