16 
of water, through which the current is mainly in a fixed direction. In the year 
1851 fully developed oysters were found on the Salling side of Sallingsund, and 
some years previously, as already remarked above, it was learnt from the fisher- 
men that there were oysters in Nissum Bredning, where in 1851 also, in the time 
of the first contracts, they were found to be of so unusual a size that, if one 
judge as to the age from the size, they must certainly have been older than those 
usually brought to market. We helieve therefore that there is good reason to 
consider, that the oyster spat entered the fjord and began to spread there at least 
10—15 years before the first contract began, thus 20—25 years before our contract.« 
The views of the lessees that the oysters must necessarily take some years 
to spread themselves over the Lim Fjord from west to east, I do not share; if 
the oysters as spat once enter the Nissum Bredning, they will certainly spread 
themselves very quickly over the whole of the fjord as far as the oyster can live 
at all, namely somewhat to the east of Løgstør. i mention this remarkable belief 
in the slow spreading of the oyster as it has played an important part in the 
history of the Lim Fjord fisheries. On the other hand, I must naturally agree 
with the lessees that it was ouly after the breaking through of the Thyborøn 
Channel in 1825, that it became possible for the oysters to live in the Lim Fjord; 
as the Lim Fjord then became at one stroke the saltest fjord in Denmark — the 
only one still sufficiently salt that the oysters can live and reproduce in it. 
Collin writes: »As is well known, the part of the Lim Fjord which lies 
west of Løgstør might be said to have been up to 1825 a complex of larger and 
smaller, connected freshwater lakes, which had their common outlet into the 
Kattegat.« 
We learn from Krøyer's reports that the oysters almost as soon as they 
were observed occurred from the western parts of the fjord and over the whole 
of the area which is now fished (see Chart). Whether the few now found to the 
east of Løgstør had anything corresponding in those days is not known and is of 
no importance. It is of interest to note Krøyer's statement, that the young oysters 
were so numerous in the Lim Fjord, much more numerous than on the banks in 
the Kattegat; this agrees perfectly with my own much later observations on the 
present conditions. 
In 1853 the lessees Steenberg, Lykke and Claudi reported, that oysters 
were to be found right down in Hvalpsund, at Rottholmene, Livø Tap etc., thus 
over great parts of Livø Bredning. It seems to have been long before the banks 
were found and long before it was learnt to fish them well; since even in 1856 
the contractors report, that as the ice prevented the fishery in winter and »it can 
only be carried on in calm and clear weather« they had but few fishing days in 
the year. They only pole-dredged the ground and believed that the ordinary oyster 
dredge could not be used in the Lim Fjord on account of the many stones on 
the bottom. They stated that »no other oysters naturally can be fished than those 
lying on the bottom, or so near the shore that they can be seen in clear weather. « 
The fishery in the Lim Fjord was therefore not very extensive, although 
there must certainly håve been a rich stock of oysters in the fjord. 
The Government seems to have done nothing more in the matter after 
getting Krøyer to investigate the banks: and it was certainly from foreign parts, 
