[2] 
and especially naturally with regard to the oysters taken by pole-dredge, which 
often lie in so shallow water that they can be taken by hand. Several cases of 
such a fishery have come to my knowledge at second or third hand, but I am 
certain that it is only carried on to a relatively small extent and there can be'no 
talk of trading with such oysters on a large scale. We have, in short, nothing 
to do with overfishing here; these oysters taken by pole dredging could never be- 
come larger than as shown in the Tables at many of these places in shallow 
water of 2—6 feet: they are already full-grown and ought to be fished. 
In calling oysters of 7 (8) cm. and upwards full-grown oysters, this should 
be understood as meaning that many oysters never become larger than 7 to 8 
cm. but die of old-age; others become, as the Table shows, 10, 11 and some few 
12 cm.; these must be regarded as mainly exceptions, just as we find some men 
taller than others. Ås there are fewer oysters at 9 cm. than at 8 cm., we may 
conclude that many die of old-age already at 8 cm. in length. The reason why 
the oysters in shallow water do not become so large as those in deeper water, I 
am unable to completely explain; it must he taken as a fact that such is the 
case as a rule. 
How large the areas are where these pole-dredge oysters occur, it is im- 
possible to say from lack of sufficient information regarding the shallow water 
banks; but I have seen these oysters along many miles of the coast. When the 
algal growth is feeble in the spring, it is easy to see the oysters: by sailing over 
the banks im a small boat; in clear weather they can then be observed on the 
bottom if the water is clear. During these investigations two men have often 
fished many hundreds of these small oysters in an hour with two pole-dredges, i.e. 
small nets or dredges at the end of long poles by means of which the oysters 
lying on the bottom can be reached and taken up. It is not only however with 
regard to the length that the pole-dredge oysters are smaller than. the deep-water 
oysters (from 2—5 fathoms in the Lim Fjord), they are also thinner. Further, 
they have smoother shells, gnawed by various gastropods, and with their hard and 
clean shells resemble the small Dutch oysters so much esteemed by many, with 
which at any rate in good years they might well be compared in every regard ; 
also in regard to size. 
Table II shows the length of dredged oysters from a number of places 
in the Lim Fjord. Here as with the previous the oysters are measured length- 
ways. All the dredged oysters were taken by the »Sallingsund« in water between 
1//, and 5 fathoms, thus in deeper water than those taken by pole-dredge. The 
latter as mentioned were all taken by the small boat of the »Sallingsund« in 2—6 
feet water. Whilst the oysters taken hy pole dredge have their maximum as &a 
ruie at 8 cm., the dredged oysters have theirs at 9 cm., thus considerably larger. 
The size is not the same everywhere, but varies somewhat between 8 and 9 cm. 
at different places. Here we also find an adult group which remains unchanged 
at the same size at all times of the year, but from 9 cm. upward against 8 cm. 
and upward for the oysters taken by pole-dredge. Amongst the smaller oysters a 
maximum at 3—4 cm. can be seen in spring; in autumn it has a tendency to 
rise and join on to the full-grown group; see for example Trehuse, Feggeklit east 
and Revelkær Hage. 
