12 
ning, namely about 11 oysters per 100 [] feet; hut we also notice that these 
densities do not vary so extremely ås to prevent us from obtaining some estimate 
of the size of the stock by their means. 
The areas given on Table IV have been found by Engineer-Captain, Cand. 
polyt. J. Bast, who has also helped me with the preparation of the Tables, in the 
following manner: 
By means of tracings on the original marine chart, on which the oyster 
banks were marked off and which — greatly reduced — is reproduced in the 
Chart accompanying my above-mentioned Report of April 1907, the separate small 
areas within each main district (Sund, Bredning or Vig) are brought together side 
by side to one, as far as possible, »compact« area; by means of the planimeter 
this is then measured in [] miles of 1852? [] meters — ca. 5900? [] feet = ca. 
34,810,000 [] feet, and the result is then stated in millions of [] feet for each of 
the 9 main localities dealt with. 
On summing together the numbers of all the oysters over 7 cm. in the 
different districts we find that ca. 90 millions of oysters live in the whole fjord; 
of standard oysters according to the present standard ca. 40 millions; according 
to the smaller 7 x 3 on the other hand ca. 70 millions. 
Ås mentioned, no attention is paid in this calculation to all the smaller 
oysters which can be taken by pole-dredge, as the extent of the banks is not 
known, nor to all the scattered oysters which are found for example over almost 
the whole of Livø and Løgstør Brednings, and which are often taken in numbers 
in the flounder set-nets and seines. 
Owing to the small number of oysters taken by diving in Nissum and 
Thisted Brednings the calculations for these are less trustworthy; the density is 
perhaps too low in both cases; I thought it superfluous however to make more 
of these experiments; for the time being there are certainly sufficient oysters to 
begin with. 
However approximate the whole calculation may be, owing to difficulties 
in determining the exact extent of the banks and the density everywhere on them, 
I believe that all will agree with me that there are several scores of millions of 
oysters in the Lim Fjord at this moment, both according to the present and espe- 
cially the smaller standard; and therefore that far too little fishing is carried on 
when as now only ca. 1 million oysters are fished in the year. As the oysters 
grow up within 4—5 years, the return or output must be based upon a much 
shorter number of years than as now upon scores of years. 
To state how many millions might be fished yearly without reducing the 
productivity of the stock is impossible, as we do not know the scale on which the 
stock is annually on an average renewed; but if 5 millions were taken yearly 
according to the smaller standard, there would certainly be at present no danger 
of overfishing; and for the time being the market can scarcely take more. 
If we ever should come to the time when we can use more oysters than 
the Lim Fjord can yield without help, it will then not be impossible probably to 
improve matters by means of the experience learnt in other countrios. As Eschricht 
proposed in earlier days, it would be possible to introduce other races of oysters, 
not to improve the race in the Lim Fjord, but to allow them to grow up to 
