17 



THE HERRINGS OF THE NORTHUMBERLAND 



COAST. 



By B. STORKOW. 



The landings of large quantities of trawled herrings caught 

 in the vicinity of the Dogger Bank in 1911 was considered by 

 Professor Meek to demand the commencement of herring investiga- 

 tions at CuUercoats. These were begun, and during the latter 

 part of 1911 and the season of 1912 opportunity was taken to 

 become familiar with the methods of research used by Norwegian 

 investigators, Hjort, Dahl and Lea, and to obtain information 

 relating to our local herring shoals. The chief difficulty was the 

 finding of a quick method for examining the herring scales for 

 the purpose of age determination. It is felt that this has been 

 accomplished. On Friday, 30th May of this year, two samples 

 of herring, containing altogether 400 fish, were received. The 

 examination of them for length, sex, development of gonads, and 

 the taking of scale samples was commenced at 11 a.m., and by 

 Monday evening, 2nd June, the age composition of the samples 

 was known, the examination of the scales being done by one person 

 only. But the general methods for the examination of herring 

 scales are now so well kno^\^l as to need no description. 



The difference of opinion between trawl and drift net fisher- 

 men came to its height in 1913, and more than justified the begin- 

 ning of the investigations. By the end of that year we were in 

 a position to report on the two shoals of herring, those of the 

 Northumberland coast and the Dogger Bank, and to point out 

 the difference between them. 



In 1914, at the request of the Board of Agriculture and 

 Fisheries, data were obtained for the purpose of racial investiga- 

 tions. These data were forwarded to the Board, and in addition 

 the Board was furnished with the age of the herrings examined. 

 In order to further forward these racial investigations the annual 



