660 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHEEIKS. 



sary, every now and then, to go beyond these facts, or rather with these 

 facts as a basis, to form a distinct idea regarding the causes of fhe 

 many dififerent phenomena and their mutual connection. This can only 

 be done by forming some theory, and I therefore consider this as neces- 

 sary if the investigations shall be carried on after a definite plan and in 

 a rational manner. 



If, in conclusion, some one should ask me what I think as to the 

 results of the fisheries in coming years ; in other words, in how far the 

 spring-herring fisheries will in the future be a success or a failure, as 

 has been the case during the last few years, I must first of all solemnly 

 declare that 1 never thought I was a prophet, nor intended to pass my- 

 self off for a prophet. I consider it necessary to say this, as I learned 

 to my sorrow that many people in reading my former report entirely mis- 

 understood me, as if I had promised that in the following year there 

 would be rich spring-herring fisheries. No such thought entered my 

 mind, especially as there are many unforeseen circumstances which dur- 

 ing the fishing season itself may exercise a hurtful influence on the 

 fisheries, even if the mass of herrings should be ever so large. Some of 

 my utterances regarding the spring-herring fisheries may not have been 

 couched in as cautious or conditional language as they should have 

 been, considering how many people are interested in or dependent on 

 these fisheries. The reason of this must be found in the fact that my 

 investigations in the southern herring district revealed a condition of 

 affairs entirely different from what I had expected. I had gone there 

 with the preconceived notion that we were near the end of a " herring 

 period," or near the end of the entire spring-herring fisheries; and I 

 consequently expected to find some signs of this, which I thought must 

 show themselves at this season of the year. To my greatest astonish- 

 ment, I found no such signs whatever ; the young fish were, as always, in 

 their usual places in large numbers, and all accounts agreed that also 

 this year enormous masses of herrings had approached the coast, 

 although they had not come as near as in former years. This, in con- 

 nection with the fact, proved by my observation of the summer-herring, 

 that this herring was the same as the spring-herring, only at a differ- 

 ent age, of course convinced me that there was no decrease in that tribe 

 of herrings which according to the popular notion lived in the deep 

 immediately outside the coast. 



As with these facts before me I could not think of any other prob- 

 able cause why the spring-herring fisheries should come to an end but 

 a decrease or degeneration of the respective tribe of spring-herrings 

 occasioned by some unknown causes, and as I in my capacity as a 

 naturalist could not possibly rest satisfied with the explanation that 

 the spring-herring fisheries would come to an end, because this had 

 been the case many years ago under circumstances which showed some 

 similarity with what had been seen or what people believed they saw 

 during the last few years, I could not possibly entertain the idea that 



