708 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



in 1627, 1628, autl 1629, the sufifering was extreme, the cod having failed 

 completely. There are also periodical variations in the richness of the 

 vield Dnrino- a stormy winter tempests have succeeded in injuring the 

 fisheries more or less, and at certain points the fishermen will tell 

 ^ou of periodical migrations of the cod from one bay or ledge to an- 

 other but tradition has never told us that the cod has at any period 

 whatever ceased to visit the coasts of Norway ; on the contrary, one 

 may consider as assured the great fisheries of the Loflbden Islands and 

 Sondmore: this is more than can be said of the spring herring. 



The cod is found all along the coast, but the best places for its capture 

 are found in certain special regions. These, as before remarked, are 

 principally the Loffoden Islands and Sondmore, but the cod occur in 

 other places in such quantity that they ought to be mentioned also. We 

 may therefore mention the entire coast of East and West Finmark, where 

 sometimes the fishing is as abundant as in the Loflbden Islands, especially 

 when their favorite food, the capelan, {Malotus arctmis) occurs m abun- 

 dance along the coast; several points off the coast of Helgeland, and the 

 two prefectures of Drontheim, from Brono to the mouth of the Gulf of 

 Drontheim, on which points, however, the fishing is of less importance, 

 a large part of the population preferring the Loff'oden Islands; and 

 finally the coast of Nordmore and Eomsdal. Formerly, the cod was 

 sought more to the south, even beyond the coast of Jaederen, and 

 especially toward Skudesnaes, as far as Bergen, but the product of this 

 fishery has diminished gradually since 1796, and it may be said to have 

 entirely ceased since the return of the spring herring; it appears, 

 however, to have increased again since 1869, the epoch when the spring 

 herring again diminished. 



At the Loffoden Islands fishing is not generally in operation until tbe 



beginning of February. t «• ^ 



The cod, having passed the extremity of the group of the Lofloden 

 Islands press in innumerable legions between Moskenaes and Vaero, 

 or between Vaeio and Rost, to get into the Vestfjord. They follow this 

 ijord until they meet the coast of Eastern Loff'oden, and there fishing is 

 most profitable. Fishing, however, is prosecuted also at the same t^me 

 more to the west among these islands, where the fish shows itself before 

 reaching the coast, that is. Eastern Loffoden. After this, fishing con- 

 tinues between Moskenaes and the most retired point of Eastern Loffo- 

 den until the 14th of April, the period when all the fish should be hung up 

 for drying, and when the engagements of the hired fishermen generally 

 expire. In general, after this date the fishermen return home, but m 

 Western Loffoden even up to the end of the month, they carry on a sub- 

 sidiary fishery during the retreat of the fish. The product is, however, 



very meager. 



As soon as the Loffoden fisheries close, and, for several years back, 

 before they have entirely ceased, a great part of the fishermen betake 

 themselves to Western Finmark, where at this time the fishing gen- 

 erally commences. In the fisheries of Finmark we must distinguish 



