592 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



[fiO] 



tolerably good everywhere in the first half of February, was so in the 

 second half and until March 8, almost exclusively from Heuningsvaer 

 westward; later, on the contrary, and uutil the close of the month, that 

 is, from the 15th, almost entirely from Hopen eastward. The following 

 facts, however, antagonize this opinion : 



1. Fishing began at all the easterly stations on the same day. 



2. It continued in West Loflbden with a good yield many days aftea- 

 it had begun in East Loffoden. 



3. It closed in West Loflbden at the same time at the majority of the 

 stations. 



If there was a marked advance from west to east this should have been 

 shown by an increased fishery from west to east, if only for a short time. 

 Of course from March 4 to the 14th there was no common fishing day, 

 and four whole days were spent ashore, the Cth, 7th, 9th, and 13th, 

 so that it was difiicult to follow the course of the fishery. An advance 

 should, moreover, have secured an exceptionally good catch for the im- 

 plements emplojed; but this was not so marked as to be couclusive. 

 No relation between the fishing at the difterent stations, therefore, can 

 be shown this year with certainty. In order to reach a conclusion, if 

 possible, in the future, I shall continue the detailed records of the fish- 

 ery which I begun in 1878. In the following table is given a synopsis 

 of the course of the fishery during the last three years : 



Table LXI h. 



Since the conditions in Raftsundet, Ostnnesfjorden and Gimsostrommen 

 ;a[)pear to be, in a measure, similar, I have examined the fishery in these 

 places of late years, as f:ir as there was any to investigate, when I have 

 had the materials to work upon. From the following table it will be seen, 

 meanwhile, that there is no regularity here, as one year there may be 

 fishing in all of the three places, during another year in only one of them. 

 As is well known, all experienced fishermen have fixed signs by which 

 they believe they can foretell the course of the fishery. Though such 

 rules of experience are generally based only on observations within an 

 extremely limited circle, they may possibly have some value, wherefore 

 I seek, as fiir as possible, to confirm their correctness or incorrectness. 



