VII -CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS SOLVING THE QUESTION OF THE 

 SECULAR PERIODICITY OF THE GREAT HERRING FISHERIES. 



By Axel Ljtjngman.* 



There is doubtless no phase in the history of our Scandinavian sea- 

 fisheries whi3h has attracted more general attention and has been of 

 such far-reaching consequences as the periodical stoppage and return of 

 our great herring fisheries ; but, at the same time, there is scarcely a 

 question whose solution has offered greater difficulties. For six years 

 I have been engaged in scientific investigations of the herrings and her- 

 ring fisheries on the west coast of Sweden, chiefly with a view of im- 

 proving the fishery laws. During these investigations I have neces 

 sarily been confronted with the above-mentioned difficult problem, and 

 after having given it some attention I have from time to time published 

 the results of my investigations. 1 



The old, and doubtless erroneous opinion that the last great Bohus- 

 lsin herring fisheries came to an end on account of the reckless manner 

 in which they were carried on, formed the leading scientific thought in 

 the old fishery law, which has not yet been completely abolished, and 

 one of whose principal features is the prohibition to catch herrings with 

 large seines. When this whole question was subjected to a more 

 thorough investigation, it became clear that a scientific tribunal would 

 condemn this law. But even from a purely economical standpoint this 

 question is of such importance to the fisheries that no trouble should bo 

 considered too great in solving it. All the works which have so far been 

 published on the subject will show clearly that the problem is so vast, 

 that it will require a long time and the labor of more than one person to 

 reach a satisfactory conclusion. The following little treatise will fully 

 show the truth of my remarks : 



As an introduction to this new attempt to solve the problem in ques- 

 tion, I shall give a brief and systematic review of all the attempts at solv- 

 ing it which have hitherto been made. 



In reviewing all the causes, which from time to time have been assigned, 



*Axel Ljungman, " Bidrag till losningen af fr&gan om de stora sillfiskenas- sekulara period- 

 icitei." Copenhagen, 1880. [Translated by Herman Jacobson. ] 



1 Preliminar bercittelse for 1873-'74 ofver de betrafande allien och sillfisket rid Sveriges vest- 

 Tcust ansWda undersbkningarna, Upsala, 1874, p. 23-29. — United States Commission of 

 Fish and Fisheries, III. Report of the Commissioner for 1873-'74, and '74-75, Wash- 

 ington, 1876, p. 137-141. Northern Ensign, Wick, October 18, 1877, No. 1429, p. 4. 

 Nagra ord cm vart stora bofmslanska sillfiskes upplibranda och atervcindande in Gbteborgs 

 Handds och Sjbfarts-Tidning, January 26, 1878. Bohunlans hafsfisken och de vetenskapliga 

 hafsfiskeundcrsokningarna, II. Goteborg, 1878, p. 24, 65-99. 



S. Miss. 59 32 49T 



