498 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



of the disappearance of the herrings from our coasts, we shall soon find 

 that they maybe divided into three groups : the first embracing explana- 

 tions of a mythical or purely accidental nature ; the second, human agen- 

 cies ; and the third, natural causes. 



A. Under the first head there would come : 



1. The wrath of God manifested on account of the abuse of his gifts, 



or on account of the wickedness or indifference of men, Sunday 

 fishing, denying the priests their tithes, dissatisfaction with the 

 laws made, or the taxes imposed by the government. 



2. Sorcery. 



3. Shedding of blood. 



4. Cruelty towards the herring. 



5. Using herring as manure. 



6. Occurrences which by mere accident were simultaneous with the 



disappearance of the herrings, e. g., the burning of sea weeds, the 

 establishment of new light houses, &c. 



7. The failure of the whales and other so-called herring-hunters to 



drive the herrings toward the coast. 



8. Caprice of the herrings, or their natural instinct. 



All these causes, which doubtless were very popular 'among the com- 

 mon people, imply the going away of the herrings to another place which 

 proved itself worthier of such a blessing. 



B. Under the second head come all those causes which may be assigned 



to human agencies : 



1. The herrings have been gradually destroyed, their schools becoming 



smaller and smaller towards the end of the fishing period. This 

 result has been brought about — 



a. By excessive fishing, and more especially by catching the young 

 herrings with seines having narrow meshes. 



I). By preventing the herrings from reaching their favorite spawning- 

 places. 



c. By destroying the roe. 



d. By disturbing those places where the young herrings were in the 

 habit of seeking food and shelter. 



2. The herrings have slowly but surely been driven away by — 



a. Noise. 



b. By unsuitable fishing-apparatus, by fishing with seines during 

 daytime, or by using drag-nets too early in the season. 



c. By disturbing the spawning-process. 



d. By disturbing the spawning-places by seine-fishing or by throw- 

 ing refuse in the water. 



e. By leaving dead herrings at the bottom of the sea, or by throwing 

 guts and gills into the water. 



/. By throwing fish-oil refuse in the water. 



g. By preventing the schools of herrings from reaching their accus- 

 tomed spawning-places. 



