fj48 REPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [16] 



When the work proposed by the chief inspector this year is accom- 

 plished, and this will probably require a couple of years, the number of 

 beacons and moorings may be considered sufficient. The proposed fix- 

 ing of rings I have not been able in many places to recommend, since, 

 in the case where a vessel lies moored for a long time, bow and stern, 

 and this forms the majority as a rule, I regard it a matter of vital im- 

 portance for a vessel to establish the mooring in a convenient place 

 ashore, especially as this work can be accomplished with ease and with 

 moderate expense. With two rings, a drill, and a hammer, a mooring 

 may be placed in one hour, or at the most two hours, and I should re- 

 gard it a wise precaution if the insurance companies require that these 

 articles form a part of every vessel's outfit. 



Last year Gloppen light (Sorvaagen) was changed from the sixth to 

 the third class. Thereby Balstad light has become less important as a 

 range light for West Fjord, and since it will also be more useful as a 

 guiding light to Balstad, the light-house board has taken into consid- 

 eration the question of its removal. 



The appropriation of 27,900 crowns ($7,477.20) for inspection during 

 the fiscal year will probably be spent. At the same time, of this amount 

 will be returned to the public treasury: Fines, 1,126 crowns ($301.77); 

 for telegrams, 3,200 crowns ($857.60). 



The appropriation of 1,200 crowns ($321.60) for extraordinary expenses 

 of inspection in East Sound was not used. 



The implements saved and not required during the fishing are pre- 

 served in Svolvaer and Sund. The disbursements amounted to 656.26 

 crowns ($167.57), exclusive of the pay of the inspecting force, and the 

 receipts were 1,195.75 crowns ($320.46), of which 935.45 crowns ($250.70) 

 arose from auction sales of implements saved over from last year. 



The correspondence-record of the chief inspector shows, for the term, 

 1,610 outgoing and 870 incoming issues, including telegrams. The office 

 work, which is done exclusively by the chief of inspection, is thus con- 

 siderable. Besides, the chief inspector is accountant as well as writer 

 of responses which are made in fishery matters to the Government, as 

 well as to i)rivate individuals, (partly also in affairs which lie outside of 

 the domain of the Loffoden fishery), involving much labor. 



As I pass on to the report of the fishing itself and its progress, I may 

 remark that the statistical data are repeated in most cases for the last 

 5 years, in order that the administration, scientists, legislators, fisher- 

 men, and merchants may have the summary needed; for a report which 

 deals exclusively with a single year's fishing, and which is published 

 a long while after the end of the fishery, will be valuable only his- 

 torically. Although I have labored towards this end for the space of 5 

 years, the report will not, until 1881, take the form which I think it 

 ought to have in order to be useful. I have, for instance, in prosecut- 

 ing this work during the year, been able to dispose of the months of 

 Octol)er, November, and December only. 



The arrival of the fishermen was delayed by stormy weather in the 



