[59] 



THE LOFFODEN FISHERY IN 1880. 



591 



trawl-lines. On the Sth of March exceptionally good fishing begau at 

 all station.s from Hopen eastward to and including OstniT?.stjord; west- 

 ward there was good fishing, also, everywhere until the 10th, when it 

 became poor at stations from Balstad westward; at the remaining sta- 

 tions the good fishing continued until the lUth, after which date it was 

 poor everywhere. In Ea^st Lofibden there was an especially good fish- 

 ery from March 14 to the 20th, during which week 8,7.")0,000 fish were 

 taken, the largest week's catch known to have been made. The East 

 Lofibden fishing closed, so far as Ostn;esfjord is concerned, on the^Oth^ 

 and at the remaining stations about a week later. At the close of March 

 fishing began again to be sufiiciently good, though irregular, from Heu- 

 ningsvier westward. It was, however, not i)ermauent, except at the 

 first-named station and in the region from Sund westward, where it was 

 cpiite good even until the middle of April. 



A peculiarity of this year's fishery was that the cod almost irom the 

 beginning remained near the shore ; besides, they were found near the 

 surface, and most of the fishing was done at depths of oO to 40 fathoms, 

 and sometime^s less. Their presence in not inconsiderable numbers was 

 proven, also, in many places inside the reef, where they ordinai'ily sel- 

 dom appear, as at Islaiudingen, near Sund, and in various coves of 

 Buksnassfjord. On a voyage from Stamsuud to Balberg Islands, on 

 March 17, tlu' inspection employes ol^served in many ])laces, where the 

 dei)th allowed the bottom to be seen, fish as large as cod, all of which 

 were moving northward and towards the land. 



Table LXI gives the percentage of fishing days on which there has 

 been good fishing in the diflerent inspection districts. 



Table LXI «. 



'"Sot used from the middle of March. 



t Little nscA. 



The course of the fishery this year appears at first view to indicate a 

 movement of the schools of fish first from east to west, then from west 

 to east, and finally again from east to west, simjc the fishing, wlii(;h wan 



