84 REPCK..T OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



ditioDK; and, in the next place, at the same time that one woukl find 

 himself" able to overcome the difficulties which interpose, he would 

 have, in the Canadian fisheries and kinds of fishes, which are closely re- 

 lated to the Norwegian, too powerful comi>etition. 



In the mean time one cannot hope at present or even in the near future 

 to find Americans as customers for Norwegian fish-products; so the busi- 

 ness is not ended, on the contrary it is scarcely begun, and it is a mat- 

 ter of considerable importance for Norway, because the relation hinges 

 quite naturally on this : cannot the Norwegians compete with the Ameri- 

 cans in the American markets as well, perhaps, as the Americans with 

 the Norwegians in the Norwegian markets ? They do so already, and 

 will certainly, year by year, become more dangerous in comi>etition. 

 American salted herring has already been introduced into Sweden, Ger- 

 many, and Eussia, Norway's best customers for the articles mentioned. 

 No doubt many believe that the American article is not dangerous to 

 the Norwegian traffic, because it is carelessly prepared and of inferior 

 quality ; but the Americans will hardly fail to make themselves familiar 

 with the mode of preparation which the new customers' taste demands, 

 whether it refers to their great herring or their fat herring. They have 

 almost as much material as the Norwegian, they do not lack the occa- 

 sion, and certainly there is no want either of inclination or ability to 

 enter into comj^etition. Split cod from the American waters compete 

 with the Norwegian both in Europe and South America; why not also 

 .herring from the same places ? 



It seems to me that it would be very appropriate if the consuls con- 

 cerned had their attention directed to this matter, and should-, through 

 their reports, give the mercantile class of Norway the necessary infor- 

 mation on the American competition with Norwegian fish-products in 

 tlie different markets, together with the result from season to season. I 

 have not been able to get any collected official report concerning the 

 fisheries in America or the exports of fish-products. The United States 

 of North America have no fishery statistics, and the data I have ob- 

 tained and found respecting them are partly the estimate of private 

 individuals conversant with the subject, partly a digest of many differ- 

 ent statistical tables which I have been obliged, under various difficulties, 

 to revise. At the same time, I think that our knowledge of the Ameri- 

 can export and import of fish-products is so small that any contribution 

 thereto will be received with thankfulness, and not the least from those 

 who are as greatly interested therein as the Norwegian fish-merchants. 

 I sliall therefore, here communicate an epitome of the results which were 

 ol)tained in the way indicated above. 



If I estimate the yearly profit of the United States fisheries at fully 

 $27,300,000, I think that would come as near as possible to the truth. 

 This estimate is founded partly- on the estimate of private individuals 

 on the consunjption of fresh fish of all kinds in the great cities, partly 

 on the ofticial reports from fishery inspectors on the catch in some States, 



