242 REPORT OP COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



ago, and that it is astonisMng that no one has thought of it sooner. We 

 \njl not discuss this question; suffice it to say that such societies could 

 not be started at a better time and Tvith better ijrospect of success. 

 There is a general depression of all trades and industries, and every at- 

 tempt to aid a great industry will awaken sympathy with the gTeat mass 

 of the people, because all feel that they have an interest in the matter. 

 And there is no industry which will appeal so strongly to the sympathy 

 of our people as the fisheries; a society which undertakes to develop 

 the fisheries wiQ meet a very general demand not only in our city but in 

 every fishing-station from Cape Lindesnaes to the North Cape. We 

 can say without exaggeration that never has a society been started in 

 our country with a more timely, practical, and patriotic object. 



The notice which has been published starts with a well-known and de- 

 plorable fact, namely, that our country is far behind other countries with 

 regard to the fisheries. And the society makes it its object to place our 

 country where it belongs in this respect. Every thinking person must 

 have found out long ago that as regards our fisheries our country has 

 not kept step with other countries ; for nearly every journal has year 

 after year informed us how many important improvements have been 

 made in other countries, whilst we have done little or nothing. Our 

 fisheries have certainly not gone down, for the value of their produc-. 

 tions has been constantly on the increase; but the fisheries of other 

 countries have increased more rapidly and have made important progress, 

 which has thrown us in the shade. This is a serious matter for Norway 

 and more especially for the city of Bergen. If we are outstripped in the 

 competition with other countries in that industry which on our entire 

 coast from Christianssund to Yardo is the chief source of income of the 

 whole population, the future will look dark in many other respects and 

 the general development of the country will be hindered or retarded. 



The signers of this notice, who are fully agreed as to the great impor- 

 tance of this matter, are not saying too much when they maintain " that 

 our fisheries need further development in nearly every direction." And 

 as this deplorable fact is the cause of publishing this notice, every one 

 should consider it a strong incentive to join the society and thus aid a 

 good cause. There cannot possibly be any doubt on this point. But 

 the question which will arise first is. How shall oiu' fisheries be aided? 

 where shall we begin? and what shall be done first? 



We anticipate that this society will gain many members in town am^ 

 country, and that both the state and city authorities will subsidize this 

 important undertaking. We also hope that the society will possess as 

 much common sense and scientific abihty, as is represented by the sign- 

 ers of the notice. And with such anticipations we ask the important 

 question, "What shall be done?" 



The signers of the notice mention "the hatching and raising offish", 

 "improving the methods of fishing and the fishing-apparatus" and 

 "utilizing to their fullest extent all the products of the fisheries", in 



