IV.—THE ICELAND FISHERIES,* 
By C. TROLLE, First Lieutenant, Danish Navy. 
[From Nordisk Tidsskritt for Fiskeri, vol. vii, part 3, Copenhagen, 1822.] 
During my visit to Iceland, in 1880, with the schooner Ingolf, my 
attention was directed to the rich fisheries carried on by foreigners in 
Ieeland waters, and to the comparatively small benefit which the coun- 
try itself derived from the wealth of the.sea. In order to draw the 
attention of the government to this unnatural state of affairs, I prepared 
a report on the herring fisheries carried on in the eastern fiords of Ice- 
land by Norwegians, which I had occasion to observe in person. In 
consequence of this report the ministry for Iceland (in December, 1880) 
commissioned me to investigate the Iceland fisheries and gather such 
information regarding them as might be of importance for their future 
development, and also to make suggestions as to the best way of fur- 
thering the interests of these fisheries. 
After having obtained a leave of absence for this purpose, I bought 
and fitted out a yacht of 88 tons during the present year, and with this 
vessel participated in the Iceland fisheries, in which way I gained a 
practical knowledge of their condition. 
At the request of many ship-owners in this country (Denmark) I pub- 
lish the results of my investigations, in view of the possible participation 
in the Iceland fisheries by Danish vessels, and also for the purpose of 
comparing the Iceland fisheries with our North Sea fisheries, which lat- 
ter might yield much larger profits than they do at present. 
A glance at the map shows us that the location of Iceland between 
extensive banks in the Northern Atlantic (which is famous for its wealth 
of fish), with its long line of coast and its numerous well protected 
fiords, indicates the fisheries as the most natural source of income to 
this aan Foreign nations have known how to derive profit from the 
wealth of fish on the Iceland banks, but unfortunately this knowledge 
is confined to foreigners. Whilst English, French, Norwegian, and 
German vessels visit Iceland in large numbers, the Icelanders keep up 
the old boat-method ; excepting, perhaps, a few merchant vessels in the 
western fiords eiiplay ed in the fisheries for a few months during sum- 
mer whilst waiting for cargo. The Iceland bank fisheries only yield 
profit to Danes and Icelanders in very few cases. 
* Fiskerierne ved Island. Translated from the Danish by HERMAN JACOBSON. 
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