[5] THE GREAT BOHUS-LAN HERRING FISHERIES. 103 
vessels and steamers coming from the north or going north would be 
greatly benefited by having an uninterrupted channel past the western 
coast of Tjérn, and as the movements of the fishermen in following the 
herring in their migration from one side of Tjorn to the other would be 
greatly facilitated, the importance of the work, which, moreover, would 
not be very expensive, will readily be seen. Besides this work, some 
other plans have been proposed, such as the dredging of the Bjorn 
Sound as far as itsnortherninlet to Uddevalla, as well as an inner chan- 
nel along the Koster fiord, south of Strémstad, but all these plans are 
not of so great importance to the fisheries. The proposed improvements 
will prove a benefit not only to the herring fisheries and to navigation, 
but also to the coast defence. 
In order to facilitate the sale of fresh and prepared herring, both at 
home and abroad, it is of great importance to get a legally fixed stand- 
ard for measuring herring, as the present unsettled condition of tiiese 
measures causes much inconvenience. During the great herring fish- 
eries of the eighteenth century, matters were better in this respect. 
According to the regulations then in force, the standard ton of fresh 
herring must hold 164.9 liters. In 1786 this standard was changed to 
209.4 liters, for no other cause than to benefit the owners of salting estab- 
lishments. This last-mentioned measure was nominally in use till 1865, 
although it had long since given way to the greatly varying measures 
peculiar to the different portions of the coast. In Scotland, where at 
present the herring fisheries have reached the highest degree of devel- 
opment, the ton of fresh herring (called “cran”) must contain ‘ 45 
gallons old wine measure,” or 374 imperial gallons, i. e., about 170% liters. 
In Norway the fresh herring are at present measured with the same 
ton as grain, which (according to the law of April 25, 1863, § 17) must 
contain 140 liters. With us, in Bohus-liin, there are at present three 
tons which are in general use, viz, one of 125.6 liters, one of 157 liters, 
and the ton used by the Gottenburg herring merchants of 209.4 liters 
These different measures have frequently caused mistakes and diffi- 
culties, which certainly are of no benefit to the trade. As by a “ ton 
of fresh herring” we understand the average quantity of fresh her- 
ring which are required to make a ton of prepared herring, the ton 
containing 157 liters would probably be the most convenient; but as 
the metric system is soon to be introduced, a ton of fresh herring con- 
taining 150 or perhaps i60 liters would be preferable, particularly in 
view of the considerable exportation of fresh herring to Norway, Den- 
mark, and Germany. <A ton containing 160 liters comes nearest to the 
so-called “six cubic feet ton” known all over the county. Its intro- 
duction Would, therefore, not offer any special difficulties. For con- 
venience sake, it would also be well to again introduce the gauged 
measures for measuring fresh herring, which were in use during the 
eighteenth century. 
Nothing can be of greater importance for furthering the herring trade 
