FISH. 69 



decreasing. The salmon fisheries in all the rivers on the 

 southern and eastern coast, have considerably decreased of 

 late years, and this they say is owing to the rivers becom- 

 ing shallower and shallower, so that there is scarcely 

 now a good place left where a net can be shot. At the 

 present time, not a single whaler sails out of any Swedish 

 port, although previous to 1780, a company of whalers 

 existed in Gothenburg. The fresh water fisheries in the south 

 and middle of Sweden, are of but little value to the State. 



When we look upon this country, with such an immense 

 extent of coast, and one-eighth of its surface occupied by 

 inland lakes and abounding with such fine rivers, we should 

 naturally suppose that it would be one of the richest lands 

 in Europe, for both salt and fresh-water fish. But so far 

 from this being the case, this immense extent of water 

 instead of exporting largely, does not supply enough for 

 the wants of 4,000,000 people. 



The export of fish, like that of the dairy produce, is not 

 only totally insignificant, but it is only of late years that 

 it has shown the least improvement. On the other side, 

 however, the import gradually increases till it has at 

 length become a serious article in the economy of the 

 country; for in 1860, the import of cod and herrings alone 

 amounted to no less a sum than 3,600,000 rqr., or 200,000 

 sterling. In 1815, only 162,565 lispund of dry and smoked 

 fish, and 550,000 lispund of salt fish were imported ; but in 

 1860, the import of dried fish reached 271,825 lispund, and 

 of salt fish 2,798,800 lispund, so that the increase in the 

 import in forty-five years has been 67 per cent, of the former, 

 and 409 per cent, of the latter. 



Now the principal part of this import might surely have 

 been obtained off their own coasts, or if not, other fish pecu- 

 liar to the Swedish fresh or salt waters might have been 

 substituted, and this heavy import from other lands have 

 been saved. 



Off the Lofoden Islands on the Norwegian coast, the greatest 

 cod fishery in Europe is still carried on, From 1850 to 1855 , 

 the yearly number of fishermen employed in this fishery was 



