NORWEGIAN RIVER FISHERIES. 1 05 



EXTRACTS BY Mons. HERMANN BAARS, 

 SPECIAL COMMISSIONER for the FISHE- 

 RIES AND NA VIGATION OF 

 NORWAY, 1867. 



NORWAY is a narrow region, intersected by numerous deep bays, 

 and encompassed by thousands of small islands. The most nume- 

 rous fish are the cod, or gadus, and herrings. 



The cod fishery station at Lofaten extends over a distance of about 

 60 miles, the population is about 20,000, occupied chiefly in the 

 cod fishery, at Lofaten. This cod fishery alone employs about 

 5,500 boats, manned by 21,000 men, who catch ordinarily from 20 

 to 25 millions of cod-flsh annually. The sea is so tempestuous 

 during the winter fishing season, that it is impossible to carry on 

 the fishing for more than two days in the week. 



The produce of the boats is very variable, but frequently in a 

 single voyage they bring back from 10 to 12,000 cod-fish, and 12 

 barrels of cod liver oil, and 10 barrels of roe, of the value of about 

 3,500 franks, or 140, or 25 per man. 



Besides the fishery of Lofaten there are smaller fisheries at Nord- 

 land and Tondhjern, extending over less than 40 miles, there are 

 3,000,000 cod-fish caught which are dried and 'cured. 



A more important fishery extends along the coast of Western 

 Tinmarkin. 



The fishery of Eastern Tinmarkin yields 10 or 12,000,000 of cod- 

 fish annually, and of a finer quality. 



The Ron.sdal, Nordmelk, &c., the fishery employs 1,200 to 

 1,500 boats, and produces from 6, to 8,000,000 of cod-fish which 

 are dried and cured, and they salt and reserve for their own use the 

 roe, but they sell the liver of the fish for medicinal oil, manufactu- 

 ries of which have establishments on that part of the coast, the 

 tradespeople in the towns of Christiansund, Molde, and Aalesund, 

 equip boats for this object. 



Norway does not live on this great cod fishery alone. In the nor- 

 thern districts a large portion is exported. At Tinmarkin there are 

 20,000 barrels of cod-fish the result of the summer fishing sent 

 away in Russian boats, which bring in exchange rye, flour, and flax, 

 from the White Sea. 



From numerous other kinds of flsh a considerable revenue is also 

 derived, and employment afforded to a large number of people. 

 Many kinds of cod-fish are found along the coast of Norway. The 

 fish are migratory, and the men follow them. The cod livers are 

 cleaned, and washed, and placed in tin pots, and the oil extracted by 

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