304 Norway. 



which selected the coasts south of Bergen for their spawning place, usually moved from 

 south to north, from Skudesnaes fjord to Selbo fjord, both along the outside of the islands 

 and among them. The shoals which had their spawning ground to the north of Bergen, 

 moved on the contrary from north and south from Bremanger to Fensfjord ; others touched 

 somewhat later on the environs of Cape Stat and the Sondmore coasts. The herring was 

 caught by gill-nets and sweep-nets, or large seines, a gill-net boat being furnished with from 

 20 to 40 or 60 nets of about. 12 to 15 fathoms long and 100 to 120 meshes deep, the size 

 of the meshes being 28 to 35 millimetres between the knots. With the large seines were 

 3 boats, and 20 to 25 men employed, the seines being 100 to 150 fathoms long, and 20 to 

 30 fathoms deep, or less, that is from 80 to 100 fathoms long, and 15 to 20 fathoms deep. 

 Gear and boat would cost 400 or 500. The number of fishermen employed in the fishery 

 was about 25,000 to 30,000 with 6000 open boats, and, if the crews of transport vessels, 

 working people, and coopers are counted, there would be at least 50,000 persons. The 

 total catch for the season averaged 600,000 to 800,000 barrels. But in the last years the 

 summer herring fisheries have become the most important, almost taking the place of the 

 winter fishing. In July the swmmer-herrings are usually found somewhat more towards the 

 north, in S0ndfjord, Nordfjord, Komsdal, and afterwards in Nordm0re in the Trondhjem 

 fjord, in the Namsen fjord, also along the coast of the province of Nordland, and even up to 

 Finmarken. The shoals of summer-herrings are very irregular; but no year is known in 

 which some tracts of the coast mentioned has not been visited by larger or smaller shoals of 

 them. The herrings caught in August and September are preferred ; not only is the flesh 

 then still very fat, but the lining fat is also firm and will keep well. Later in the autumn 

 the lining fat decreases and is replaced by milt and roe. At the end of November this 

 fishery usually ceases; but in several of the deeper fjords, such as the Trondhjem fjord, 

 Namsen fjord, and Eidsfjord in Vesteraalen, the herrings often remain till January. But 

 at this period the herrings are very thin and dry, and are chiefly used as bait for cod-fishing. 

 The gill-nets used for this fishery are usually from 15 to 50 fathoms long, 200 to 250 meshes 

 deep, and the meshes 23 to 27 millimetres between the knots. Large seines or sweep-nets are 

 also used to a considerable amount. There are no exact statistics of the catch ; it has given 

 annually an export of from 500,000 to 600,000 barrels of pickled herrings as an average for 

 the years 1877-80, and has employed 35,000 or 40,000 fishermen. 



Of other fisheries on the coast, of some importance to the population, there are the sprat, the 

 mackerel, the salmon, and the lobster fisheries ; these will, however, altogether not exceed 7 per 

 cent, of the value of the Norwegian coast-fisheries, just mentioned. The fisheries for supplying 

 the local fresh-fish markets of Norway are not yet subject to any statistical record. 



The deep-sea fishery in the North Sea is still a trifling one as far as Norway is concerned, but 

 the whale-fishery by steamers on the coast of Finmarken has become rather large of late 

 years, employing in 1883 over 20 steamers, and yielding last year a catch of 386 whales. 



Combined fishing and hunting expeditions are carried on by about 80 decked vessels in the 

 Arctic Sea and on the coast of Spitzbergen ; the result last year was half a million of codfish, 

 6000 seals, 148 walruses, 49 polar bears, 260 reindeer, etc., amounting in value to 140,000. The 

 sealing or seal-hunting by steamers in the Arctic Sea is another trade that last year was 

 carried on by 15 steamers of an average of 259 tons, and gave a result of 100,000 sealskins 

 and 19,000 barrels of fat and oil. 



Further particulars respecting the fish trade and commerce of the country will be found at 

 the head of Class III. as statistical notes on the export of fish products from Norway. 



DIVISION I. 



I. AALESUNDS SLYNGEFABRIK, Aalesund (Owners : P. D, 

 Stafseth and Kraasby Brothers), Manufacturers of Handlines and Snoods of Hemp, Cotton, 

 Linen, and Silk. Export. Awarded Philadelphia, 1876, Medal; London, 1877, Medal; 

 Paris, 1878, Medal ; Berlin, 1880, Silver Medal ; Edinburgh, 1882, Silver Medal. (1) Hand- 

 lines and Snoods. (2) Braided, Tapered, and Twined Snoods. (3) Samples of Goods. 



