COUNCIL - APRIL 1912 — APPENDIX D — 82 — 



Prof. Heingke observed, that it was more essential that the herrings from 

 each particular year should be represented for the purposes of investigation in the 

 same proportion in which they were to be found in the state of nature. The 

 subjects for investigation should be just as well mixed as the catches. 



Mr. Lea stated, that herrings with the "Ring-mark" had never, in previous 

 years, been found in the Faroe waters, but that these had suddenly made their 

 appearance in numbers to the extent of 50 °/o of the catch. 



Prof. D'Arcy Thompson inquired as to the peculiarities by which it was 

 possible to distinguish immature herrings, especially with regard to herrings of 

 large size which had not yet spawned. He still regarded the foundation of 

 age-determinations based on testing the number of scale-rings as hypothetical. 



Dr. Hjort demonstrated that especially the scales with the ring-mark showed 

 the annual rings very clearly. 



Dr. Fulton recommended the marking of herrings in order to show their 

 migrations. 



Dr. Hjort considered that it would be desirable to make trawling experiments 

 with fine meshed nets, in order to obtain other material for investigation than that 

 provided by the drift nets. There was in particular a lack of such material as 

 regards the younger fish and their distribution throughout the North Sea. The 

 investigation steamer should here be of assistance. 



Messrs Henking, Jones and Masterman stated that they were prepared to take 

 the matter under consideration. 



Prof. Henking stated, that herrings had for some time past been caught in 

 trawls. He had compiled a table of the German catches for the years 1908—10, 

 arranged in order of month and spot where caught. Of the two districts in 

 question, viz. the southern part of the North Sea, and the Skager Rack, the latter 

 was by far the most important. The principal catches were made from January 

 to March; in the southern part of the North Sea also in August. 



Eight Sitting: Friday 26th April 1912, 3 p. m. 

 Chairman: Prof. D'Arcy Thompson. 



(Agenda c.) 

 Dr. Trtbom introduced the proposal of the Swedish Commission to investigate 

 the influence of herring trawling on undersized bottom fish. He stated, that in 

 Sweden herrings to the value of 150,000 to 200,000 Kroner had been taken by 

 trawlers during the last few years; last winter's catch being somewhat smaller. 

 The nets used were chiefly fine meshed (2,5 to 3 cm.), and were dragged quickly 



