ge 
Migrations of the skrei. 
The skrei do not as a rule appear on the spawning banks until the end of January 
or some time in February; by the end of April they have disappeared.If long-lines or other 
implements are set out on these banks outside the recognised season, as for instance, 
in summer, a single cod or so may now and then be taken, but no more. It is thus na- 
tural that discussion should from ancient times have been rife as to whence the cod 
come and whither they go. Scientific fishery investigations have also endeavoured in 
various ways to furnish some solution of the question, and I will here briefly refer to 
some of the facts which have been ascertained. First of all, the marking experiments 
carried out during the present year. During my preparations for these experiments 
and in the course of the work itself, I received valuable assistance from Mr. Oscar Sun», 
Capt. Toor Iversen and Capt. P. Rönnestan. The difficulty of the task had been ap- 
parent from the first, and no previous marking experiments had thus been carried out 
with regard to large spawning skrei, although, as will be seen later on, something had 
been done in this respect in the case of younger stages of cod. The difficulty lay in the 
fact that the skrei on the northern grounds often 
keep to deep water, 100 fathoms or more, and may 
thus easily die when brought to the surface. A well 
boat was therefore employed, in which the fish could 
be kept until their vitality was beyond doubt. The 
mark used consisted of double silver buttons, with a 
pin of silver wire, and was fixed to one of the bones 
of the gill cover, (Fig. 62) bored for the purpose 
with a sharp tool. The whole process of marking 
lasted less than one minute for each fish. One of 
Fig. 62, Head of cod, with mark. the greatest incidental difficulties was the necessity 
of fishing from the well boat, im order that 
the fish might at once be placed in the well, and it was frequently no easy matter to 
fish in company with the dories and other boats on the fishing grounds. In the Lofoten 
waters, the fish were found at from 60 to 120, chiefly perhaps 80—90 fathoms depth; 
off the coast of Finmarken between 40—140, and here also most frequently at 80—90 
fathoms. 
In all, 70,400 hooks were set in the Lofoten water, 5,234 cod being taken, of which, 
however, only 2,400 were considered fit to be marked. 
Off the coast of Finmarken 91,400 hooks were set, 5,451 fish taken, and 1,955 marked. 
The total number of cod marked was thus 4,355. Up to time of writing, November 
1913, about 400 — or 9.2 % — have been recaptured. 
The table on p. 99 gives a survey of the composition in point of size of: 
1) All skrei measured at Lofoten 1913, in all 3,616. 
2) All skrei marked at Lofoten. 
3) All marked skrei recaptured at Lofoten. 
4) All cod marked off the coast of Finmarken. 
5) All recaptured cod from Finmarken. 
It will first of all be noticed that the marked fish, both from Lofoten and Finmarken, 
are, in point of size, very near the average of all the measurements made at Lofoten 
