— 154 — 
The year 1903 was thus (exactly as 1908 for the herring) a late season year. The 
samples examined at Lofoten in March were taken before the arrival of the young fish. 
As regards the average weight of the line-caught fish, the fishery report places this at 
152 per 100 kilos. According to my own weighings of skrei in 1913, the averages (gut- 
ted weight) for the different size groups were as follows: 
55—59 60—64 65—69 10—74 15—19 80—84 
1.0 iol 1.4 1.8 2.4 2.6 
When we remember that the average size of the skrei sample taken at Svendsgrun- 
den in March was 66.1, it would seem reasonable to suppose that the late Lofoten fish 
taken in April must have been skrei similar to those measured at Svendsgrunden, and 
that a great immigration of small skrei must have taken place this year; i. e. of the same 
fish which in 1901 and 1902 belonged to the Finmark loddefisk. 
1904—I909. 
No measurements are available for 1904; it is however, interesting to note that the 
fishery authorities report a similar low average for this year, which is difficult to explain 
save by the theory that immigration should also in this year have taken place. This 
was almost to be expected, judging from our observations in Finmarken in 1901, when 
many 3 and 4 year old fish were noted; these fish would in 1904 be 6 and 7 years old, 
i.e., at the transition stage between loddefisk and skrei. We may thus suppose, that 
besides the immigration of the year classes 1897 and 1896 already suggested, a similar 
movement took place as regards the 1898 year class. 
In considering the composition in regard to size of the skrei for those years for which 
measurements are available, I called attention to the remarkable increase in the size of 
the skrei during the years 1905—1907. (See page 69 and Fig. 61.) The reports of the 
fishery anthorities entirely confirm this result of our measurements. The statements 
in the reports as to average weight (gutted) of Lofoten line-caught fish are as follows: 
HOUSE ES — 1.5 
ODA ner — 1.45 
IDE RE — 1.8 
INDIE AE — 2.3 
OO aude ee: — 2.5 
1908... er — 2.9 
ISON erode tole — 3.0 
In the years 1904—1909 we have thus a steady increase in the average weight, 
from 1.5 to 3, or no less than 100%. The question now arises, whether this 
can be explained, as in the case of the spring herring, and the 1904 year class among 
the Finmark fish, by the theory that the fish which had already joined the skrei shoals 
gradually grew older and increased in size, while the number of new arrivals from the 
younger year classes was only small. The lack of observations is here severely felt. It 
is of interest, however, to consider the point, and investigate it as far as the available 
material permits, if only for the sake of facilitating the future study of similar problems. 
