— 168 — 
Finally, it may be of interest to note the average catch per day for each fishing stea- 
mer during the voyage at sea. The article referred to gives the following figures: 
Yield per day at sea in kilos for 
Year North Sea West of Scotland 
A Dr 179.83 159.51 
NOT acccovce 159:00 151.89 
AIDE een 170:69 195.58 
OD) ee ae 240.28 214.78 
ONE ue 250.44 310.90 
NOTE 2241 242.82 316.48 
From this last table it would seem that there has been a great and distinct in- 
crease in the case of the North Sea, as also for the waters west of Scotland. 
As regards the North Sea, even more than the Norwegian waters, future investiga- 
tions must further pursue and elucidate these questions. The object of the present work 
has rather been to call attention to the problems, and to show that there is good reason 
to make the same, also as regards these waters, the subject of future exhaustive inve- 
stigations. 
CHAPTER V 
Fluctuations in quality. 
Use of the word quality. 
The previous chapters have dealt with the fluctuations in the herring and cod fishe- 
ries with regard to the amount of the yield, the quantity of fish landed. The value of 
the yield, however, depends not only upon the quantity of fish; the quality is a factor 
of the greatest importance, and one, moreover, which also exhibits great fluctuations. 
By “quality” I here understand the chemical composition of the fish; a meaning 
which is not always intended by the word when used in the practical industry, where 
quality is frequently found to depend, in some degree, on the ruling prices of the day, 
or the point of view of certain special trade considerations. Thus a dealer buying fish 
by number, and selling them again by weight, would naturally come to consider the 
large specimens as of “better quality” than the small. We therefore frequently find, 
in practical affairs, the word used in a vague and arbitrary manner, which, as will be 
evident later on, gives rise to a great deal of misunderstanding and erroneous impres- 
sions as to the conditions upon which the quality of the fish depends. 
Importance of fat as a determining factor in the quality. 
Science is as yet far from being able to fully describe the chemical processes which 
attend the changes in the quality of the fish; it must for the present suffice to examine 
certain kinds of matter which are comparatively easy of investigation. From very early 
