— 200 — 
of similar investigations, both as regards the growth of the fish and their quantity of 
liver (or fat) is one of the important tasks which have yet to be undertaken. 
Hitherto, but little reliable information is available. It is interesting to note, ho- 
wever, in the reports of the fishery authorities for the years when the quantity of liver 
and average weight of the skrei were at their lowest, certain remarks indicative of the 
fact that the prevalence of particular conditions among the stock had also been observed 
in earlier years, as in 1903. 
Thus we find, in the Lofoten report for 1883, “The quantity of liver this year was 
small, as in 1882, or even smaller.... There is, however, always a certain amount of 
uncertainty attaching to 
these observations, as the 
fish may frequently differ 
very much from one day 
to another, and even in 
the case of fish taken on 
one and the same day, 
greatly varying results may 
be obtained”. Again, in 
1895, “The fish this winter 
were unusually small and 
poor, especially towards 
the close of the season, 
the liver also being gener- 
ally small, and yielding 
but little oil. The fish 
varied more than usual in 
1900 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 D WW 0 6 © 
Fig. 125. Average size of Lofoten skrei i ; le to left of fi ; 3 : 
g verage size of Lofoten skrei in cm. (scale to left of figure) regard to size and weight, 
from measurements. 
The curve shows quantity of liver for the years 1900—1912 necessitating the frequent 
(scale to right of first). weighing of large quan- 
tities in order to obtain 
a comparatively accurate estimate of the average weight, etc.” 
It is instructive to compare these statements with the course of the curve for quantity 
of liver. (Fig. 123). It will be seen, that direct observation of the fish en masse 
also confirms the results here arrived at, viz; that the stock is renewed, from time to time, 
by the arrival of new shoals of small fish, containing but a small amount of liver, these 
small fish being so numerous as to have a determining effect upon the average of the 
whole stock. 
Thus a study of the so-called quality of the fish brings us to very much the same 
results as those arrived at (Chap. III and IV) by observation of the size and age. It remains 
for future investigations, carried out according to a more distinct and definite plan, to 
collect the necessary material for determination of the actual fluctuations in quality 
which take place in the stock from season to season and from year to year. 
