— 227 — 
Future prospects of the Norwegian herring and cod fisheries. 
It would, in my opinion, be unjustifiable at present to make any definite pre- 
dictions as to the immediate future of the fisheries. In the first place, many acci- 
dental circumstances may affect the results of the fisheries in certain waters, as 
referred to in the foregoing; in addition to which we still lack important informa- 
tion, especially necessary in the present case. I here refer in particular to the 
em 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105 10 115 
49 54 59 64 69 74 79 84 89 94 99 104 109 II4 119 
Fig. 137. Composition in point of size of Lofoten skrei 
in samples from West Lofoten (Sorvaagen) during the skrei season 
---- 1913. 1914. 
question of longevity of year classes, or percentage of fish which live beyond the 
different ages. 
As already frequently mentioned, the investigations record only one instance of 
the disappearance or relatively great decrease of a rich year class among the spring 
herring, viz. that of the 1899 year class, which in 1908, when ten years old, appeared 
for the last time as an important component of the stock. As far as it is per- 
missible to draw conclusions from this single instance as to the 1904 year class, then 
20% 
