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the spring plankton in the spring herring-districts, in its ultimate consequences 

 bearing upon point 8 in the programme. 



The material collected consists of a series of samples of immature herring 

 from the northern Norway and a series of samples of mature and spawning herring 

 caught at the west coast of Norway during the spring of 1922. 



Both series of samples are supposed to give a fairly representative picture 

 of the shoals from which they are collected, and the material will permit of in- 

 vestigating the age composition of the shoals, the length, sex and growth of the 

 individuals (in some samples also the weight, state of sexual organs and fat contents). 



The material has been partly worked up. 



2. Investigations of representative unsorted samples with regard to which the 

 place and time of capture are known, especially of spawning shoals as to size, 

 weight, sex, maturity and age. The age should be determined by a study of 

 the scales. 



England. 2) Several samples of drifter catches have been investigated in 

 respect of size, weight, maturity and age. 



Scotland. 2) During the summer herring fishing fortnightly unsorted samples 

 of about 500 fish each are fully examined from each of the areas within which 

 drift-net fishing is prosecuted. These samples are obtained from the following ports 

 — Lerwick, Stronsay, Wick, Macduff, Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Aberdeen, Eyemouth 

 and Stornoway. Arrangements have been made for the examination of about sixty 

 samples during the Scottish herring fishing season. 



Ireland. 2) Investigations of representative samples in accordance with 

 paragraph 2 have been made on behalf of the Irish Department by Mr. B. Storkow 

 of the Dove Marine Laboratory, Cullercoats, and its results have been sent to the 

 reporter of the Committee. 



Finland. 2) Collections of material from various parts of the Finnish Bay. 



3. Comparative investigations of the composition of catches made with different gear. 



Scotland. 3) Catches made by the trawl are examined as in 2. 



4. Investigation of the younger stages of herring, especially in regard to their 

 distribution. 



England. 4) An extensive material of larval and post-larval stages, amounting 

 to over 12,000 specimens has been collected throughout the year in the Southern 

 North Sea, the eastern part of the English Channel and in the Wash, which, in 

 conjunction with the material obtained in previous years from the whitebait fishery, 

 has already yielded valuable results. 



Scotland. 4) Special efforts have been made by the use of smallmeshed 

 nets to capture representatives of the younger year classes. Records are also kept 

 of the occurrence of herrings in the stomachs of other fishes. In this connection. 



