— 36 - 



This corresponds very well with the fact that the littoral fry was numerous even 

 in June 1904; while in 1905 very few occurred in the littoral region in early summer, 

 because the current then passing these shores contained very little fry. 



B. The present position of the hatching problem 



A review of the present position of this problem may with some advantage start 

 from the conditions in the small Norwegian fjords, as shown by our investigations and 

 experiments, because these fjords may be considered as belonging to the smallest class 

 of waters, where artificial sea-fish hatching may be employed. 



1. The small Norwegian fjords 



The following facts have been established by means of the experiments and 

 investigations, the main points of which have been reviewed in the previous chapters. 



All experiments undertaken in order to test the effects of the larvae liberated have 

 given negative results. In this connection the reader is referred to the experiments 

 undertaken to study the occurrence of pelagic fry before and after liberating artificial 

 larvae, also to the investigations concerning the occurrence of littoral cod fry in relation 

 to the liberation of larvae. 



These experiments have failed in bringing any proof, that the hatching operations 

 had produced any effect. On the contrary, the results indicate, that an appreciable 

 effect has not been and cannot be produced. 



The hatching operations have, as will be remembered, found their main support in 

 the hypothesis, which asserts the existence of small fish tribes, very restricted and 

 during all stages of life wholly local. Further the numbers of larvae liberated were 

 supposed to be considerable compared to the natural production of the waters. 



Our present experience seriously affects these theories in the following respects. 

 When the cod has reached its bottom stage , we fi.nd the first 4 to 5 year classes to 

 be relatively numerous in the fjords and the Skjgergaard. Cod of a higher age 

 however become relatively scarce, long before they attain the age, which great numbers 

 of cod possess in the open ocean. 



Marking experiments show that these youngest year classes of the cod migrate as 

 well from the open coast into the fjords, as from the fjords to the open ocean. 



The cod fisheries depend even in these small South Norwegian fjords on the 

 kowledge of seasonal migrations of cod in and out of the fjords. 



These facts show, that these younger year-classes of the cod, which mainly constitute 

 the "fish tribes" of the fjords and the coast, are not confined to so small areas as a 

 single fjord. Their area of migration is, even at these ages, considerably wider. 



As eggs and pelagic young however they are, as our investigations show, certainly 

 anything but local, because they follow the movements of the waters. 



Whether and to what degree all the pelagic young of the different water-layers 

 partake in the circulation is of course difficult to answer, as all localities have not been 

 examined and the deepest parts and pools of these southern fjords have not been 

 investigated. 



