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Nor do our investigations leave the impression, that the real value of these 

 hatched larvae is great compared with the spawning actually taking place in the 

 waters or with the natural occurrence of eggs or fry as found by investigation at 

 certain moments. 



We have seen that even in a small fjord like the S0ndeled Fjord the number of 

 spawning cod must be counted in tens of thousands, while 4—500 cod on the everage 

 are annually employed for spawning in the Flodevigen hatchery, which works for the 

 whole of the Skagerrack coast. 



The investigations as to the occurrence of pelagic cod fry has shown us, that the 

 most prolific occurrence of cod larvae recorded during my investigations in these waters, 

 was found in the S0ndeled Fjord before any liberation of larvae had taken place. 



Thus the experience gained contains nothing to indicate, that the short protection 

 offered to cod eggs in a hatchery (the whole hatching work consists really of this only) 

 render the liberated larvae of any special value compared with the quantities of fry 

 contained in the waters and with the spawning, which actually takes place and which, 

 even in a small fjord, far exceeds the egg-production of any hatchery. 



Nor do the results of our quantitative investigations on the occurrence of littoral 

 cod fry encourage the belief, that a noticable lack of such fry occurs in places where 

 no hatching takes place. On the contrary the two fjords, the Sandnes and St0le Fjords, 

 where larvae never were liberated, have proved rich in fry both absolutely and relatively 

 to other fjords. 



These results seem to leave little hope, that the liberation of pelagic cod larvae 

 possesses any general power of maintaining or increasing the yield of fisheries, even 

 in these small waters. 



The supposition may of course not be precluded, that hydrographical and topo- 

 graphical conditions in certain places and at certain times may be of such a nature, 

 that the present views will not always entirely hold good in every place. But on the 

 whole our present material does not indicate, that cod hatching as at present conducted 

 can claim any great and general importance as regards these small waters. 



In respect to methods the above-mentioned results afford some interest in as much 

 as they may be said to have proved, that experimental hatching work will lack a rational 

 foundation, unless it is coupled with an exact study of the natural condition of the 

 waters in question. 



If we are to advance in our knowledge of the significance of artificial hatching as 

 regards that kind of small waters, progress is only to be attained, if the work is attached 

 to special and exact investigations of the waters themselves as well as of the physiological 

 conditions of the different species of fish. This becomes very clear if we consider 

 the experience we already possess of the special conditions, which the spawning and 

 propagation of the different gadoid species demands. These conditions have been 

 specially treated by Dr. Damas and Dr. Schmidt in their papers in this report and are 

 also generally sketched in the review drawn up by the Committee A. Even from these 

 facts we will observe, that the number of gadoids whose spawning conditions are found 

 in coastal or closed waters is highly hmited. 



It seems evident also, that a future study of the possibilities of hatching in the sea 

 will have to emancipate itself from the somewhat philanthropic views hitherto characteristic 



