APPENDIX G _ 42 _ 



the value of our present communication lies, not in the explanations, but in the exact descrip- 

 tion of the existing conditions. 



In this connection, we might refer to the great importance of fishery statistics as an aid 

 to the comprehension of the fisheries and the natural history of the fishes. For the divisions 

 of the Norwegian Sea, detailed statistics are essentially easy to obtain, as only the cod, or 

 principally the cod, is taken in the entire fishery, and the fishing grounds are restricted to the 

 small banks. Accordingly, a good survey of the great fluctuation at the various fishing grounds 

 can be obtained in Norway, for example, from the beginning of the statistics in 1868. As an 

 example of such fluctuations we give here (flg. 7) a graphic representation of the Finmark cod 

 fishery during the years 1868 — 1900. 



In the North Sea the matter is different, chiefly because the statistics up to the present, 

 have given no information regarding the fishing grounds. Accordingly, the data of the cod 

 landed contained the fishing at Iceland, the Fseroes and west coast of Scotland as well as 

 from the North Sea. How little worth, for example, the English statistics have, with regard 

 to the quantities of cod landed from the North Sea, is shoA'STi in the following example. 



For some Grimsby steam-trawlers, who were asked for information regarding their voyages 

 during the months of September to February, it appeared that 17 voyages were made in the 

 North Sea, 11 on the west coast of Scotland and 5 to Iceland. 



If we look closer at the quantities of cod taken in each of the three regions, and landed 

 from these 33 voyages, we have the following figures: 



in the North Sea 476 cwts, 31 "/o of the total catch 



on the west coast of Scotland . . 455 — , 29.8 °/o — — — 

 at Iceland 600 —, 39.2 "/o — — — 



The relation between the different sizes is as follows: 



large cod: 



from the North Sea ■. . . 18 °/o 



from the west coast of Scotland 34.5 "/o 



from Iceland 47.5 °/o 



small cod: 



from the North Sea 80 "/o 



from the west coast of Scotland 13 "/o 



from Iceland 7 °/o 



It appears from these figures, how necessary detailed information regarding the fishing 

 grounds is, in order to profit from statistics in studying a given area of the sea, and that 

 the statistics up to the present, giving only the data of the quantities landed, are not sufficient. 

 It is accordingly, very agreeable that great improvements have been made during recent 

 years in the statistics of the different countries, and that endeavours are being made so to 

 arrange the statistics that the data may be compared one with another. It is well to remember, 

 however, that this end will not be attained in the near future. 



