APPENDIX J: GERMANY _ 44 _ 



returns of Auctioneer Platz mann could be utilised for the years 1894 to 1903, and those 

 of Auctioneer Köser for the years 1896 to 1903. 



6. The business-reports given by the fishery companies. Of such reports, only those 

 of the Emden herring fishery company for the years 1886—87 and 1900—1901, have been 

 at the disposal of the author of this present summary. 



b. The manner in which the statistics are collected 



Mention has already been made of the work of Hen sen and of the "Ministerial 

 Kommission zur Untersuchung der deutschen Meere" ; since that time, the "Deutscher See- 

 fischerei-Verein" has always considered it as one of its duties, to collect and publish the 

 statistics of the sea fisheries, so that one is for the most part indebted to this Verein for 

 the statistics at present available. The statistics, however, are not collected for their own 

 sake, but only in so far as they are found necessary for the solution of the scientific and 

 other problems connected with the sea fisheries. 



The statistical summaries published by the "D. Seefisherei-Verein" in the "Mitteilungen", 

 are almost exclusively statistics for the year: by order of the Verein, they are collated by 

 a specialist at the end of a year and published yearly. Monthly summaries are given in 

 the annual reports of the fish-auctions at Geestemünde (1889—1903), Altena (1887—99) 

 and Bremerhaven (1897—1903). These are prepared by the auctioneers. 



The summaries of the number of vessels, which fish in the North Sea beyond the 

 coastal waters and which are published in the "Mitteilungen" of the "D. Seefischerei-Verein", 

 are "taken from official statistics". The lists of the registered German fishing vessels 

 (sail and steam) which appear in the Seefischerei-Almanach, are prepared by the managers 

 of the German Lloyd. Along with these, the Almanach also contains lists of the non- 

 registered vessels of the sea and coastal fisheries. These are arranged in the order, from 

 east to west along the coast. 



c. Forms of publication 



So far as the form, in which the statistics of the German sea-fisheries are published, 

 is concerned, it can be said in general, that the most important figures are given by the 

 D. Seefischerei Verein in their annual reports. For the vessels and fishermen, reference may 

 be made, to the summaries and lists mentioned on p. 52, 53. For the fish landed, the data 

 in the annual reports show the results of the herring fishery, and the annual auction- 

 statistics are specially important for the fresh-fish. 



By far the best and most detailed tables are given by the auctioneers of Geestemünde 

 (D. E. Müller and L. P. Schultz). Some 50 different species (and shellfish) are distinguished 

 in the tables ; of these, various divisions are (at present) made according to size, 5 for the 

 haddock, 3 for the cod, and 2 for each of the following: plaice, soles, turbot and brill. 

 The tables give the total weight and the selling price of each species for each month, and 

 also an annual summary of the weight and value, as well as the average price for each 

 fish per pound, i. e. per V2 kg. 



The annual statistics prepared by the Bremerhaven auctioneer {W. Syassen) since 

 1897 are similar to those for Geestemünde, but the number of species separately distinguished 

 is much smaller in the Bremerhaven tables. 



