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APPENDIX K: KYLE 



those which have been fishing for lo months or more are included in the table. Until 

 1900, the gross tonnage was always given and this is stated in the second column. 



It will be seen from the table, that the number of Danish boats, whose records can 

 be given, is small in comparison with the total number fishing, so that the averages given 

 cannot, without further evidence, be considered representative of the Danish fishery. The 

 reverse is the case with the Swedish boats, for here we have the total quantities of 

 plaice taken and the total number of boats for the "Kvasar" fishery of Bosuslän. It is 

 evident in this case, that the average catch has increased with an increase in the number 

 of the boats. 



If now, the average catch is employed as an index of the decrease of fish or even of 

 overfishing, what conclusions could be arrived at regarding the condition of things in the 

 Kattegat ? From Table II, showing the average catch per day in Aalborg Bay, we might 

 take the decrease to 1893 as a sign of overfishing and decrease of fish in Kattegat. From 

 the Danish portion of the present table, we should conclude that the average annual catch 

 per boat in the Kattegat was on the whole fairly constant, whereas, the evidence of the 

 Swedish boats, finally, shows the reverse of a decrease of fish. 



These three cases all refer to the Kattegat plaice fishery and the opposite conclu- 

 sions they lead to are surely a convincing proof of the uncertain evidence offered by the 

 average catch per boat, when taken by itself. 



Average catch of plaice in the Kattegat per square km. or per square 

 mile. The main factor on which reliance is here placed for a just conception of a 

 fishery, such as the plaice fishery, is the total quantity (weight or mass) of fish landed 

 annually from the region under observation. When this is obtained, minor factors can 

 be determined from it according to the information to hand, such as the average price, 

 average catch and so on. One of these factors may be further mentioned here, viz. the 

 quantities taken per square mile or km. The exactness with which this can be determined, 

 is probably greater than that of the average catch per boat, either per day or year, and 

 it therefore forms a useful method of comparing the abundance of fish and amount of 

 fishing on different areas, and the condition of the same area at different periods. 



To ascertain the amount of the plaice fishing in the Kattegat by this method, we 

 may rely for the total quantities upon the results given in Table IV. 



The total area of the Kattegat is, as already stated, approximately 5430 sq. sea miles 

 or 18,600 sq. kilometers. The amounts taken per square mile or kilometer of this area 



Table VI. Average annual catch of plaice in the Kattegat per square mile 

 and per square kilometer over the period 1895—1902 



(a) 



per square 

 mile 



kg. 

 kr. . 



814 

 212 



per square 

 kilometer 



(b) 



per square 

 mile 



238 

 62 



1221 

 318 



per square 

 kilometer 



357 

 93 



are shown in (a); as the actual area fished over is probably not more than two-thirds of 

 this total area, the amounts are also calculated for the two-thirds in (b). 



3* 



