366 



EEPOBT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



rs] 



The mackerel fisheries. — (Communicated by Inspector Buch.)— 

 The following table gives the result from those places which made a re- 

 port: 



* 120 boats with 2 men each. 



t2 lives lost. 



J 3 lives lost. 



The average share per fisherman in these three districts was in 1882 

 198 crowns; and for the whole country in 1881, 200 crowns ; in 1880, 187 

 crowns; in 1879, 202 crowns; and in 1878, 218 crowns. 



The Fosen cod fisheries are reported to have yielded in all 1,000,000 cod. 



Seine fisheries for herring. — Besides the fisheries carried on 

 by the regular company, some herring were caught by a vessel of 60 

 tons and a crew of 4 men, fitted out by Messrs. Lehmkul, of Bergen. 

 This vessel was engaged in the fishery from 10 to 20 miles west of Es- 

 pevser for three weeks, commencing about the middle of May. In the 

 beginning 1^ to 3 tons of herring were caught jier set of seines (18), 

 and towards the end of the month once 7 and another time 8 tons. 

 The herring were of medium size, with little fat, but full of small red 

 crustaceans. In one of these herring, which was examined by the 

 editor of this journal, and which measured 274 millimeters [about 11 

 inches] in length, the roe measured 92 millimeters [about 3f inches] in 

 length and 9 in breadth, and weighed 4 grams [about ^ ounce.] 



Mr. Jorgenscn, of Hisken, at about the same time made an attempt 

 at herring fisheries between SkudesnsBS and the Scebjorns fiord. The 

 greatest distance from the shore at which these fisheries were carried 

 on was 3 Norwegian miles [= 14 English miles] from Udsire. The 

 catches varied from 100 fish to about half a ton. On account of the 

 clear nights the fisheries came to a close in June, and were not con- 

 tinued later during the season. About 10 to 12 boats engaged in the 

 herring fisheries from Smorstak out toward the Skudesnses fiord as far 

 as 3 to 5 miles from Hvidnigsoe, but, on the whole, it cannot be said 

 that these fisheries were particularly successful. 



During the spring herring fisheries three Dutch cutters made some 

 attempts to catch herring, twice near Lister and twice near Haugesund. 

 The entire yield of each vessel was 5 or 6 tons. These attempts must, 

 therefore, be termed failures ; but the cause must probably be sought 



