378 



REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



m 



The yield of the Westland fisheries for the four vessels mentioued 

 was as folio Tfs : 



Of the total quantity of liver at least 4 tons were shark and ray 

 liver; the cod therefore did not yield much liver, one ton of liver be. 

 ing counted to 2,888 codfish = 8,000 pounds salt fish. The livers this 

 year were, moreover, very lean, as we obtained only 1,702 pounds oil 

 from 29^ tons liver, therefore not quite one-fourth. I am inclined, 

 however, to ascribe some of this to the refining process, for as a gen- 

 eral rule 3 tons of shark liver are expected to yield 2 tons of oil, and 2 

 tons of cod liver 1 ton of oil. 



As regards the shrinking of the fish during the curing my own ob- 

 servations have led me to the following result : 



Thirty-two thousand pounds of salt fish* yield about 22,720 pounds 

 so-called "yacht-fish" (fish caught from the vessel), with the neck cut; 

 or about 23,520 pounds so-called " yacht-fish," with the neck not cut; 

 or about 22,688 pounds Spanish fish. 



Thirty-two thousand pounds of salt halibut 3' ield about 23,040 pounds 

 dried halibut. 



Thirty-two thousand pounds of wolf-fish yield about 21,440 jwunds 

 dried wolf-fish. 



The cutting of the necks yields about 12 pounds of necks per 320 

 pounds of fish. 



During the first days of August we left for the Eastland, there to 

 engage in long-line fisheries from boats. Such has been the custom 

 from time immemorial, and people do not seem inclined to give it up, 

 although it would have been more advantageous if we had limited our- 

 selves to short-line fisheries near the Westland and Northland, and 

 continued these fisheries during September, That the Faroe fishermen, 

 after having in July taken the fish caught at the Westland home to the 

 Faroe Islands in order to have them dried the same year, would not 

 find it advantageous to sail back again to the Westland, can easily be 

 understood; but the Danish vessels, which deposit the fish caught by 

 them on the Westland, should engage exclusively in short-line fisheries. 



* By fish I understand codfish, Ung, haddock, torsk, and coal-fish. 



