418 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [4] 



it is stated that the eels likewise come from the east and south, and 

 follow a northerly direction into the Kattegat.* The iishermen every- 

 where declare that it will not do to reverse the position of the " hom- 

 mor," as the eels invariably follow the route along the coast indicated 

 above.t In the frequent quarrels between the fishermen about tres- 

 passing on each other's fishing-grounds, the question is never that a 

 fishery back of another does harm to the one in front, but the very re- 

 verse. Everywhere the eels are said to approach the coast from the 

 depths of the sea, wh<fre they follow the long arm of the "hommor" 

 and are thus led into them. That this is actually the case appears from 

 the circumstance that fish may be caught in rows of "hommar " j)laced 

 one behind the other. This movement from the depth of the sea to- 

 wards the coast does by no means, however, disprove the correctness 

 of the opinion that, on the whole, the eels move along the coast. A 

 circumstance speaking in favor of this opinion, is this as we shall see, 

 that the eel-fisheries commence later in autumn the farther down we go 

 along the coast. The api)roach of the eels from the depths of the sea 

 towards the coast might easily lead us to think that the alleged migra- 

 tion of the eels along the coast is in reality nothing but a crossing and 

 recrossing between the depths and the coast, but this supposition, 

 which lies very near, is thoroughly disproved by the manner in which 

 the " hommor " have to be placed if any catch is to be looked for. The 

 opinion advanced by Sundevall, that, owing to some peculiarity in its 

 " structure," the eel on our coasts should be obliged in its migrations 

 to constantly turn to the left, seems entirely unreasonable, and that such 

 is not the case appears from the circumstance that on the coast of Os- 

 tergotland the " hommor" are in various places located on the inner or 

 land side of the islands, and that even in this case the long arm of the 

 apparatus must be placed on tbe southern side, as the eels come from 

 the north. Since we, therefore, may consider it as certain thai a migra- 

 tion of eels really takes x)lace along the coasts of Sweden and Denmark, 

 and out into the Kattegat, the question arises, " Where do these eels 

 come from, and which is the end of their migration I" 



There can hardly be any doubt that the migratory eels are, to a very 

 large extent at least, eels which have entered the sea from fresh waters, 

 and also that this migration is, in some way, connected with the process 

 of propagation, and is therefore analogous to the ascent from the sea 

 into the rivers of the salmon and other similar fish. In tbe foreign lit- 

 erature on the subject to which I havehad access, I have in vain searched 

 for information relative to similar migrations of the eels along the coast, 



^ See '' Novel ii-ik Tidsslrift for Fisl'en," vols, i and ii. 



f According- to inforniatiou fumislied by Mr. O. W. Ai-eschoiig of Esperod, pro- 

 prietor of one of tlie Infgcst (>el-lis;hories in Scania, to whom I am indebted for many 

 interesting data regarding these iisberies, such attempts invariably prove failures, 

 although occasionally, Avhcn there is a southern current, a few eels may be caught in 

 "hommor" placed Avith their opening towards the south. 



