740 EEPOET OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. [12] 



of the public wliich is interested in this question supplied by the Govern- 

 ment with a sort of a text-book giving in a brief and concise form all 

 the necessary instructions for successfully cqi-rrying on this industry. 

 My translations were printed in a Swedish paper, and likewise in pam- 

 phlet form for distribution among the population of the Bohuslan coast. 

 Later, I prepared and published some pamphlets on the pickling and 

 salting of herring, on the herring trade, &c., with the view to awaken 

 new interest in this trade, and in the hope that by introducing improved 

 methods this industry might be further developed, not only as regards 

 the sale of fish, but also as regards the introduction of improved appa- 

 ratus, &c. In consequence of my endeavors, the Economical Society 

 called in some Scotchmen to teach our people to salt herring after the 

 Scotch method. In May, 1882, 1 was allowed 1,200 crowns ($201.60) for 

 a journey to Scotland, which I took the following summer. I studied 

 the Scotch preparation of herring on the spot, and, on my return, pub- 

 lishing an account of my trip and of the observations made. 



Eelative to the herring trade I have commenced extensive studies, to 

 complete which I should, however, undertake several journeys abroad. 

 What I have published in this direction is, so far, the only systematic 

 review of the subject. 



4. Care of the herring fisheries. 



The question as to the care of the Bohuslan herring fisheries has for 

 a long time, and I think unnecessarily, been a disputed one. By the 

 care of a fishery we understand the measures which are taken to make 

 the fishery as productive and ijermanent as possible. This care may be 

 exercised by the state, by proper legislation and administrative meas- 

 ures, or by private effort, in preparing spawning places, or making such 

 places accessible by fish culture, taking care of the young fish, &c. ; it 

 may be exercised in a negative manner by preventing any disturbance 

 of the spawning process and the use of hurtful apparatus, and by limit- 

 ing fishing as to time and place, &c. 



When the great Bohuslan herring fisheries came to a close in 1808, 

 and when those persons who had invested in expensive apparatus suffered 

 heavy losses, x)roducing unheard-of suffering on the coast of Bohuslan, 

 it tvas natural that people began to think and speculate a great deal on 

 the causes of this misfortune, and on the possibility of seeing these fish- 

 eries revived. Among the more educated people the view became prev- 

 alent, especially after they had become convinced that the " sea herring" 

 proper had left the Skagerack, that the herring had been chased away 

 by exhaustive fishing, by noise, and by throwing fishoil refuse into the 

 water. This view was publicly expressed in a pamphlet published by 

 a Salter in 1822. 



This, and the repeated demands for pecuniary assistance from the Gov- 

 ernment to aid the fisheries and the poor fishermen, at last induced the 



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