MARINE PISCICULTURE 325 



only so, but the fishes in question were claimed to 

 belong to a variety differing slightly from those 

 normally present on the fishing grounds dealt with, 

 and were claimed to have been those resulting 

 from the growth of the fry produced in the 

 hatchery. 



It is difficult to discuss this question of the 

 success of the Norwegian cod-hatching operations 

 here, and I will only point out that the utility of 

 the practice, so far as it refers to the Norwegian 

 fisheries, has been very severely criticised by Dr J. 

 Hjort, the official chief of the Norwegian fisheries 

 administration, who has maintained that the useful 

 results are imperceptible. Dr Hjort's views have 

 obtained wide currency among those interested in 

 these questions in this country, and it is rather 

 unfortunate that Captain Dannevig's defence is not 

 so well known. ^ The whole matter is very 

 technical, and can hardly be discussed here. But 

 it ought to be remembered that, even if it is 

 certain that Dannevig's cod-hatching operations 

 have had an economic success commensurate with 

 the money spent on them, this can hardly be used 

 as an argument in favour of sea-fish culture in this 

 country, where, so far as we know, conditions 

 similar to those outlined above do not exist.^ 



1 Dannevig's defence of his work is published in a Norwegian 

 fishery journal. It is, unfortunately, written in Norwegian, and is 

 therefore practically inaccessible to the majority of English readers. 



^ The nearest approach to them is in such an area as Upper 

 Loch Fyne. But there is no plaice fishery there. 



