496 



Part III. — Eleventh Annual Report 



95 per cent, of the lobster eggs manipulated at the hatchery ; but the 

 general results of his work in this branch of pisciculture for a number of 

 years, leads him to believe that lobster-culture alone will not be sufficient 

 to arrest the decline in the lobster fishery. It can only be considered as 

 supplementary to regulations dealing with capture. 



The number of young cod hatched at the Flodevigen hatchery since its 

 establishment in 1884 is 790,500,000, the annual turn-out having increased 

 from 7,000,000 in the year named to 240,000,000 during the present year ; 

 and the cost of production has diminished from 0*79 kroner per thousand 

 in 1884 to about 0*03 kr. in 1892.* In the journal referred to, interest- 

 ing details are given by Dannevig of his experiments of hatching 

 lobster eggs, and rearing the young in water of different temperature 

 and density ; of experiments in cod hatching by Fr. Backer, by a mode 

 different from that of Dannevig ; of the hatching of lobsters by Dr 

 Appellof ; and of the transport of large quantities of fertilised cod eggs 

 and larvae in carboys from Flodevigen to Bergen. The latter experiments 

 are of special interest in connection with hatching work, as showing how 

 the eggs may be best transported. The newly-hatched fry, or the fer- 

 tilised eggs, were placed in boxes in a sea-water enclosure, and carefully 

 observed. The general results show that the so-called acid-carboys furnish 

 the cheapest and best mode of transporting the ova, and that each carboy 

 should contain only 1 litre of spawn, and, in changing the water, the 

 dead eggs should be removed. The water should be changed every five 

 or six hours, by means of a tube carried to the bottom of the carboy. The 

 transport of larvae was much less successful. The rearing experiments in 

 the enclosure showed the importance of having a large body of water with 

 movement in it, and of removing enemies, such as sticklebacks and young 

 coal-fishes, which ate the spawn in large numbers. It was also proved 

 that the young fish began to select food from the water naturally (larval 

 crustaceans, &c), and often before the yelk-sac was absorbed. 



Recently considerable attention has been given in Norway to the 

 insurance of fishing-boats, and the fishery inspectors, Messrs Dahl and 

 Fleischer have published proposals for the formation of a mutual insurance 

 association for fishing-boats in North Norway, f At present two societies 

 exist, but they will not insure the boats for the whole course of a year, 

 nor when engaged, as many of the large ones are in the intervals between 

 the fishings, in carrying goods from place to place. In the association 

 proposed, one-third of the risk would be borne by the members, and the 

 boats would be insured for the whole year, a guarantee fund being formed 

 with the assistance of savings' banks, corporations, and business firms. 



The same journal contains several short papers dealing with the halibut, 

 the supply of which has diminished as the demand has increased, and 

 American fishing-smacks have gone far afield — even to Iceland and 

 Norway for supplies for the American market. Last year fourteen vessels, 

 of from 70 to 112 tons, from Gloucester and Boston fished for halibut at 

 Iceland, and it is proposed in Norway to open up an industry in salted 

 halibut for the American markets. The price of salted halibut varies 

 from 4 cents to 10 cents per lb., and the smoked fish from 8 to 15 cents. 



From the official statistical report on the fisheries of Norway, it appears 

 that in 1891 the fisheries were prosecuted with much success.* The total 

 value of the sea fisheries (oysters excluded) was 26,105,000 kroner — an 

 increase of nearly 4,000,000 kroner over 1890, and the greatest value 

 shown since 1880. The value of the codfish landed was 14,111,000 kr., 



* Selskabet for de norske Fiskerieis Fremme, Aarsberetning, 1892, p. 5. Bergen, 

 1893. 



+ Norsk Fiskeritidende, 1892, p. 1C2. 



X Tabeller vedkommende Norgcs Fiikcricr % aaret, 1891, Kristiania, 1892. 



