408 
Part III. — Ninth Annual Report 
those elsewhere, along the Baltic shore. These are more scattered ; the 
lishermen are often also engaged in agriculture and other occupations. 
The results of the importaat Bohuslan fisheries in 1889-90 are des- 
cribed by Dr A. H. Mahn, the inspector, in his official Report.* The 
total value of th^ yield was 2,753,180 kroner (£152,916). The deep-sea 
fishery (StorsjoJisketYgdiYQ 595,415 ; mackerel, 349,109 ; herring, 1,393,836 ; 
' Hounders,' 4125 ^ salmon, 23,561 ; lobsters, 122,387 ; oysters, 14,203. 
Swedish boats fish as far as Shetland. Last year the deep-sea fisliing was 
not successful, a circumstance of special significance, because it is an old 
Swedish custom that in the case of boats not free from debt, the cost of 
the boat should be paid by the cod taken. The deep-sea and Kattegat 
fishery employed 1589 men and 188 boats, and brought to the fishermen 
656,531 kroners. In mackerel fishing 2498 men were employed, the catch 
being 2,090,375 fish. A considerable amount of the mackerel are exported 
to America via Norway. The herring fishery is carried on by drift-nets, 
set-nets, and seines or trawls. The autumn drift-net fishing in 1889 
began on 6th August, and lasted to 16th October, and employed 121 
boats, 595 men, and 2529 nets, the value of herrings caught being 
138,716 kroners. The herrings were sent fresh to Denmark ; sprinkled 
with salt to Germany. The winter herring fishery is carried on partly by 
set-nets and partly by seines. The fishermen possess 243 seines, valued 
at 648,715 kroners, but only 145 of these were employed in 1889-90, by 
1662 men, and the value of the herrings thus caught was 546,023 kroners. 
Set-net fishing was prosecuted by 3432 men in 1074 boats (of the value 
of 292,968 kroners), the number of nets used being 11,140, valued at 
326,737 kroners. The value of the catch was 709,098 kroners. The 
number of barrels cured was 205,978, of which 74,177 were cured on the 
Scotch plan. It is pointed out that the Scottish systems of fishing and of 
cure are being more and more extensively followed in Sweden. It is 
acknowledged that the Scotch cure suits the German and Russian markets, 
and the fishermen are abandoning seining for drifting on the Scotch 
method. The manufacture of herring barrels on the Scotch and 
Norwegian pattern has recently received great impetus, and more care is 
being exercised in the selection and cure of the fish. Scotch curers go to 
Bohuslan in winter, and in this way it is said the Swedish curers and 
workmen have got great insight into the Scotch system. Instructions 
therein have also been drawn up and circulated, and Dr Malm, who 
recently visited Scotland on a mission of inquiry, is preparing a full 
report on the Scottish system of selection, cure, packing, &c. The same 
gentleman has published a pamphlet on drift nets and drift-net fishing.* 
The study and adoption of our methods in Sweden, Norway, Canada, 
Newfoundland, &c., furnishes proof of their excellence. But there is 
little doubt the result, so far as Sweden is concerned, will be severe com- 
petition in German and Russian markets, and for the following reason. 
The Bohuslan herring fishing is one of the oldest in history, and has been 
characterised by alternating periods of great productiveness and barren- 
ness,* which are known to have occurred since the thirteenth century. 
The last period of barrenness ended a few years ago, and each successive 
season since shows rapid development of the fishing, e.g., in 1884-85 the 
numbers engaged were 19 boats and 143 set nets; in 1885-86, 422 boats 
* Berrdttelse dfver Goteborgs och Bohus Idns hafsfisken under, 1889-90, Gotehorg, 
1891. 
* Om sillsdttgarnen i Bohuslan. 
* Vide Dr. Rudolf Lundberg's excellent memoir, * Dot stora sillfisket i Skane 
under medeltideu och nyaro tidens borjan,' Antiqvarisk Zidskrift for Sverige Del 11 
No. 2, 1891. 
