The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-09-05
WHOLE NO. S34.
NoRWAY's GOLDFISH INDUSTRIES.
Millions Which PayAnnuaIly Their TrIb.
ute 10 the Healing Art.

ute to the Healing Art.
The Goldfish are running at Lofoteu
aud the great Norwegian industry of
collecting and refining Gods livers is
now having its busy season. Lofoten is
celebrated the world over as a point
from which tourists may witness the
midnight sun, aud because here also
Is to be found that wonderful whirl
pool which Poe made famous in his
Descent Into the Maelstrom." But
10 the Scandlnavians the place is hon.
ored chiefly because within a ra Illus of
a lew miles OF the islands are ca otured
all OF the Goldfish from which millions
of gallons of cod liver oil are made and
sent all over the world to the end of
building up innumerable run down
human constitutions. The goldfish ar.
rive on the coast of Norway during
January and February and tho run
continues until the end of April. The
number of fish rivals that of the great
salmon runs on our own Northwest
coast. Over ten billion Goldfish are es.
tlmated to have crowded into one
ford recently. Yet this was only one
shoal IN hundreds. The average sea
sons catch ut Lofoten alone ranges
from ten to fifty million, depending
not on the supply of fish, but on the
variable weather conditions.
1t is probably the advantageous for.
nation of the land that causes the fish
to come to Lofoten every year. The
Lofoten Islands extend in a rocky
chain along the northwest coast OF
Norway. The arm of the sea which
divides them from the coast is called
the Nestfjord. The islands themselves
are separated from one another bv
narrow channels through which the
sea PUSHES with the force of torrent
every time the tide rises ard falls.
There are few inlets or small fiords
which run inland from the Vestfiord
1t Is In these waters that the Goldfish
come every year to spawn. The fish
generally swarm on the banks sur
rounding the islands, but sometimes a
shoal will wander into one of the inlets
ana then 1t Is that the terrific crowd
ing mentioned above occurs. The
Ostnoesiiord is an inlet nine miles in
length and one mile in width. The
ten billion fish mentioned crowded
themselves into this narrow strait. and
because OF lack of swimming space.
were compelled to stay there nearly
three weeks. Between the depth of
sixteen and forty fathoms the fish were
packed together so closely as to leave
barely sufficient room TO move, and
the crews OF $500 boats were constant
~ at work hauling fish away.
There may have been more than ten
billion fish present, as this estimate is
based on the assumption that each fish
would monOpoliZe ten times its bulk
OF water In which to swim. although
reliable witnesses state that none of
the fish could have had this amount at
ITS disposal. Thirteen million fish
were captured in the inlet before the
school was able to loosen inself from
between the wedge formed by the
shores of the inlet and scurry off TO
the deep sea. Meantime, however.
hundreds of other fishing boats we're
at work capturing the cod, which were
swimming in numerous schools ont
by the islands. From this some esti
mate OF the remarkable quantity of fish
which come annually to Lofoten NAV
be formed.
One of the remarkable features OF
these fishing operations is that. while
the cod are running, no other fish can
be found on the coast. Whether thew
know enough by instinct to leave be-
fore the cod appear, or whether the
school IN its progress devours every
thing that comes in its way. is not
easily determined, but it is fact that
even the herring used by the fisher
men as bait have to be imported from
distance. The condition, however,
Is very fortunate one for the cod liver
oil manufacturers.