The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1899-12-23
THE GOLDFISH INDUSTRY.
Ten Billion Fish at One Time In {
Narrow Strait.

NarroWTStrSit.
The Goldfish are running at Lofoten
and the great Norwegian industry OF
collecting and refining Gods livers is
cow having its busy season, says the
Philadelphia Times. LofoteI is cele-
brated the world over as a point frem
which tourists may witness the mid
eight sun, and because here also is to
be found that wonderful whirlpool
which Poe made famous in his De
scent Into the Maelstrom." But to
the Scand!navisas the place Is honor
ed chiefly because within a radius Of
q few miles Of the islands are captured
ell Of the Goldfish from which millions
Of gallons Of cod liver Oil are mads
and sent all over the world to the end
Of building UP innumerablc "rua
Eown" human constitutions. The cod
Fish arrive On the coast Of Norway dur
ing January and February and the run
continues until the end OF April. The
plumber Of fish rivals that Of the great
salmon runs on our own northwest
coast. Over 10000 600. oe0 codaah are
estimated TO have crowded into one
ford recently. Yet this was only oas
shoal in hundreds. The average sea-
sons catch at Lofotsa alone ranges
from 100000 to $1,000, geo. depending
not on the supply Of fsh but on the
variable weather conditions. It is
probably the advantageous formation
CT the land that causes the Ssh to
some to Lofotea every year. The Lo-
fotsn islands extend in a rocky chain
along the northwest coast OF Norway.
The arm OF the sea which divides them
from the coast Ia called tie vsstfjord.
Tha islands themselves are separated
from one another by narrow channels
through which the sea rushes with the
force of torrent every time the tide
rises and falls. There are few inlets
or small fjsrds which run inland from
the Vestftord. 1t Is In these waters
that ths Goldfish GENE every year to
spawn. The fish generally swarm on
the banks surrounding tho island. but
sometimes a shoal will wander Into one
OF the inIets and then II IL that the
terrific crowding mentioned above oc-
ours. The Ostnossftoyd is an inlet nine
miles in lsrgth and one ns!la In width.
The 10000. 100000 Ash 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 fathons the fish
were packed together SO closely as
to leave barely sufficient room to move
and the crews OF $500 boats were con-
stently at work hauling fish away,
There may have been moro than 49,
100000 fsh present. as this ssti-
mate Ia based on the assumption that
each fish would monopo. IS ten times
Its bulk of water In which to swim
although reliable witnesses state tina:
none Of the Ash could have had this
amount ut Its disposal. Thirteen mil
lion fish were captured In the inlet
before the school was able to loesen st.
self from between the wedge formed
by the shores OF the inlet and scurry
of to the deep sea. Meantime, how
ever, hundreds Of other fishing boats
were at work capturing the cod, which
were swimming in numerous schools
cut by the islands. From this some
estimate Of the remark ole quantity
OF fsh which coma annually to Lofotsn.
may be formed One Of the remark
able features Of these fshing opera
tio2s is that while the cod are run
ming no other fsh can be found on the
coast Whether they know enough
by Instinct to leave before the cod ap-
Fear or whether the school in Its prog
ress devours everything that comes In
It's way ia not easily determined. bu.
1t Is q fact that even the herring ussd
by the fishermen as bait have to be
imported from q aistsnes. The con-
dition, however, is very fortunate
one for the cod-liver oil naanufastur-
ers.