The Monte Vista journal., 1899-07-15
THE GOLDFISH INDUSTRY.
rsa Bniien Fish at ons Tine n
Marrow 2strait.

-
Narrow estr.it.
Tho Goldfish are running At Lofoten
and the great Norwegian industry of
collecting and refining Gods livers is
now having its busy season, says the
Philadelphia Times. Lofoten is cele-
brated the world over as a point from
which tourists may witness the mid
night sun. and because here also is to
be found that wonderful whirlpool
which Pos made famous In his "De-
scent Into the Aaelstrom." But to
the scandinavians the place il honor
cd chisay because within q radius Of
few miles Of the islands are captured
all Of the codash from which millions
Of gallons Of cod liver oil are made
and sent all over the world to tho end
OF suiidins up innumerable run
down" human constitutions. Tho cod.
nsh arrive on the coast Of Norway dur
Ing January and February and the run
continues until the end Of April. The
number OF nsh rivals that of the great
salmon runs ON our own northwest
coast. Over 10000 ,OO0, 900 Goldfish are
estimated to have crowded into one
ford recently. Yet this was only one
shoal In hundreds. The averase sea.
sons catch at Lofoten alone ranges
from 100000 to $4,000, 900, depending
not on the supply OF flsh but on the
variable weather conditions. II is
probably the advantageous formation
OF the land that causes the ash to
come to Lofoten every year. The Lo-
foten Islands extend In a rocky chain
along the northwest coast OF Norway.
Inc arm OF the sea which divides them
from the coast is called the vestf1ord
The 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 fjords which run inland from
the Vestjord. 1t is in these waters
that the Goldfish come every year to
spawn. The hsh generally swarm on
tne banks surrounding the island, but
sometimes shoal will wander into one
OF the inlets and then 1t Is that the
terrific crowding mentioned above oc-
ours. The OstnoestJord is an inlet nine
miles In length and one mile In width
The 10000. 100000 flsh 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 con-
stantly at work hauling fish away.
There may have been more than 10.
eO0. 100000 fish present. as this e,,i-
mate Is based on the assumption tha,
each FISH would monopollze 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 mil
lion hsh were captured In the inlet
before the school was able to loosen II.
self from between the wedge formed
BY he shores Of tho inlet and scurry
on to the deep sea. Meantime, how.
ever. hundreds Of other fishing boats
were at work capturing the cod, which
we're swimming In numerous schools
out BY the islands. From this some
estimate Of the remarkable quantity
Of 6sh which come annually to Lofoten
may Be formed. One Of the remark
able features Of these fishing opera
tons Is that while the cod are run
ming no other hsh can be found ON the
coast. Whether they know enough
BY instinct to leave before the cod ap-
pear or whether the school In Its prog.
fess devours everything that comes In
Its way Is not easily determined, but
II Il . fact that even the herring used
BY the fishermen as bait have to be
imported from . distance. Tho con-
dItion. however. Is q very fortunate
one for the cod-liver oil manusactur.
ers.