New Britain herald., 1924-02-01
HERRING MAKES
 BEST FISH NEWS
Norwegian FiordS Blocked Almost
 SOlidly by These Shoals

Washington, D. c. Feb. If newspapers maintained fish news" reporteds these men would keep the herring well "covered" for they con- tinually are furnishing big stories" (which is newspaper parlance for fact, not fiction). Dispatches re gently told how fiords in Norway have been blocked into a semi-solid state by herring shoals.
 John Oliver La Gorce. in a com muncation to the National Geo. graphic society, writes:
 Huxley has called mankind an as sociation of herring catchers, and f those fish be counted that are caught by fish which feed on them and in turn feed LIS, he probably has not missed the mark much.
 Schools Number Billions
 He also reminds us that single schools covering half dozen square miles may contain more than three billion herring; vet many schools have been recorded that covered an area of % square miles.
 "The herring family includes not only the herrings hut also the sar- dimes, the alewiyes. the shads, and the menhadens.
 "nistributed throughout the entire North Atlantic Ocean. the herring. lclupca harengusl is probably the most important food fish in the world.
 With so many other species in competition. the herring has never attained the popularity on the Ameri- can dinner table that it has on those Of Europe, where it forms staple diet for millions; but even in our waters il is widely taken north Of Cape Cod. Most of the fish are sold fresh, either for human or cod bait. Immense quantities of the young ones are packed and sold as sardines.
 Ten Billion Caught Yearly
 Years ago Professor Huxley csti- mated that three billion herring were boing caught annually. with the growth Of the fishing industry in Eu- ! ropean waters, il has been estimated l that the annual catch now exceeds l ten billion. a single shnal some times covers ten square miles and is estimated 10 contain at least half as many herring as tho whole world catches in q year, Many such shoals are known to exist.
 "'fhe herring. unlike most fishes, is particularly fine-GaNorcd at spawning time, and the fisheries are carried on busly during that season. Usually the herring Is taken with gill nets anchored below the surface of the { waters, in which so many are some times enmeshed as to sink the huoys. Other forms Of taking il are by means or wcirs and torching. The latter is particularly resorted 10 when cold weather sets in. A torch is sct in tho bow Of the boat. The fish rise 10 the surface as the vessel glides swiftly along, and are scoopcd in without difficulty.
 Have Many Enemies
 ''rhc food Of the herring consists principally nf red feed a minute surface-spimming crustacpan and shrimp, They are in turn prcycd on by a list Of enemies as long as the moral law, ranging from Hnback whales. parpoises and seals to cod. dogfish and squids.
 When schools Of enemy fish at tack the herring the sra gulls gre al- ways on the job tr gather mp ihp scraps Of the fray.
 "The lifr history Of the herring has never been completely worked out. Tho facts known indiratn that it lives In deep water off thc coasts. coming irshorc to spawn. Thrrr seems to be a number Of distinct races. diffef- ing as to size, spawning time and arions other qualitirs and traits, aach race swimming In separate school and having ifs own particular Iime and ground for spawning Tn" number of GEES laid by female ranges from 10000 to an.on0, it is aa4I t