Arctic fishing

SHRILL The cries of seagulls and the monotonous hum of diesel engines reach your ear. The nostrils smell of salt water and algae, as well as fresh, rotten smoldering fish.

Where we are? In Svolvær, a fishing village north of the Arctic Circle. One of the largest cod fisheries in the world is located here.

Approaching the harbor, there are fishing boats whose bottom sinks deep into the water due to the large number of fish. The activity on the beach is hectic; Everyone crawls to their seats and is ready to unload and process today's catch.

When I noticed that Havternen or "The Ocean Tern" was stuck on a dock, I took the opportunity to speak to the captain. He comes from Lofoten, a large archipelago outside of northern Norway.

“Fishing in Lofoten has really changed,” he explains, “although it's still a big problem”. When I was young there were about 32,000 men at work in Lofoten during the fishing season. It's only a tenth of that number now. ""

Fishing "Skrei"

I have found that large fleets of tailors hunt cod. Cod aged six to fifteen come to spawn in the Barents Sea in northeastern Norway. Looking for a place where the warm, salty Atlantic water mixes with cooler, less salty arctic water. The resulting temperature and salinity attract cod to this location in early January of each year. In addition to cod, fishing boats arrive from all over Norway.

I was curious about the type of equipment that can be used to catch large catches of fish. “A hundred years ago,” said the captain, “we used sailboats and rowboats, much like the old Viking ships. Today we use motorized knives from 6 to 21 meters long. These are equipped with advanced technical equipment.

“Most boats use nets attached to large limbs and are usually 2,000 meters long. These nets are not placed vertically in the water, but are visible as a sail full of wind, making it easier to catch fish in the nets. Others prefer the purse seine, a sack net that is placed while the boat is in motion and is pulled with a winch when the boat is stationary. Small boats can use lines with thousands of beet hooks. Or you can fish with what is called a trap, a single line with several hooks. When a fisherman draws this line in rhythm, the fish will follow it. ""

It seemed to me that so many fishing boats operating with different types of gear would create a lot of confusion. When I asked the captain about it, he replied:

“No, fishing activities are subject to detailed rules. The sea itself is divided into fields, and boats with the same fishing gear must remain in the same field. The patrollers guarantee the application of this law. ""

Fish herring

In addition to cod, it is an attractive fish for fishermen in many countries. The main Norwegian fishery is herring. Our captain comments: “And they are even more exciting than cod fishing because herring is more game.

“The fishing effort begins when the herring move to the Norwegian coast to spawn. We stayed in the harbor and waited. When the radio sends the message that the herring is on its way, we leave the port. Since herring are only eight to thirty-three inches long, we usually use a fence with a fine netting. Everyone on board is tense and excited. The radio is on, listening to a special "fishing wave", and we have all listened eagerly to the catch reports.

“On the deck of our ship, the eyes examine the eyes. When you see seagulls and swallows diving into and out of the sea with herring in their beaks, you know there are fish out there. A "sonar" is also useful. This instrument sends sound waves underwater and records its echoes. When sound waves are reflected from a school of herring, we "see" this on our recording screens.

“In this case, we will inform our grading teacher. He decides exactly when to publish the invoice. Before that, get on a small boat with another crew member and see the herring school. Then comes the command: "Drop the Spin!" With a single whistle, the knife turns at full speed and at the same time releases the net. When the circle is closed, the ticket becomes a bag. But the question is, "Have we taken the bank or has it lost it?"

“When the Seine rises slowly and carefully, we see. If successful, the bag seems to have run out of water. only silver and shiny herring. We can catch 300 to 400 tons of herring with a calf ball. ""

When the catch is transported ashore

I watched with interest the fish land. The fish was poured into a large bowl all around like men with sharp knives. I saw one of them fishing. An incision opened the stomach. Three quick hand movements cleared the intestines. Another cut or two and the head is cut off. Within seconds, the hard-boiled eggs, liver, and intestines ended up in three separate drums with their heads stacked on the ground. So he was the next fish with the same speed and skill.

After weighing and rinsing, some of this processed fish is packed in large wooden boxes, cooled with ice and transported all over the country for immediate consumption. Another part of the catch is salted, dried and exported as clipfish. However, most catches (about 50%) turn into "dried fish".

Its name comes from the fact that it depends on special air drying supply. It will be available until the summer. At the time, it weighed only a fraction more than fresh fish. Fish broth has a high nutritional value and is not easy to break down. If a catastrophe suddenly occurs in an area, this type of fish is useful as an emergency item.

"Almost all parts of the fish are used in one way or another," explains our friend, the captain. “For example, children can earn a lot by cutting the tongue from the fish's head. For many, the fried cod tongues are a real treat for dinner and sandwiches. The remains of heads and other remains go to the fishmeal factories. Hard-boiled eggs are frozen, preserved or made into caviar. The liver is steamed in cod liver oil, which is rich in vitamins A and D. "

Are we stealing the sea?

Our captain is very concerned today: “We are overloading the sea's resources. Several fish species are in serious danger of total extinction.

“Let's take herring fishing, for example. In the 1950s, oceanographers estimated the winter herring stock at between fourteen and eighteen million tons. Today it is almost extinct and herring fishing is completely banned in the winter. Some believe that the only way to save winter herring is to completely ban fishing. The cod stock in the Barents Sea, the basis for Lofoten's fishing, is also in danger. Although current catches are considered "good" by some, oceanographers consider the population to be "extremely low". ""

I asked about the possibility that different nations could agree on common quotas for the conservation of fish stocks. "It seems difficult to reach," said the captain. “One of the problems is to reach an agreement on what everyone can handle. Even if they agreed, the chances would be very high. Everyone is greedy. A remarkable example is what happened to whaling in Antarctica. Decades ago, tens of thousands of whales were caught each year. Today, elections are almost extinct in this region. And that despite many conferences, many agreements and dozens of fees! They were just talking.

“Economic considerations make things even more difficult. Fishing boats with equipment are expensive. These investments must generate interest. As fish populations decline, more efforts are being made to catch them. In addition, other countries use their fishing fleets. They also want to share our Norwegian coast. You can see that it is not easy to set catch limits. ""

Fishing in Arctic waters is not only good for humanity, it is also a lively and exciting activity. The depletion of fishery resources is not a result of marine life not being able to reproduce properly. The cause of this problem is the same one that arises from so many others that afflict humanity: human greed.