Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Page 321
THE ICELANDIC FISHERIES
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klipfish is the same as on the trawlers. Unlike the trawlers the
long-line steamers very rarely carry their own catches to ports
abroad, owing to the uniformity of the catches due to the fishing-
gear.
The many hundred motor vessels mostly fish with long-lines.
In one fishing-centre alone, viz. the Westmann Islands, there may
be up to a hundred motor vessels fishing during the season (Feb.—
May). The fish is brought ashore every day and cured there as
klipfish, or it may be taken to ports abroad in the fresh state by
trawlers or tramp steamers. In order to give an idea of the
abundance of fish on the spawning-grounds round the Westmann
Islands in the winter season it may be mentioned that over 200
thousand large cod may be landed in a single day.
As mentioned above the most extensive codfisheries take place
off the south and south-west coasts in the early spring, but be-
sides that considerable codfishery may take place in the cold water
area at other times of the year when the cod is stationary there in
search of food, or growing up (codlings).
Now we mowe to the north coast of the country where the
midnight sun looks down on the other great kind of fishery — the
herring fishery — which is a purely seasonal occupation, almost
exclusively taking place off the north coast of the country from
June to September, especially in July and August. The little town
of Siglufjörd is well-known as one of the greatest herring-fishing
centres of Europe, a town whose population of 3000 during the
greater part of the year rises to 15000 during the season. Great
caravans of people from all parts of the country throng to this
and other herring places on the north coast, — men and especially
women to do the work ashore, clerks, business people and herring
buyers, both Icelandic and foreign. A room can hardly be found
and wherever food is sold every chair is occupied. Six herring-
meal and oil factories are in full activity all day and every day
during the season, and that in spite of the fact that twelve similar
factories are to be found in other places in the country. A great
number of vessels enter and leave the harbour, and when new
and good herrings are brought ashore they are cured in different
ways for food and exported to Sweden, Denmark, Germany,
Poland, Russia, the U. S. A. and other countries. The older parts
of the herring catches are automatically conveyed to tanks at-
tached to the factories where they await their turn to be made
into herring oil. And on the Arctic Sea outside the f jords there is a