59

Complele statistics are lacking respecting the prices realized for the
quantities caught by motor and rowing boats; but assuming them to
have been the same as for the fish landed by the decked vessels, the
value (excl. curing costs) is as follow:

Deck vessels
1000 kr
15 780
35199
29785
15 128
20 322

1923
192¢
i925 . .
1926 . . . . .
1927

Open boats
nn) ky

Te

"0-163
5338
¥:1.39

Total
1000 kr.
221736
47457
39948
20 466
27177

THE PREPARATION AND SORTING OF FISH
Most of the fish is exported fully cured. The fully salted fish is
washed and then dried in the open air (sun-dried). Of late, however,
artificial curing has increased considerably, especially in the winter
nonths, and a number of up-to-date fish-curing houses have been built
'n Reykjavik and elsewhere.
In 1910 a law (cp. also law of 1922) established compulsory sorting
 of all fish for export abroad. Under this law all fish cured for
export and all salted fish (whether cured or not) which is to be sold
'n the Mediterranean markets, shall be sorted into standard grades by
official fish sorters under the supervision of chief fish sorters, who,
moreover, shall superintend the stowing of the fish in the hold. Every
shipment of fish to the above mentioned markets must be furnished
with a certificate written on the back of the B/L and signed by a chief
fish sorter.

FISH-OIL

Up to 1900 shark-fishing was extensively carried on, and train-oil
constituted the chief portion of the oil export. Since the beginning of
the present century, however, the catching of sharks has been gradually
declining, until 1927 when only one vessel was engaged in this pursuit.
 The quantities of fish-liver landed have been as follows:
Cod-liver Shark-liver Total
7006 Hi, 16 982 HL. 23 988 HI.
10 683 — 13070 — 23 753 —
7152 - 10 096 — 27248 —
26108 ~ 4818 30 926 —
38179 — 5180 - 39 359 —
34282 — 1164 — 85446 —
80 716 — 563 — 81279 —
129 472 — 126 — 132 598 —

897-1900 average
1901-1905
906—1910
911—1915
1916—1920
921-1925
1926 . . .
927 .