Traditions in freshwater fisheries in Norway Kjell Langdal

This lecture will contain brief introductions to these traditions regarding: The different forms of fishing or harvesting fish Traditional fishing gears, how they work and where being used Norwegian traditional specialities of fish as food

Norwegian freshwaters…. Norwegian watercourses are very diverse in terms of productivity, fish species present and fishing conditions In large areas, we have few-species and single-species fish communities, mainly salmonid communities (brown trout or brown trout and arctic char) In rivers along the coast, the Atlantic salmon resides together with the sea-trout In general, Norwegian waters have low biological production but the quality of the catch can be excellent

REDIGERES I TOPP-/BUNNTEKST

Categories of fishing Subsistence fishing Commercial fishing Sport fishing (recreational fishing or angling) Leisure time fishing

Subsistence fishing Even though our waters are low-productive, the catches of fresh water fish were of high importance as food (for man) in many regions – i.e. the fishing had from the start a clearly subsistence character A witness of this importance is the extensive releases (spreading) of fish species to formerly fishless lakes and rivers Subsistence fishing is mainly carried our with efficient gears

Commercial fishing A bit unclear when ordinary commercial fishing in our freshwater started In the 16th century large regional markets arose (Kongsberg, Elverum, Røros) and fish and other nature products became merchandise (or used as exchange goods) Until Second World War, commercial fishing was running here and there, importance decreasing After SWW and until the 1970ies, almost no commercial fishing in fresh water existed Nowadays, commercial fishing is a tiny industry counting for about only 200 tons a year (the official numbers)

Angling or sport fishing Angling in Norway started when the English noblemen discovered the excellent fishing opportunities in some Norwegian salmon rivers This angling for salmon started from the 1830’ies and was actually the first form of tourism in Norway Gradually, the Norwegians adopted this way of fishing, but we should be aware of that subsistence fishing has elements of recreation and excitement Generally, the Norwegian fishing tradition is a mixture of harvest and sport, for most fishermen this is still the attitude (?)

Fishing gear The methods and gears used in freshwater fisheries were a lot more diverse than the ones used in the marine fisheries How could such differences come into existence? The multitude of gears was a result of the huge variation in the local conditions for fishing And that people invested a lot of their time and creativity in developing adapted gears, is an expression of how important the fishing and catches were regarded In addition to the gears, boats, fleets, boathouses and cabins were connected to the traditional fisheries in rural districts An efficient fishery requires normally use of boats, but we will not pursue this issue further

Fishing hooks We easily think that fishing with hooks came into use with the era of sport fishing, but this is completely wrong Hook and line fishing has been a major part of subsistence fishing Raw materials for hooks could be bone, wood (c. juniper), iron and bronze

The line Of course important that the line is strong enough as to withstand the weigh and force of the fish Formerly the line was made of linen, hemp or horsehair ( → ) Horsehair line was regarded the best and strongest except for its higher visibility

Specialized form of hook and line fishing Often used under the ice, but may be used at different conditions (in Norwegian: ‘støkrok’ i.e. standing hook) Not allowed to day according to most fishing licences, but if applied for in order to catch pike and other predacious fishes (which presumably harm salmonids), you may get permission

The pike claw

Otter-fishing (Norwegian: oterfiske) A long line above or in the water surface with numerous flies or small lures (spoons) from leaders along the line Can be an efficient gear when conditions are optimal Extensive used in subsistence fishing Even used in a commercial trout fishery in the lake Jølservatnet in western Norway

Entrapment gears - This gear has been a widespread one in the northern sphere Names: katisse (NO), katiska (FIN), probably of Russian origin Used in shallow parts of lakes to catch mainly perch, roach, bream and pike

Entrapment gears -

Catching devices for salmon The salmon has been the most valuable species where it existed in abundant populations During summer and fall, the diet at the farms was highly influenced by salmon Stories from districts along salmon rivers told that the servants and farmhands had agreements with the farmer that they should not have salmon for dinner more than 2 (4-5) days a week

A special device in the river Numedalslågen Name: Grinigipen

Link:

Fish as food and delicacy In subsistence and commercial fishing it is crucial to conserve the catch over time The catches from our freshwaters have a more seasonal character compared to the marine ones

Old conservation methods In salt (in dry salt or brine) for longer time Salted (lightly) and dried Salted, smoked and dried Dried (without salt) Fermented (lightly salted, Norwegian ‘rakfisk’) Naturally frozen (at wintertime, inland Norway) For more immediate consumption:  Gravlax (cured salmon)  Warm smoked fish

The production of ’rakfisk’

Thanks for your attention !