454 The Commercial Products of the Sea. 



obtains from four to six hundredweight of coral in the 

 rough, which is at once carried over to Italy. 



Coral is found in more or less abundance along the 

 coast of the Regency of Tunis, Algiers, and the shores of 

 Morocco. The French Government, between 1806 and 

 1824, made repeated attempts to renew its engagements 

 with Tunis for a monopoly of the coral fishing, but it was 

 not until 1852 that France obtained the exclusive privilege 

 over the coral fisheries in the Tunisian waters for the 

 annual payment of ^355- 



The coral found on the Barbary coast is principally red, 

 but white and black, as well as the much-prized pink, also 

 exist. The latter kind is most frequently obtained on the 

 Galita and Fratelli rock banks. There are about 90 coral 

 fishing-boats at La Calle and 20 at Bona, chiefly owned by 

 Italians, three or four only being the property of Maltese, 

 who reside permanently in Algeria. From 80 to 100 

 vessels fitted out at Torre del Greco arrive yearly at the 

 proper season at La Calle, and 50 or 60 make Biserta their 

 fishing station. The coral fishery is but little practised by 

 the French, although a few boats follow this industry in the 

 Mediterranean ; several of them use the diving apparatus 

 to collect the coral. The exports from Algeria are valued 

 annually at about ^80,000. There are about 6000 

 Italians and Spaniards engaged in the Algerian fishery. 

 The French sailors do not like the hard work and short 

 food. 



On the Algerian coast the number of boats engaged 

 in this fishery has averaged of late years about 300, more 

 than two-thirds of which are Italian. The quantity of 

 coral obtained it is difficult to state precisely, but according 

 to the declarations of the fishermen it would appear to 

 average 35,000 kilogrammes. 



