78 THE OYSTER. 



from 16,000,000 to 1,079,00; the oysters having almost 

 entirely disappeared from the beds, though, on account 

 of the suffering condition of the inhabitants of the 

 shores, it was almost impossible to prevent it. In 

 1870 there was a complete wreck of the bottom which 

 could only be remedied by a total prohibition of the 

 fisheries for several years. 



From the beds of the districts of Rochefort, Mar- 

 ennes, and Island of Oleron, on the west coast of 

 France, there were taken in 1853-54 10,000,000 oysters, 

 and in 1854-55 15,000,000. On account of exhaustive 

 fishing only 400,000 could be obtained in 1863-64. 



According to the testimony of Mr. Webber, mayor 

 of Falmouth, England, about 700 men, working 300 

 boats, were employed in a profitable oyster fishery in 

 the neighborhood of Falmouth until 1866, when the 

 old laws enforcing a " close time ' were repealed, 

 under the impression that, owing to the great produc- 

 tive powers of the oyster, it would be impossible to 

 remove a sufficient number to prevent the re-stocking 

 of the beds. Since 1866 the beds have become so im- 

 poverished from excessive and continual fishing, that 

 in 1876 only 40 men and 40 boats could find employ- 

 ment, and small as the number is, they could not take 

 more than 60 or 100 oysters a day, while formerly, in 

 the same time, a boat could take from 10,000 to 

 1 2,000. 



According to the statement of Mr. Messum, an oys- 

 ter dealer and the secretary of an oyster company at 

 Emsworth, England, made before the Commission for 



