276 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



most used. Herring ships continue hook-fishery between 



herring seasons, i.e. in winter and spring ; but the returns 



often amount to a clear loss, and the reason why many 



ships are not kept at home between herring seasons is 



chiefly to keep their crews together, and have men ready 



in June. At the same time, luggers sometimes use the 



trawl instead of the hooks and lines in winter and spring ; 



whereas a trawl-net and a keeled vessel were formerly held 



as objects entirely incompatible. What remains of the 



once important " beugvaart " is exercised by vessels of all 



descriptions and hailing from many parts of the country ; 



and it is therefore difficult to give anything like complete 



statistics of the business. The figures contained in 



Appendix L, and relative to exports of salt cod, will show 



that cod-fishery, the only branch in which no other gear 



than hooks can be used, has not shared the increase of 



other branches. The maintenance of prohibitive tariffs 



on foreign salt-cod in France has contributed much to 



keep the salt cod business down. Two more important 



causes have of late years likewise checked its progress. 



Firstly, a series of circumstances have contributed to keep 



the fish called gecp, the usual bait for cod-hooks, at 



inconveniently high prices. Secondly, profits are much 



greater in fresh fishery than in the salt-cod industry. The 



two are indeed much mixed up ; for most of the flat-fish 



and haddock brought home from hooking trips to the 



North Sea is sold fresh. 



Of fresh fishery it is difficult to give accurate statistics, 

 owing to the same circumstance just stated for hook- 

 fishery. Vessels of every description and from every 

 fishing port and coast locality are now employed in this 

 lucrative business ; and it is carried on with implements 

 of several descriptions, and in part jointly with fishery for 



