OYSTER CULTURE IN FRANCE. 481 



been as many as fifteen banks and great prosperity among 

 the fisher class, at the period I allude to had become almost 

 oysterless. St. Brieuc, Rochelle, Marennes, Rochefort, 

 &c., had all suffered so much that those interested in the 

 fisheries were no longer able to stock their beds, thus 

 proving that notwithstanding the enormous fecundity of 

 these sea animals, it is quite possible to overfish them. 



An estimation of the effect of excessive fishing in France 

 may be formed by examining the results of such beds as 

 have records upon the subject. The most instructive of 

 these are the records of the production of the beds of 

 Cancale Bay, which extend over a period of sixty-eight 

 years from 1800 to 1868. The beds in the bay comprise 

 an area of about 150 acres, and from 1800 to 1816 pro- 

 duced from 400,000 to 2,400,000 a year. This, however, 

 was the period of the Napoleonic wars, and the fishing was 

 much disturbed by the presence of English cruisers. 



During this time the beds became so thickly stocked 

 that the oysters were in some places a yard thick. After 

 the close of the war the fishing improved, and the oysters 

 were removed in larger and increasing numbers until 1843. 

 From 1823 to 1848 it is supposed that the dredgers were 

 living upon the oysters accumulated during the period of 

 enforced rest, from 1800 to 1816. In 1817 the number of 

 oysters produced was 5,600,000, and until 1843 there was 

 a constant increase, the number taken in the latter year 

 being 70,000,000. In 1 848 it was 60,000,000 ; thenceforward 

 there was a constant decrease. From 1850 to 1856 the 

 decrease was from 50,000,000 to 18,000,000, supposed to 

 be the effect of over-dredging. From 1859 to 1868 the 

 decrease was from 16,000,000 to 1,079,000 ; the oysters 

 having almost entirely disappeared from the beds, though 

 on account of the suffering condition of the inhabitants of 



