240 REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. 



Dutch take it aud reap the profits which Norway should enjoy." In 

 1753, the custom house at Leervig was abaudoned, and after that year 

 lobsters were chiefly shipped from Espeveer, a group of islands farther 

 out at sea, where the richest fisheries were carried on. Formerly, as has 

 been said, it was not allowed to fish or ship lobsters north of Leervig, 

 but later lobsters were also allowed to be exported from the southern and 

 northern Bergen districts, from which there had been constant com- 

 plaints regarding this prohibition. The export, however, was not con- 

 siderable north of the old lobster-ports ; for, according to Olrik, only 

 52,000 were exported in 1757 from the outer ports in the Bergen custom- 

 house district, the greater portion of which came from Sondtiordlaud. 

 Of these, only 1,000 wenttoEugland in English ships, the remainder going 

 to Hollaud. Toward the end of the eighteenth century, a great change 

 took place in the lobster-trade, as, after the war which broke out between 

 Holland and England in 1776, the Dutch lobster-trade was entirely 

 ruined, the English taking possession of it. 



The lobster-fisheries on the inner coast, where they formerly had been 

 carried on almost exclusively, decreased very much, so that in the Sta- 

 vanger district the shipping-ports of Stjernero and Nordstrand were 

 given up, as well as the outer port of Skudesnoes; and toward the end 

 of the century the export of lobsters was chiefly carried on, besides 

 from the old ports in the Lister and Mandal districts, from Tananger, 

 Buken, and Akre, in the Stavanger district, and from Espevser, in the 

 South Bergen district, to which afterward came the more northerly 

 ports of Salthellern and Rognesund. These shipping-ports had been 

 established through the exertions of a Bergen merchant, Mr. Wallace. 

 He was commissioner for an English lobster-company, which controlled 

 all the trade from Bommel to Nordfiord. Braudosuud later took the 

 place of Salthellern as a shipping-port. 



In order to encourage lobster-fishing and the lobster-trade to foreign 

 couutries, considerable changes were made in the custom-house arrange- 

 ments and the taxes to be paid for lobster-vessels. As it is of great 

 importance during the lobster-season to get the lobsters to the shipping 

 ports alive, every delay during the lading of the vessel, or every delay 

 in the time of sailing, will occasion the death of many lobsters. Special 

 custom house regulations had therefore to be made for the lobster-trade. 

 Such a special regulation from the end of the last century is here given, 

 omitting some unimportant points: 



" Until further notice, it is allowed — 



" 1. That both foreign and Norwegian lobster- vessels, when taking 

 lobsters in the ports of Salthellern and Espevser, may enter these ports 

 without going up to the custom-house, or without obliging the shipper 

 to go there with the papers of the ship, unless the ship has no certificate 

 of its gauge, in which case it must obtain one from the authorities in 

 Bergen. 



"2. These ships are not required, either going out or coming in, to 



