I.— FRENCH FISH-FARMING AT 

 ARCACHON. 



The physical features of the basin of Arcachon where 

 are situated the most famous of French marine fish- 

 farms were described briefly in Bulletin No. 5, pp. 4 to 7. 

 As there stated the basin is a great backwater roughly 

 triangular in outline. Its area at full tide is about 35,000 

 acres, or approximately one-third the size of Pulicat Lake 

 near Madras. Like the latter Arcachon basin is mar- 

 gined along many sections of its shore by low-lying 

 marshes. These are specially extensive towards the 

 inner or eastern end of the basin where the river Leyre 

 debouches through a network of channels. These del- 

 taic flats and marshes when not protected by embank- 

 ments are liable to be overflowed during spring tides, 

 and at a very early date a large acreage was converted 

 into salt pans by the erection of dams fitted with sluice 

 Sfates. With the sea water admitted from the basin from 

 time to time to supply tue pans came abundant fry of 

 eels, mullet, and bass ; these found refuge in the connec- 

 ting ditches and in occasional deep pools where the salt 

 workers saw them thrive and fatten and found them a 

 substantial addition to their meagre fare. From this to 

 intentional reservation of definite areas for fish-rearino- is 

 a short step, especially as it must early have been noted 

 that such fish -rearing is a less hazardous industry than 

 salt gathering where the harvest is at the mercy of a 

 fickle climate. Till the middle of the 19th century the 

 methods followed remained extremely primitive ; at that 

 epoch consequent upon improvement in the means of 

 transport and distribution due to the introduction of 

 railways, this industry received much attention, methods 

 were refined, and further areas devoted to the purpose. 

 The trade was a very profitable one for the proprietors 

 till about the end of last century, the expenses of upkeep 

 being very small, and the prisoned fish bringing excellent 

 prices in Bordeaux whenever stormy weather interfered 

 with sea fishing. To-day the owners have to face les- 

 sened profits owing to the erection of large refrigerating 

 stores at Arcachon and Bordeaux where reserve fish is 

 kept in stock to meet the emergency of bad fishing 

 weather at sea. In spite of this the fish farms are con- 



