22 FISHERIES OF THE PROVINCE OF QUEBEC 



FRENCH FISHERY REGULATIONS. 



There were no well-defined laws or regulations in France 

 governing the sea fisheries until the edict of 1584 issued in 

 the reign of Henri III. Thenceforward, the administration 

 of the fisheries in French waters and in those of the French 

 colonies extended over the migratory as well as sea fish, and 

 over the curing of the fish, as well as the taking of them both 

 by sea and also from the shore. The sea fishery early attained 

 considerable importance, and was the source of an extensive 

 commerce. It was regarded with the greatest favor by the 

 heads of the state because it called for the services of ac- 

 complished sailors and so became the nursery of explorers 

 and discoverers and of recruits for the navy. 



DIEPPE. 



France was always more interested in the cod fishery than 

 in any other, for it called for longer voyages and better ships 

 than did the home fisheries, being chiefly made under the 

 old regime in Canada, as well as to-day by fishermen from 

 France off the shores of Newfoundland. These hardy 

 Normans of the early part of the sixteenth century were also 

 amongst the pioneer fishermen of Canadian waters. 



The French ports which furnished most of the ships and 

 fishermen for the cod fishery in its early days, were Saint- 

 Malo, Dieppe, Granville, Bayonne, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Les 

 Sables and Tile de Re. 



Salted codfish in the early days of the industry was chiefly 

 consumed in the interior provinces of France, while the prin- 



