FISHING NATIONS AND THE FISHERIES 287 



when there are no sardines the result is poverty for 

 the fishermen, who have nothing to sell ; when there 

 are too many the result is poverty for the fishermen, 

 who sell at a wretched price and fail to cover their 

 expenses. The recent disturbances at Douarnenez, 

 which led to the military occupation of the town in 

 September, 1909, had no other origin than this 

 irregularity. The fishery was too good ; the manu- 

 facturers, whose warehouses were overstocked, were 

 unable to buy the fish, and the fishermen were forced 

 to throw it into the sea. 



If the equipment of the sardine sloops or cutters were 

 merely a matter of buying nets and sails, the losses, 

 heavy though they might be, would be less crushing ; 

 but the Breton fisherman knows nothing of fishing 

 without bait. The bait employed rogue, or salted 

 cod's roe is unfortunately very dear, costing .3 i6s. 

 to $ 4$. the barrel, and the fisherman must have at 

 least a barrel per week. As he is poor, he is often 

 charged excessive prices ; we have heard of corners 

 in rogue, of speculations of which the unfortunate 

 fisherman is always the victim. 



He, again, is the first victim when a dispute occurs 

 with the manufacturers. Of this fact the trouble at 

 Douarnenez affords an excellent example. After a 

 month of restlessness and turmoil, the manufacturers 

 and the fishermen signed a definite agreement on 

 October i4th, to the following effect : " Each boat 

 shall take not more than 8,000 sardines ; the minimum 

 sale price shall be 7 francs per thousand ; and the 

 manufacturers undertake to do their utmost to take 

 the total catch up to the number of 3,500,000 sardines." 

 Now, M. Prard has clearly shown that a master-fisherman 

 who sells his thousand for 7 francs only just covers his 



