342 INTERNATIONAL LAWS FOR THE 



which will show that all the laws that man can make 

 will not always regulate fisheries. The herring fishery is 

 recorded from the eleventh century. In the i6th, I7th, and 

 1 8th centuries mention is made of successive periods 

 of herring fishing, and also of its disappearance at 

 intervals of about equal duration, that is to say, from 

 sixty to seventy years. Thus, from the year 1747 till 

 1808 there was a great activity in the trade, when 

 the shoals of herrings disappeared, not to return till the 

 winter of 1877, when they reappeared on the coast in their 

 former abundance. The traditions of the country are that 

 they will now remain about seventy years and then 

 disappear again. The boats employed are a small class of 

 vessel, but no doubt the improvements now being made 

 by the Norwegians will be followed. 



Denmark and Denmark and Germany must be passed over, as the fishing 

 operations of these countries are of very limited proportions. 



Holland. The operations of the Dutch in the herring and line 



fisheries are of vast importance. The trawling also must 

 not be omitted. As regards the vessels they are rather 

 behind us, though in their ideas of catching the fish they 

 are considerably in advance. The coast of Holland 

 is very flat, with a fine sandy bottom, and from April 

 to August the flat or bottom fish draw in very close 

 to the shore. Our own fleets of trawlers work these 

 grounds in fine weather and do well. The Dutchmen 

 having the fish so close at hand trawl in a small class of 

 vessel known as schuits, some of them being open boats. 

 In years past a very profitable business was carried on by 

 some of our vessels, which used to fit out for what was 

 termed sole-buying, which consisted of visiting the fleets 

 of schuits and buying their soles, to bring over here. 

 These often realized a handsome profit on the price 



