5i8 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



policy. They asked that, by the abolition of clause 46 of 

 the Herring Regulations for the province of Holland, it 

 should be made lawful for every buss to transfer herring to 

 every other, during the whole of the season ; and that the 

 whole of the fishery should then be formed into one 

 Association, whose committee should at all times determine 

 a minimum price for the last of herrings, and regulate the 

 sale so as to keep up that price. The accession of all 

 shipowners to this association, and their submission to its 

 rules, they required to be enforced by depriving all out- 

 siders of the premium of 500 florins, and dividing the sums 

 which would have been due to them as premiums between 

 the members of the Association, whose premiums might 

 thereby exceed the former amount. 



The arguments preferred for this plan by those who 

 moved it were the following. As things were under the 

 Provincial Regulation of 1827, herring might only be 

 transferred to the licensed sale-hunters between June 24th, 

 or the opening of the season, and July I5th ; and the large 

 supply of herring during this " hunting-time " {jaagtycT) was 

 apt, in spite of the monopoly of " hunted herring " in the 

 home markets secured by the prohibition against busses 

 sailing home unless with a full cargo, to drive prices down 

 to a level insufficient for that precious delicacy, the noble 

 early Dutch cured herring. After the close of " hunting 

 time," i.e. when it was no longer permitted to transfer 

 herring from one ship to another, a scarcity of herring, 

 frequently set in, for it was manifestly contrary to the ship- 

 owners' interest to have their ships home, and stop fishing 

 for a couple of weeks, unless the necessity of bringing in 

 a complete cargo compelled them to do so. Thus, in 

 consequence of the " hunting " monopoly and its restricted 

 time of operation, many lasts of prime herring remained 



