552 THE HISTORY OF DUTCH SEA FISHERIES. 



turbed development lay between November and February ; 

 others stated that plaice full of spawn had been caught in 

 May. A conclusive argument against restrictions was 

 drawn from the fact that they did not exist in the Zuider Zee, 

 where plaice, flounder, and turbot survived the effect of the 

 most absolute fishing liberty. It might have been added 

 that the trawl had been used in the North Sea without a 

 restriction for centuries ; that its use had only been inter- 

 rupted or curtailed between 1676-89, and 1825-53 ; and 

 that exhaustion of the coast waters, or scarcity of fish 

 positively attributable to over-fishing, had never occurred, 

 and the year 1856 was particularly beneficent for trawlers 

 and coast-fishers in general. Besides, foreigners were not 

 subject to the prohibitive laws, and were free to trawl off the 

 Dutch coasts in all seasons ; and, as a writer on the subject 

 not inadequately remarked, "if the sea could indeed be 

 emptied or fished dead (doodgevischf), it was but fair that 

 Dutchmen should have their share of the burial feast." 

 The rule for a temporary prohibition of the use of the 

 shrimp net, whenever fry of fish should have been found in 

 such a net, was opposed on similar grounds. It sacrificed 

 one branch of fishery to another ; and many held that fish 

 born under the Dutch coast will migrate to other waters 

 ere it be full-grown, whence to protect such fish in early 

 life would be to put bread into the' mouths of Belgians, 

 French and Germans, who would have the benefit of the 

 lives so preserved, although they did not use reciprocity in 

 the matter. Even a College, or Board of Fisheries, was ob- 

 jected to, although its proposed attributes were merely to 

 supervise assays, and advise Government in fishery matters. 

 The paralysing sway so long held over fishermen by Boards, 

 Colleges, and Associations of a very different nature 

 evidently scared some of the more uncompromising Free 



