Belgium. 241 



Our shipowners are, at the same time, contractors. They supply sails, ropes, ferry boats, 

 barrels, &c. in fact, everything. They have coopers' sheds, sail-lofts, &c. Our fishermen 

 complain that they are not so well paid as the English fishermen, notwithstanding the enor- 

 mous profits realised by the shipowners. The fishermen receive only 6 per cent, on the 

 proceeds of the sale. Furthermore, 1 per cent, of this allowance is kept back, for the purpose 

 of making good losses, resulting from the loss of fishing-tackle, ropes, &c., which loss is 

 charged to the fishermen and owners, and when, at the end of the season, the accounts 

 are balanced, the share to be paid by the fishermen is deducted, either from their salary, or 

 from their share of the proceeds of the fishery. 



For p, long time there has existed a Fishermen's Aid Society, an association of mutual 

 assistance, which provides help for members when they can no longer go to sea. In order to 

 implant a taste for fishing among the children of the population on the sea coast, and to give 

 them at an early age some knowledge of it, an elementary acquaintance with the subject is 

 imparted in some of the normal schools. Monsieur Ch. De Smet of Ostend is one of the 

 promoters of the idea of giving instruction in fishery matters in these schools. He has also 

 had exhibited life-sized diagrams of the principal fish of our coasts. His collection, which 

 was shown at the National Exhibition of 1880, is now at the Ecole Communale at Ostend. 



Besides the maritime fishing, we have in Belgium river fishing, which, though less 

 important, is still of great value on the ground of public revenue and as a food product. 



The mountainous parts of our provinces are in a great measure restricted to river and 

 stream fish, on an average dearer, less nutritious and more irregular in the supply than sea fish. 



Considering the numerous and various advantages which the fresh- water fisheries present, 

 and in view of the impoverishment of our streams, the Government had for a long time been 

 urged to reform the legislation concerning fishing, which was governed by laws dating as 

 far back as 1669 and 1804. A new law was instituted on the 15th February, 1883. Good 

 results are expected from this law, and the measures which will be taken to enforce its 

 observance. 



The following are some figures relating to the distance in kilometres of the right of 

 fishing in rivers, streams, canals or parts of them, let out by contract. 



Rivers and Streams. Basin of the Escaut, 514,517 kilos; Basin of the Meuse, 540,238 

 kilos ; Basin of the Yser, 45,534 kilos ; total, 1 ,100,289 kilos. Canals. Basin of the Escaut, 

 417,898 kilos; Basin of the Meuse, 65,841 kilos; Basin of the Yser, 39,819 kilos; other 

 canals, 175,668 kilos : total, 699,226 kilos. Grand total, 1,799,515 kilos. 



The inspection and preservation of fishing in streams through public lands is vested in 

 the Belgian Department of Woods and Forests (L' Administration Forestiere). 



In the public canals and rivers, the fishing is let by tender, as in other state provinces, 

 or by licence when no other offers are made. There are fixed scales which form the basis of 

 these two ways of letting. 



The fishery rents amounted to In 1861, 40,180-58; 1865, 43,369-71 ; 1870, 40, 088' 97 

 1875,52,365-21. 



To assist in re-stocking our streams, the Government, on the 21st January, 1883, issued 

 a royal decree, by which fishing is prohibited for the space of one year in those parts of 

 streams, not navigable, that run through domains subject to the Department. 



In 1861 certain parties interested in such matters founded the "Belgian Society of 

 Pisciculture." Its object was to create one or more ichthyological establishments, to propagate, 

 according to the best method, all fish, crustaceans and molluscs, of this and other countries, 

 which are considered the most useful for consumption. This society was subsidised by Govern- 

 ment until 1866, when the stoppage of State grants caused the society to be wound up. It 

 had never been a great success, nor produced any important results. Its failure, however, 

 need not make us despair for the future, as the question of artificial fish-reariug is still 

 comparatively an open one. 



