France. 259 



the Fund for Disabled Sailors awards help to the families of those who are lost at sea, and 

 in the different ports along the coast there exist benefit societies for fishermen. 



In France the maritime fishery is regulated in such a manner as to secure to'sailors the 

 free exercise of their calling, awarding to them at the same time financial protection when 

 help of this kind can be usefully given. 



.NOTES AND DATA CONCERNING SEA-FISHING AT BOULOGNE-SUR-MER. 



Official documents issued annually by the French Government prove that the Boulogne 

 port and fishing station ranks as No. 1 in the comparative series of the 61 districts into which 

 the sea-coast of France has been divided for administrative purposes. 



According to the latest statistics published, the Sea Fisheries for the whole Republic in 

 1881 gave employment to 80,875 men on board 22,125 ships and boats, of 149,297 tons 

 aggregate burden, resulting in sales of fish to the amount of 82,678,058 fr., or close upon 

 three million and a quarter pounds sterling. 



In this grand total the share credited to Boulogne station is entered at 10,439,605 fr., or 

 over 416,000, which represents nearly one-eighth of the total produce of French Fisheries, 



Next after Boulogne, with regard to the amounts realized, come Fecamp with 5,342,687 fr. ; 

 Dunkirk, with 4,521,748 fr. ; and Honfleur, with 2,285,425 fr. ; then Douarnenez, with 

 2,654,609 fr. ; St. Malo, with 2,625,718 fr. ; and St. Brieuc, with 2,562,660 fr. ; none of the 

 other Ocean, Channel, or Mediterranean fishing stations realized 100,000 for that year's 

 produce. 



Deep-sea fishing operations are carried on at Boulogne by a flotilla of ships and boats 

 manned by crews of 18 to 22, including two or three apprentices or boys. The yearly earning, 

 of the fishermen, whether they share in the profits of each venture when working upon thj 

 partnership system, or are paid by fixed wages, average 1500 fr., or 60. 



The boats, which for the largest proportion are luggers, have for the last 10 years been 

 supplied with small steam-engines working a capstan used in raising the nets, hoisting the 

 sails, taking up and setting the masts, and landing fish or barrels. Experiments were also 

 tried for a few years with screw-propellers ; but these have almost universally been discarded, 

 because the engine, shaft, and coal-bunkers took up too much of the available space, and the 

 screw itself fouled and damaged the nets and gear. 



The fishing trade in Boulogne is concerned with every branch of Sea Fisheries ; cod, 

 herring, mackerel, and "La maree fraiche" which includes every description of fresh table-fish. 



The ships used in the cod-fisheries range between 100 and 150 tons. Until quite recent 

 times they proceeded both to Iceland and the Dogger Bank ; but Iceland has only been 

 resorted to of late years by one or two ships, whereas a large increase is to be noticed in the 

 number of those working the Dogger Bank grounds : thus, in 1882, 59 ships were fitted out, 

 and their operations yielded 574,000 fr. out of a total sum of 598,652 fr. realized by all 

 the cod-fishing boats in the district. The Dogger Bank is preferred before Iceland, because 

 the men can carry on what is styled mixed Fishing (La Peche mixte), namely, both cod and 

 herring at the same time. 



Herring is the main stay of the trade; in fact it realized in 1882 a total sum of 

 5,778,944 fr., as shown by the sales effected in the Fish Exchange. The introduction of cotton 

 nets, in lieu of twine nets, has resulted in larger catches of fish, and their use now is all but 

 universal for herring drifting, although they nearly all are English made. In two or three 

 French ports cotton fishing-net factories have been established ; but even these must procure 

 their cotton from England. 



Mackerel are caught off the south coast of Ireland, and salted on board at once. This is 

 quite a recent branch of the Boulogne deep-sea fishing ventures, being first started about the 

 year 1868. It was carried on in the 1882 campaign by 52 boats manned by 966 fishermen, 

 and their catches, exclusive of mackerel kept in ice and landed at Boulogne, sold for 425,227 fr., 

 mostly at Fecamp, which is the recognized market for that description of salaison, all 

 attempts made to establish a trade for salt mackerel at Boulogne having met with indifferent 

 success. 



Fresh table fish, usually called La Marde fraiche, give employment all the year round to 



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