22 HERRING FISHERY. 



dance of iliotten herrings does not come on, until 

 January or even February. As fait fhotten her- 

 rings were known to be inferior to the full ones, 

 it was prohibited by a decree of March 24, 1687, 

 to continue this fifhery after the month of Decem- 

 ber, or to purchafe herrings from foreign veffels 

 after that time ; and in confirmation of this prohi- 

 bition, another decree was iffued in 1759, where- 

 in is added an order not to bring any fuch her- 

 rings to market, which has been fmce confirmed by 

 feveral regulations. 



The motives of thefe prohibitions were, that 

 the herrings falted in that feafon were bad, and 

 that thereby all thofe of the Channel were brought 

 into difrepute : that they were unwholefome and 

 caufed difeafes : and that the fifhing for herrings 

 in that feafon was deftruftive of the fpecies. 



There were fome reprefentations made againft 

 thefe decrees, and the filhermen of feveral ports 

 alleged, that herrings do not fpawn on the coafl 

 of Normandy. But this plea could not (land, as 

 it was manifeftly falfe. 



They added, that the Irlfh do not prohibit this 

 fifhery on their coafts, where there are great quan- 

 tities of fhotten herrings. But fhould the Irijh 

 be wrong in allowing it, it does not follow, that 

 the French fhould imitate them. 



On the other fide the herring merchants, who 

 applied for thefe prohibitions, had probably their 

 own advantage in view, viz, the felling their fifh 



dear, 



