136 A HISTORY OF THE WHALE FISHERIES 



two extensive fisheries, the Grand Fishery, which 

 was the herring fishery in the North Sea, and the 

 Small or Lesser Fishery, which was the whale 

 fishery at " Greenland " (really Spitsbergen). The 

 former was the subject of minute regulation, the 

 latter, though subject to various orders, was com- 

 paratively a free fishery, except that at first it 

 was confined to the Noordsche Compagnie. The 

 whalers, unlike the herring fishermen, could fish when 

 and where they pleased. The Dutch Government, 

 at the same time, was interested in the development 

 of the whaling, and made frequent grants of convoy 

 to and from the fishing grounds. There were also 

 prohibitions on the export of whaling ships and 

 implements, and the whalers were forbidden to take 

 service in foreign ships. In time of war the whalers 

 were not allowed to leave port, and they were not 

 exempt from the financial and other burdens placed 

 on the fishing trade in general. For instance, the 

 whalers were ordered to carry home the whole of 

 their blubber, oil, and whalebone, and sell them in 

 the Dutch markets, for the conservation of the 

 custom-house duties and the market tax. 1 



Except for this regulation there does not seem to 

 have been any regulation on the fishing; there was 

 no fishing season prescribed by law, neither were 

 there any rules for branding the produce, i.e., the 

 barrels or casks of train oil. 



1 Placaet, waerby den Groenlandts-Vaerders g-elast wert tot 

 conservatie der neeringen, licenten, convoyen ende veylgelt, hier 

 te Lande met haer ghevang-en visch, traen, etc., te komen, 

 sender eerst elders te mogen Zeylen. Groot Plac.-boek., i., 683. 



