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  portion 
  is 
  only 
  sufRciently 
  dredged 
  to 
  remove 
  weeds, 
  mud, 
  

   vermin, 
  &c. 
  The 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  is 
  opened 
  to 
  all 
  licensed 
  

   persons 
  for 
  a 
  certain 
  specified 
  time. 
  The 
  following 
  year 
  an- 
  

   other 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  bank 
  is 
  reserved, 
  and 
  occasionally 
  parts 
  are 
  

   reserved 
  for 
  a 
  longer 
  period. 
  The 
  local 
  commission 
  decides 
  

   all 
  matters 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  beds 
  and 
  their 
  "vicinity, 
  and 
  is 
  

   composed 
  of 
  the 
  following 
  officers 
  : 
  The 
  Inspector 
  of 
  the 
  Fish- 
  

   eries, 
  the 
  Commander 
  of 
  the 
  Fishery 
  Guard, 
  two 
  " 
  Gardes- 
  

   Maritimes, 
  one 
  fisherman, 
  master 
  of 
  a 
  boat. 
  The 
  following 
  

   are 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  regulations 
  made 
  for 
  the 
  guidance 
  of 
  

   the 
  Commissions 
  by 
  the 
  Minister 
  of 
  the 
  Marine 
  : 
  The 
  beds 
  

   should 
  not 
  be 
  opened 
  for 
  fishing 
  until 
  the 
  spat 
  has 
  acquired 
  

   strength 
  to 
  resist 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  dredge 
  ; 
  until 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  

   January, 
  for 
  example. 
  When 
  a 
  bed 
  has 
  well 
  established 
  breed- 
  

   ing 
  capacities 
  a 
  fourth 
  or 
  fifth 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  total 
  area 
  should 
  be 
  

   set 
  apart 
  as 
  a 
  reserve, 
  and 
  dredging 
  over 
  such 
  part 
  entirely 
  pro- 
  

   hibited. 
  A 
  Fishery 
  Guard 
  boat 
  should, 
  whenever 
  practicable, 
  

   take 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  working 
  of 
  each 
  bed. 
  When 
  a 
  bed 
  is 
  foul 
  or 
  

   encumbered 
  with 
  weeds 
  or 
  other 
  matter 
  noxious 
  to 
  the 
  devel- 
  

   opment 
  or 
  adherence 
  of 
  spat, 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  open 
  for 
  dredg- 
  

   ing 
  until 
  cleaned. 
  Beds 
  on 
  which 
  there 
  is 
  never 
  any 
  pro- 
  

   duction 
  of 
  spat 
  shall 
  be 
  opened 
  all 
  through 
  the 
  season. 
  After 
  

   the 
  working 
  of 
  any 
  bed 
  is 
  over, 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  carefully 
  in- 
  

   spected, 
  and 
  if 
  necessary, 
  the 
  cultch 
  replenished. 
  The 
  close 
  

   time 
  is 
  between 
  the 
  1st 
  of 
  May 
  and 
  the 
  31sl 
  of 
  August, 
  and 
  

   is 
  strictly 
  observed. 
  The 
  foregoing 
  regulations 
  have 
  caused 
  a 
  

   great 
  improvement 
  in 
  the 
  beds 
  on 
  the 
  French 
  coast, 
  and 
  the 
  

   regulations 
  of 
  otlier 
  nations 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  and 
  enforced 
  in 
  

   time 
  to 
  prevent 
  the 
  depletion 
  of 
  their 
  beds. 
  

  

  As 
  an 
  instance 
  of 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  this 
  protective 
  policy, 
  when 
  

   understandingly 
  conceived 
  and 
  rigidly 
  enforced, 
  the 
  beds 
  in 
  

   the 
  Bay 
  of 
  Arcachon 
  are 
  a 
  good 
  example. 
  In 
  1870, 
  through 
  

   over-fishing, 
  they 
  had 
  become 
  entirely 
  exhausted, 
  but 
  by 
  the 
  

   strict 
  protection 
  afforded 
  them 
  their 
  fecundity 
  has 
  once 
  more 
  

   become 
  so 
  great 
  (in 
  1876) 
  that 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Bay 
  from 
  

   June 
  until 
  August 
  are 
  filled 
  with 
  the 
  young 
  swarm. 
  On 
  a 
  

   bed 
  when 
  dry, 
  at 
  low 
  spring 
  ebbs, 
  comprising 
  26.7 
  acres, 
  there 
  

   were 
  taken 
  by 
  40 
  or 
  .50 
  persons, 
  in 
  about 
  two 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  

  

  