APPENDIX J: GERMANY _ 40 _ 



Thp positions of the oyster beds alter as a result of the changes the streams cause ;- 

 in general , they lie on the outskirts of the deeper channels of the "Wattenmeer" 

 (shallows). The banks are crown property and are leased from time to time to various 

 tenants. In 1865, the leases brought in 90,000 marks and about 60 families on Ârarum 

 lived on the catch. In the year 1881—82, 53^/4 marks were paid as rent for a ton of 

 oysters, but in general, only 534 tons of 700 oysters each were fished by the tenants. In 

 the working period, from autumn to spring, the fishery (1881 — 82) was carried on by 

 14 vessels, each carrying 2 men. "Since the spring of 1882", says Lin de m an (1888) 

 "the old beds have not been fished." 



It was the general opinion, that the banks were overfished in the years preceding 1879; 

 according to the tenancy-contract concluded in 1879, the government took full control over 

 the supervision of the banks and this was employed (in 1882) to stop the fishery for 10 

 years: the government banks "rested" until 1891 and were again opened only in the 

 autumn of that year. 



Their condition and value on reopening was, however, not satisfactory (winter 1891 — 92). 



Winter 1892 — 93. The government banks gave but a small yield. 



Winter 1893 — 94. The oysters come almost exclusively from the wild beds, as the govern- 

 ment banks are little productive. 



Winter 1894 — 95. No information concerning the government banks on the Schleswig 

 west coast. 



Winter 1895 — 96. The government banks on the Schleswig west coast have not revived 

 in spite of the long rest; a small quantity was fished, showing very good condition. 



Winter 1896 — 97. On the government oyster banks on the Schleswig west coast, only 

 24,000 oysters fished. 



Winter 1897 — 98. On the government oyster banks on the Schleswig west coast, only 

 300 tons were fished in the spring. 



Winter 1898—99. 100,000 oysters brought to Sylt were laid down on the government 

 banks. Take at Hallig beds was rich. 



1899. On the government banks on the Schleswig west coast, about 350,000 oysters were 

 broken. 



1900. The government oyster banks on the Schleswig-Holstein west coast are again, according 

 to report, almost exhausted; it is expected, however, that the warm summer of 1901 will 

 cause a good fall of oyster spat. 



Some notes may be briefly given here on the wild banks, in addition to the information 

 concerning the government banks. In the annual report for 1891—92 it is stated; 



«It is remarkable, how the oyster fishery has increased in extent on the wild North 

 Sea banks, which lie northwards from the East Frisian islands.» For 1891 — 92, the total 

 catch amounted to more than 1 million oysters at 3—4 marks per 100. In the winter of 

 1892—93, a number of the larger cutters were again busy on these banks, and the total 

 product was estimated at 1 million oysters. 



In the following years, the production was sometimes smaller, sometimes more successful. 

 In the winter of 1899— 1900, there were 30 of the largest cutters on the Elbe at this fishery, 

 and about 2,260,000 oysters were taken and landed. These made about 2-2 to 2-5 pfennig 

 per oyster at auction. The same number of cutters, in the winter of 1900— 1901, brought 

 in 1,910,000 oysters, which sold for 2-50 to 4-50 mark per hundred. In the winter of 

 1901 — 1902, the take of oysters decreased owing to the stormy weather of the spring: 

 altogether, only about 1,573,400 oysters were lauded. 



