[1.^] 



EEL-FtSHING IN THE BALTIC. 429 



belouged to the state, aud have since been sold to private individuals. 

 As regards many of them we find it stated that they were bought by 

 the proprietors of Torup in 1697 ; but as late as 1850, 92 eel-fisheries in 

 the district of Kristianstad are mentioned as belonging to the state, 

 which, however, by royal decree of March 22, 1850, were either sold, 

 or, under the name of " fish revenues," leased to difl'erent parties. The 

 same was the case on the coast of Blekinge. In the district of Malmo 

 the state seems to have owned but few eel-fisheries, which shows that 

 tlie fisheries in that district were not very important (only two fish- 

 eries are mentioned to which the fishery regulations of 1S50 applied). 

 As far as 1 could ascertain there were no state or taxed eel-fisheries on 

 the remaining portions of our Baltic coasts. In Nilsson's "Fauna" it 

 is stated that taxed eel-fisheries are found on the coast as far north as 

 Heruosaud, but this statement is probably based on a mistake, and re 

 fcrs to the taxed eel-fisheries farther inland. All the taxed eel-fish- 

 eries are treated as property, for which a certain tax is i)aid. Accord- 

 ing to the old Danish law, the so-called "/or&'/nmde/«. " (coast front), aud 

 therefore the right to fish in its waters, belonged to the King,. who gave 

 it to his subjects, either fr^e or for the payment of a certain rent. It 

 appears from old documents that the nobilitj'^ enjoyed special privi- 

 leges to have free fishing and eel farms on portions of the coast be- 

 longing to them — privileges which were not enjoyed by any and every 

 owner of property along the coast. This exclusive right of the noble 

 owners of eel farms to carry on these fisheries in the sea was by the 

 law of Christian V extended to all owners of such fisheries. As most 

 of the eel-fishing grounds were probably taken up before these prov- 

 inces (Scania and Blekinge) were ceded to Sweden, no new eel-fisheries 

 have sprung up besides those which had been carried on from time im- 

 memorial. In certain portions of the west coast of Scania., e. g. near 

 Eaa, the eel-fisheries have been free. There is only one place where 

 eels are caught which belongs to farmers, the rest of the fishing places 

 being determined by the fishermen by mutual agreement. The one who 

 first marks the jfiace by anchoring the pole described above is con- 

 sidered to have the right to fish in that place during the 3'ear. Near 

 Grisslehamn the fishing water is divided among the shareholders in cer- 

 tain parts, which are worked in turn and are changed every eighth day. 

 If, for example, a shareholder has part a, he changes to h after eight days. 



\a\h\c\d\e\f\g\h\i\ 



and so on ; and if he closes the year's fisheries with part e, he com- 

 mences at/ in the following year. Every i)art is intended for four " horn 

 mor," but the owner has the right, if he desires, to set more. Quarrels 

 arise very frequently among the owners of eel-fisheries, caused by tres- 

 passing on each other's fishing grounds, by one of the owners of a pre- 

 ceding part setting too many '• horamor," and thus diminishing the 

 number of eels going into the succeeding "hommor," &c. As it some- 



