The Herring Fishery. 57 



clusively pursued by Dieppe and Rouen fishermen, who 

 caught this fish in the North Sea, and distributed it 

 over France and the Levant. Later, other maritime ports 

 entered upon this industry ; and in 1789 Fecamp had 50 

 boats occupied in the herring fishery. Now, after a 

 decHne of the fishery occasioned by the wars of the 

 Republic and the Empire, it has taken a fresh start, 

 and become of great importance to Dieppe and Boulogne. 

 The herring fishery is carried on in France on the coasts 

 of Dunkirk and Havre, from September to February or 

 March, and is sometimes continued till May. 



In France 180 vessels, of 8000 tons burden, are employed 

 in catching herrings for salting, and take about 8,500,000 

 kilogrammes a year. Of these vessels about 100 belong 

 to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer ; the rest to Dieppe, 

 Fecamp, St. Valery-en-Caux, Calais, Treport, and Grave- 

 lines. The number of vessels employed in fishing herrings 

 which are sold fresh is 470, of about io,coo tons burden, and 

 they catch on an average 13,000,000 kilogrammes annually. 

 They belong to the aforesaid ports, and also to those of 

 Barfleur, Berck, Dunkirk, Etape, Le Hourdel, Port-en- 

 Bessin, and St. Valery-sur-Somme. At Boulogne the 

 fishery is better organized than anywhere else in France, 

 and is carried on by means of associations composed of the 

 owners of the boats and the crews. 



A recent very productive year, in which but 109 boats and 

 1 506 men were engaged from Boulogne, resulted' in a catch 

 of 4518 lasts of fresh and salted herrings, the total money 

 proceeds of which were ;^i 18,015. I" 1873, 282 boats were 

 employed, of 8350 tons, and employing 3750 men. The 

 catch of herrings yielded over ;£'200,ooo, and the value of 

 the other fisheries carried on from the port ;^ 1 1 5,000 more. 



The take of herrings on the French coasts in 1873 



