18 
Part III — Eighth Annual Report 
sea bottom within the territorial waters, and it does not divest itself 
of this right. Areas are let to capitalists and to fishermen, the 
State exacting a rental therefor, and granting certain privileges of 
fishing on natural banks to the seamen of its marine. In Holland 
there is a slight difference. The Government owns most of the 
oyster and mussel ground ; but there are cases where it is difficult 
to say whether the Crown, as representative of the public, or the 
proprietor of the ex adverse* land, is proprietor of the fishery banks. 
The system of letting the ground differs in the two countries, 
though in some respects it is similar. Before 1870 the oyster 
industry of Holland hardly existed, but in that year the Yerscke 
banks in the East Schelde were let to a society of fishermen for a 
period of eighteen years, at an annual rental of £2250. The 
fishermen, however, were incapable of managing this new venture, 
and on their application they were relieved of their obligation, and 
the banks were let to a society of merchants at a rent £500 less 
than was paid by the fishermen. At present these banks are let 
on lease, which expires in 1915, and the annual rental to the Dutch 
Treasury is £30,000. The beds are parcelled out in rectangular 
lots of limited size — 2 acres being the usual extent — and these are, 
on a fixed and advertised date, let by public auction for a limited 
number of years. The result of this system is an increasing revenue 
to the Dutch Treasury. In France the Naval Department, or 
Ministry of Marine, are charged not only with Admiralty duties, 
but also with the management of the fisheries. In parcelling out 
the oyster ground the French, like the Dutch, divide it off by means 
of stakes into lots of from half an acre upwards. These lots are 
either given to the conscripts who have served their time in the 
navy at a nominal rental, or they are let to ostreiculturists at 30 to 
35 francs per hectare in Arcachon, and at 80 francs per hectare in 
the Morbihan. The rental is therefore about 10s. per acre at 
Arcachon, and about 25s. per acre in the Morbihan. In Holland 
leases are generally given for a period of fifteen years, though there 
are cases where the let is for thirty years, with certain breaks in 
the lease. Some of the mussel-banks are let for five years only. 
In France, on the other hand, the tenure, though nominally a yearly 
one, is in practice longer, as if the beds are well cultivated and to 
the approval of the maritime authorities, there is no disturbance of 
tenure. When the Government in this way lets oyster-beds and 
derives a revenue therefrom, it exercises a certain amount of pro- 
tection, the lessees also guarding their own interests. In addition 
to police patrol, the larger ostreiculturists have also boats and 
watchmen of their own. In France the gardes-de-peche protect 
chiefly the Government oyster-beds, which are reserved for the 
marine conscripts, but they and the servants of the ostreiculturists 
also watch the pares of the capitalist. At Arcachon the bay is 
dotted over with pontons, species of arks, being in fact boats with 
houses built on them, which serve as watch-houses for the fisher- 
men — parguers — of the proprietors of the pare. 
Dr Fullarton describes fully the various methods of oyster- 
culture practised in France and Holland, and draws attention to 
the importance of distinguishing between the two processes of 
oyster -production and oyster-fattening. 
