BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 51 
14.— SEA FISHERIES OF FRANCE AND ALGERIA IN 1885.* 
[Abstracted from the report to the minister of marine and the colonies. - ] 
FRANCE. 
General statements . — During the year 1885 there were engaged in the 
fisheries 23,877 vessels or boats, with a capacity of 160,299 tons, and 
manned by 85,915 registered sailors. To these should be added 338 
Italian fishing- boats, carrying 764 tons and manned by 1,094 men, 
which were engaged in fishing on the coast of the fifth maritime dis- 
trict (Toulon). Also 57,088 persons (men, women, and children) en- 
gaged in fishing on foot from the shore. These figures, as compared 
with those for 1884, show a decrease of 60 vessels, 2,225 tons, and 1,268 
men. 
On the other hand, the value in silver of the products of the fisheries 
amounted to 92,736,585 francs t [$17,898,161], showing an increase of 
4,775,461 francs [$921,664] over that of 1884, as is shown in Table I. 
This increase is particularly noticeable in the cod and sardine fisheries, 
while there was a considerable falling off in the herring fishery and the 
fisheries for those kinds designated as “ other fish.” 
The products of the cod fisheries at Newfoundland and Iceland, and 
of the herring, mackerel, and anchovy fisheries, as well as of all those 
designated as “other fish,” amounted in 1885 to 187,853,359 kilograms 
[414,141,515 pounds], against 149,661,099 kilograms [329,942,859 pounds] 
in 1884, showing an increase in 1885 of 38,192,260 kilograms [84,198,656 
pounds]. There was also an increase in 1885 of 82,258,815 sardines, 
7,302,022 oysters, 52,366 hectoliters [148,196 bushels] of mussels, 69,218 
hectoliters [195,887 bushels] of other shell-fish, and 205,381 kilograms 
[452,783 pounds | of shrimps; while there was a decrease of 131,816 crus- 
taceans (lobsters, &c.). 
On December 31, 1885, there were along the coast 48,621 fishery estab- 
lishments, occupying an area of more than 13,879 hectares [34,295 acres], 
and employing 49,068 persons. 
God fisheries . — The fishing schooners fitted out in the French colony 
of St. Pierre and Miquelon, the number of which in 1885 was 182, worked 
especially on Banquereau, where cod were found in great abundance ; 
while the vessels sent from France to fish on the Newfoundland banks 
also made a good catch. 
* “ Statutique des peches maritimea et de V ostreiculture pour Vannde 1885.” Paris, 1887. 
Translated from the French by H. P. Jerrell. For a corresponding article for 1884, 
see F. C. Bulletin for 1886, pages 219 and 305. 
t Throughout this article reductions have been made according to the following 
equivalents: 1 franc = 19.3 cents; 1 kilogram = 2.2046 pounds; 1 hectoliter = 2.83 
United States bushels ; 1 cubic meter = 35.31 cubic feet ; and 1 hectare = 2.471 acres. 
