New-York tribune., 1874-07-04

from Pabellon de Plco
Tup Fprycu FIsuERIEs-In the Rerue Maritime
et Colonial for March, 1874 wo find summary OF the
sea fisheries of France for the year 1877. ms nas
not been prepared with the same care as IN previous
years and fails to give the tables OF aggregates Oh
the different fish taken at the several stations as
well as of the men and boats employed. All Iho
fpures however show gratifying increase as coiii-
pared with former statements, the total prouuo"'
amounting in value to more that 74OOoo" Haho''
being an increase of 100000. AS 1871 was Iio pes'
wear since 1877 when the statistics were hrs1 coi-
ected the exhibit is very satisfactory to french po
litlcal economists ~
The Weld for 1872 would have been still greater
but tor a decided decrease in the herring hs'ieiy'
This according TO the article referred to- was que 10
two causes: the frst that large stock was carr'eu
over from the previous year in consequence oi .no
competition produced by the large yield from JUG
coast of Scotland; the second the unusual amount
of stormy weather which prevail ed from the Degin-
ming of October to the end of the year.
The French fisheries arc divided primarily lheo
two classes those relating to the cod conducted on
the Banks of Newfoundland and about Iceland anu
those prosecuted on the coast of France itself The
products of the Newfoundland fishery amounted to
about 100000 francs with 1877 vessels being an IN
Il
over the number in 1871 The Iceland fishery al
forded about 640OOOO francs. with 2j2 vessels; an
increase of 600 francs and % vessels over the num-
ber in ISL The greater number of boats Tor much
smaller Weld in Iceland is due to their smaller size
as compared with the Bankers.
The total increase in the value of the codhshery
for the year amounted to about 2,S9WO francs Inc
shore fisheries proper yielded 24,2OiOOO francs WIN
force of 63 0G6 men and 1880 boats-a decldeu III
crease In all respects compared WIN lo,l' no
oyster fisheries Welded 1900 francs more than the
nreyous year. this being due to the greater ueseloP
ment of the trade and possibly to the success OF a-
cial measures for their Introduction as also 10 lc
regnlations TO prevent waste and injury The sar-
| dine fisheries of 1872 were much more productive
than those of 1871. the difference beng nearly |ooV'
n is very much to be desired that measures should
be initiated in the United states for determining !no
value of our fisheries, with some OF tue pIecIslol
pTactced in France, whose system ~ perhdVs llplO
Efficient than that of any other nation IN EUROPE
The Republic is divided into % districts, from eacl
of which is report OF the NUMBER OF iei M @
the number of vessels, with their tonnage, the pro
| ducts and the total yield-ln each case dOuDie
column being exhibited of the fisheries for the year,
and the difference. plus MINIS as compared with
the year preceding. There IL also supplementary
table, showing the line and seine fishing, without
| the use of boats, and other statistics. .
One fact of much Importance suggests ltSeI III inc
examination of these tables namely, the small eN-
tent to which the anadrOmous 1sh enter INTO the
food supply of France. Thus. we find mention OF Oh
the CAPTURE of salmon only tO the value OF l4OOO
francs of shad to the value of 1900 francs and of
smelts TO that of 5000. Although this is probably
far from representing the total catch Of these fish,
il is the highest figure reported from all OF the dls-
tricts into which the country is divided.
Among other points connected with the hsheties
| of France find one feature referred to III the
statist1cs of these fisheries that might very properly
he initiated in our country, namely, the estaD-
lisbment of extensive reservoirs both for fish and
crusaceans i'm which the living fish placed after
capture and kept for indefinite period of time, or
| unt wanted for the market. OF course the toatlng
boxes used in Boston and NewYork for keeping iish
alive in the vicinity of fish markets, answer GER
tain purpose; but the French establishments are on
a very large scale, and capable of keeping In excel
lent condition many hundreds of tons OF ilsh each