The French Government assumes control of all oyster-beds and fore-shores. As occasion may seem to require, an entire bed or part of it may be reserved from dredging for a certain time, that time being decided by the local commission. The general practice seems to be, to buoy off a third or fourth of a bed each year, which portion is only sufficiently dredged to remove weeds, mud, vermin, etc. The remainder of the bed is open to all licensed persons for a certain specified time. The following year another part of the bed is reserved, and occasionally portions are reserved for longer periods than usual. The local commission decides all matters pertaining to the beds in their vicinity, and is composed of the following officers: the inspector of the fisheries, the commander of the fishery guard, two gardes maritimes, and one fisherman, master of a boat.
The following are the most important regulations, made for the guidance of the commission by the Minister of Marine: The beds should not be opened for fishing until the "spat" has acquired strength to resist the action of the dredge—until the end of January, for example. When a bed has well-established breeding qualities, a fourth or fifth part of its entire area should be set apart as a reserve, and dredging over such part entirely prohibited. A fishery guard-boat should, whenever practicable, take part in the working of each bed. When a bed is foul, or encumbered with weeds or other matter noxious to the development or adherence of the "spat," it should be opened for dredging until cleaned. Beds on which there is never any production of "spat" should be opened all through the season. After the working of any bed is over, it should be carefully examined, and, if necessary, the "cultch" replenished. The close-time is between the 1st of May and 31st of August, and is strictly observed.
The above regulations and their strict observance have caused a great improvement of all the beds on the French coasts; but one instance will be sufficient to show the effects of a protective policy when understandingly conceived and rigidly enforced. In 1870, through over-fishing, the beds in the Bay of Arcachon had become entirely exhausted; but, by the strict protection afforded them, their fecundity has once more become so great (in 1876) that the waters of the bay from June until August are filled with the young swarm. On a bed, when dry at low spring ebbs, and comprising 26·7 acres, there were taken by forty or fifty persons, in some two and a half hours, about sixty thousand oysters. That part of the bed was immediately buoyed, and no more fishing allowed during the season.
Having seen what protection has been afforded the French beds, and with what success, let us see how that experience can be best used, together with such knowledge on the subject of our own fisheries as the investigations conducted during the past two years have given us. The deterioration of an oyster-bed and its impaired fecundity will be shown:
