Norfish French Northeast Atlantic Herring Fishery 1520–1790

Whatever archived records may exist are sparse, unresearched and scattered.The clearest indications of the scale and geographic location of the French herring fishery may be found in old prints that indicate descriptions of fish, fishing grounds, countries involved and techniques; these prints dating from as early as the 16th century chart the places where the French sailed to catch herring: the coasts of Brittany, Normandy and Picardy, the English coasts, the Irish sea, Iceland and other places (Savary des Bruslons 1726; Duhamel du Monceau Henri-Louis 1772; Noel de la Morinière 1815).