The North Atlantic Fisheries, 1100-1976 - University of Hull

fishermen from German and Danish coasts by the early fifteenth century.
In 1513 sources permit us to assess the numbers. There were 116 vessels
and 1,500 men, 400 of whom were Danes, mainly coming from the estate
of Riberhus. The Danish boats sailed the longer distance, which was
probably why they were the larger, averaging nine men while the average
German crew was six strong. Fishing culminated in 1520 with 2,580
participants. Soon after catches declined dramatically, and the fishermen
no longer came in large numbers. 318
The West Coast Cod, Haddock and Plaice Fisheries, 1450-1590
The Ribe skippers’ local resources off southwest Jutland were cod,
haddock and plaice, which were caught by handline and nets. The
fisheries were established already before the middle of the fourteenth
century, and when, sometime in the fifteenth century, the longline was
introduced they seem to have grown considerably. By 1585 the village of
Sønderside had the largest fishery of all Jutland according to the Dutch
cartographer Waghenaer (“is de grootste Visserye op gheheel
Judtlandt”). The local historian H. K. Kristensen has collected a lot of
evidence on this fishery; unfortunately, an unsystematic presentation of
the evidence and the lack of a comparative approach have meant that
historians have failed to grasp the importance of his findings. Ongoing
work by Bjørn Poulsen and the present writer will bring out the wider
significance of this fishery. 319
By 1581 there were 151 fishing boats according to the accounts of the
estate of Riberhus; the largest boats (‘everter’) had a crew of twelve,
while small boats probably had no more than five, six or seven men. If an
average crew consisted of eight men, 320 the total fishing population of
the estate of Riberhus would have been around 1,200 men. The fishing
season lasted from late February-early March through June and possibly
for one or two months in the autumn. Each fisherman would have needed
at least one helper on shore (a bait girl). In addition there would have
been fishmongers, innkeepers and other tradesmen. Further north, on the
estate of Bøvling, there may have been another 600 to 800 fishermen,
judging from the relative size of the dues to the King.
318 Kristensen, Gamle sydvestjyske fiskerlejer, 21.
319 Poulsen, Bondens penge. Holm, ‘South Scandinavian Fisheries’.
320 The average seems corroborated by the evidence presented by Kinch, Ribe Bys
Historie II, 863-4.
182