The Danish fisheries c.1450-1800. Medieval and early modern ...

around the Reef of the Horn for the haddock fishery. The tax was levied on the boat, 1200
haddock were paid by large boats with crews of twelve men, while smaller boats paid half.
The fishery was first mentioned in
the thirteenth century and seems to
have culminated in the first half of
the sixteenth century when
quantitative sources become
available (see Figure 1). In the
second half of the sixteenth century a
long term decline occurred. The
decline in fiscal returns was
compensated by a new tax on the plaice fishery apparently introduced around 1550, and
which for a time made up for the loss to the King in financial terms. By 1630 the fisheries
were much reduced and remained at a very depressed state through the following two
centuries.
The species composition of the tax returns shows a variety of fish (see Figure 2).
Evidently, the main fishery in the medieval period was for haddock but flatfishes were as
important by the later sixteenth century. The relative importance of these two categories of
fish alternated again in the 1630s and 1640s when the haddock/whiting were more important
than the flatfish but altogether on a much reduced level. Other species are in evidence later,
and very likely also were caught earlier, but were only taxed when the other fisheries
declined. The long-term trend for all species, however, was of almost uninterrupted decline.
One point of dramatic decline stands out, namely the years 1627-8 when Jutland was occupied
by a Swedish force. The fishing settlements seem to have suffered a severe blow from which
they never recovered. However, the long-term decline was not determined by this single