[f. FISH v.1 + -ERY, or f. FISHER + -Y3.]
1. The business, occupation, or industry of catching fish, or of taking other products of the sea or rivers from the water.
In this and the following senses often preceded by some defining word, as bank-, bay-, coast-, cod-, pearl-, river-, salmon-, sea-, whale-fishery.
1677. Yarranton, Eng. Improv., 142. We have not one fourth part of Moneys sufficient to drive the Trade of England, and set up the neglected Fishery.
1769. Lloyd’s Evening Post, 22 Sept., 295/2. The British fishery at Iceland has this year turned out but poorly.
1890. Pall Mall G., 2 June, 2/1. The French fishery upon the coast of Newfoundland, once very large, has fallen away to a mere nothing.
2. A place or district where fish are caught; fishing-ground.
1699. Dampier, Voy., II. II. 124. It is a great Fishery, chiefly for Snooks, which they catch in the Lake.
1792. G. Washington, Lett., Writ. 1891, XII. 245. The landing by Bishop’s house, which used to be, and no doubt still is, good fishery.
1823. Byron, Juan, IX. xxxi.
| Where God takes sea and land, | |
| Fishery and farm, both into his own hand. |
3. A fishing establishment; collect. those who are engaged in fishing in a particular place.
1710. Lond. Gaz., No. 4713/3. Some English Gallies had destroyed the French Fishery there.
1788. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), II. 539. This produced an outcry of the Dunkirk fishery.
1885. E. R. Scidmore, Alaska, iv. 35. Under the new régime the Kasa-an fishery has distanced its rivals in quantity, while the quality has a long-established fame.
4. Law. The right of fishing in certain waters. Free fishery, an exclusive right of fishing in public water, derived from royal grant; several fishery, an exclusive right to fish derived from ownership of the soil; common of fishery, the right of fishing in another man’s water; common fishery, the right of all to fish in public waters.
1748. Lady M. W. Montagu, Lett. (1893), II. 167. The fishery of this part of the river belongs to me.
1767. Blackstone, Comm., II. 39. A free fishery, or exclusive right of fishing in a public river, is also a royal franchise…. He that has a several fishery must also be the owner of the soil.
1817. W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius, II. 772. A plea, which prescribed for a several fishery in an arm of the sea.
1832. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. V. (1863), 462. My friend Colonel Talbot, who, amongst his large manorial property, possesses a right of fishery for some mile or two up the river.
5. collect. Fish of different kinds (nonce-use).
1828. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. III. (1863), 491. Martha Glen having been long his constant customer, dealing with him in all sorts of fishery and fruitery.
6. attrib. and Comb., as fishery house, industry, law, etc.; fisheries act, exhibition; fishery-salt (see quot. 1884).
1528. in Archæologia, LIII. 380. The fyssherye house at Guisnes.
1864. Glasgow Daily Herald, 24 Sept. I have been stationed here as fishery officer.
1865. Esquiros, Cornwall, 132. The fishery women pointed out to me the surface of the bay striped with red and moving bands, which, according to them, indicated the presence of schools of pilchards.
1868. Peard, Water-Farming, xiii. 128. Until the last season, there were no fishery laws in France to direct what sized mesh should be used in netting, or at what season fishing should cease.
1883. E. R. Lankester, Adv. Science (1890), 215. If it is demanded that more accurate knowledge of fishery-animals shall be provided for the public use, then arrangements must be made to enable skilled zoologists to carry on the investigations required.
1883. Fisheries Exhib. Catal., 74. Fishery Salt.
1884. Chesh. Gloss., Fishery Salt, coarse salt made specially for curing fish.
1894. Daily News, 19 Jan., 5/3. As an outcome of the County Fisheries Exhibition held last year at Truro, the Technical Instruction Committee of the Cornwall County Council … resolved to establish a fisheries school.
