The Belgian merchant fleet according to the Nederlandsche Staatscourant dated 6 January 1850

According to news item in the newspaper Précurseur d'Anvers consisted the Belgian merchant fleet 31 December 1849 of 154 ships (3 more as in 1848). Of these ships were 83 of Antwerp, 15 of Brussel, 23 of Ostende, 16 of Gent, 8 of Brugge, 1 of Hamme, 3 of Leuven, 2 of Mechelen, 1 of Boom and 1 of Niewpoort. There were the 3-masters Charles Quint of 488, Clotilde of 571, Duc de Brabant of 476, Fanny of 521, Macassar of 636, Océanie of 521, Phénomène of 504 and Princesse Charlotte of 677 tons, all of Antwerp and the Emanuel of 851 tons of Gent. There were 30 barks, 28 brigs, several schooner brigs, schooners and other smaller vessels and 5 steamships. In 1849 were 7 ships launched including 3 barks namely the Packet of 280, the Stanislas of 452 en de Van Dijck of 333 tons, the brig Gustave I of 271 tons all of Antwerp and 3 schooners, 1 of Gent, 1 of Ostende and 1 of Antwerp. Five ships were naturalised namely 2 frigates, 1 bark, 1 brig and 1 steamboat. Eight ships were wrecked namely the bark Dijle of Antwerp, 1 schooner kof, 1 belander and 5 pleit ships. The brig Jena was condemned and the pleit Twee Gebroeders broken up. Nine ships were being built including the frigate Leopold I and the barks Bellone, Columbus, Henri Joseph and Mathilde, 3 brigs and 1 schooner. The Russian schooner Hermann belonged also to the port of Antwerp (perhaps they mend to say that Antwerp was the homeport). Antwerp numbered 20 fishing vessels who most stayed in the harbour restless caused by the high fish taxes. Ostende had 113, Blankenberg 53, Heyst 30, Nieuwpoort 4 and la Panne 10 fishing vessels. In 1849 were 4 fishing sloops wrecked.