43 2 OYSTERS, AND ALL ABOUT THEM. 



The oyster beds lying within the ground affected by 

 the Lynn Deeps Fishery Order are about nine miles in 

 length. Over a third of this area the Corporation can only 

 exercise its powers with the consent of the Corporation of 

 Boston, and the water bailiffs appointed by the two bodies 

 have authority in common within it. The remaining two- 

 thirds are under the control of Lynn alone. 



No serious effort has been made to regulate fishing in 

 the ground held in common with the Corporation of Boston. 

 In 1872 a close season was established from the zoth June 

 until the end of August, and in 1873 the bed was closed 

 during July and August ; but except at these times it has 

 remained continuously open. 



More attention was at first paid to the beds which are 

 under the sole authority of the Lynn Corporation. So soon 

 as the Order came into operation their northern half 

 was closed, and it was kept closed until March, 1875. It 

 was then open for three months, during so much of which 

 time as fishing continued 696,000 oysters were taken, under 



the superintendence of an officer of the Corporation, who 







enforced the use of the 2^-inch ring required by the terms 

 of the Order. The bed t s had only been opened a fortnight 

 when they w f ere found to have again become exhausted ; 

 and they were closed from the end of the three months 

 until further notice. The Corporation have not taken 

 advantage of the power given by the Order to close one- 

 half of the beds during the first three years after the date 

 of the Act confirming it ; and the southern half of the beds 

 exclusively belonging to Lynn, forming one-third of the 

 whole, were continuously open, except during the close 

 season of each year. The amount of protection thus 

 afforded to them was quite insufficient to restore the pro- 



