140 WEST COAST FISHERIES. 



tangle area, gives a great space for the propagation of lobsters, 

 with many important results. The lobster hshery is indeed one 

 of the most valuable in these islands, and the one that has been 

 prosecuted with the greatest assiduity. But, owing to the want 

 of organisation and foresight, the people have not been careful 

 of the spawning lobsters, nor attentive to the question of size, 

 with the result that the fishery is declining, and must under 

 such circumstances continue to decline. For the lobster is not 

 properly a pelagic, but really a foreshore crustacean, driven 

 further and further to sea through the persistence of the on- 

 slaught upon it. It cannot go an indefinite distance, being an 

 inhabitant of the tangle area, and the fact that the lobster 

 boats of Barra have even now to proceed many miles out to 

 sea in prosecution of the industry, and carry double the usual 

 number of creels, points to a serious over- fishing and under- 

 ■ production. We have already indicated our belief that berried 

 lobsters should be either kept vmtil the berries have departed 

 as zo8e ; or relieved of them, and the berries incubated artifi- 

 cially. This pelagic habit, when in the zose and megalop stages, 

 prevents the possibility of their being readily carried further 

 artificially ; but they could at least be returned to their native 

 waters with a reasonable chance of supplying the annual catch 

 at the proper time. 



Everything that goes to make a prosperous fishing district is 

 to be found in Barra and its small isles, — abundance of bait for 

 lines small or large, good harbourage, good quays, a proprietor 

 willing to grant all facilities, and now both telegraphic and mail 

 communication directly with the mainland. It is consequently 

 in marked contrast with the south of Mull in these latter re- 

 spects, and although the latter is much nearer Oban geographi- 

 cally, yet the want of facility of access and harbourage, as well 

 as mail and telegraphic communication, prevent its steady 

 development. 



Barra is but showing what the other islands of the Bebrides 

 must promptly do, or the inhabitants will rapidly sink still 

 further into penury and hopelessness. 



THE BEST MEANS OF DEVELOPING THE CRAB FISHERY 



OF SCOTLAND. 



By W. Anderson Smith, Ledaig. 



[Pi-emium — Five Sovereigns.l 



It is well in the first instance, before seeking to solve this 

 question, to examine into the prior question as to whether there 

 is an important crab fishery to be developed ; and next it is 



