lO REPORT OF COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



apparent reason why it should not continue to grow. According to 

 the statistics by Chief Deputy William P. Luth, there are now engaged 

 in the occupation 341 men using 226 boats and 20,011 pots. Their 

 present income at wholesale is approximately $150,000.00, so that the 

 fishery is equivalent to a five per cent, interest-bearing capital of 

 S3,000,000.00. On account of the present importance of the industry 

 and the increased difficulties and expense of enforcing the protective 

 legislation, your Commissioners have recommended to the considera- 

 tion of your Honorable Body certain changes in the present law which 

 they believe will facilitate its enforcement and give a fairer return to 

 the citizens of the State, to whom these valuable natural resources 

 belong, and upon whom rests the responsibility and expense of 

 maintenance. These recommendations are embodied in "An act in 

 substitution of Chapter 969 of the Public Laws, passed at the January 

 session, A. D. 1902, entitled 'An act in substitution of Chapter 857 

 of the Public Laws, passed at the January session, A. D. 1901, 

 entitled "An act for the better protection of the lobster fisheries," ' " 

 introduced into the Senate. The provision in the act substituting, for 

 the present method of measuring the lobster from tip of bone on head 

 to the end of tail, the measurement of the body shell alone, will be 

 of great convenience to fishermen and deputies alike. It leaves the 

 legal length of the lobster unchanged, and has the distinct advantage 

 that it will do away with the common practice of stretching of 

 lobsters just under the legal length. This practice has not only given 

 rise to irritating disputes, but has been the means of destroying great 

 numbers of young lobsters which are killed by the stretching, whether 

 they prove to be of legal length or not. The new method has been in 

 force for a year or more in Maine, and has proved very satisfactory. 

 The provision in the proposed law requiring all persons engaged in the 

 lobster fishery to be licensed is also strongly recommended by your 

 Commissioners. It should also be stated that the Conference of the 

 Fish Commissioners of the New England States, held in Boston in 

 December, 1908, at the instance of Governor Guild, formally and 

 unanimously resolved to approve of the licensing of lol)ster fishermen 



