APPENDIX. 101 



rocks. Herrick says that "every predaceous fish which feeds upon 

 the bottom, may be looked upon in general as an enemy to the 

 lobster." Among these the cod, the sea eel, and the dogfish are 

 particularly effective. So frequently are lobsters found in the 

 stomachs of these fishes that fishermen are not loath to state that the 

 lobster is their principal diet. The most important foe of the adult 

 lobster, however, is man, and his attacks are so successful that the 

 lobster unaided can not hold his own against them. 



14. DECREASE IN ABUNDANCE OF LOBSTERS. 



From consideration of the many enemies it is not wonderful that 

 the supply of lobsters all along the coast should become less. All of 

 the facts as given above are, to some extent, responsible for this 

 depletion, but excessive fishing is the most important. 



So strenuously is the lobster fishing followed up and with such good 

 success that often those who are best informed in regard to the in- 

 dustry are deceived by the large and, either constant or increasing, 

 number of lobsters caught and argue that the supply in this or that 

 locality is not decreasing. This deception is accomplished either by 

 an increase in the number of lobster pots or by shifting the gear to 

 grounds which have not been fished so extensively, or by both. The 

 demands of the market are certain to be supplied if human ingenuity 

 can find a way, and, as has been said before, lobsters are very easily 

 trapped. The items that should be taken into account in the consider- 

 ation of the status of the lobster industry are the extent of the area 

 fished, the number of pots actually set, the thoroughness with which 

 they are cared for, and the number of pounds, but also the number of 

 lobsters, caught. Furthermore, these statistics, to be of real value, 

 should extend over a period of at least five years. With the above 

 variables in mind it will be readily seen from any table of statistics 

 that everywhere along the Atlantic coast the abundance of lobsters 

 has decreased since the establishment of a market for them. 



