102 COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



II. METHODS EMPLOYED TO PREVENT EXTERMINA- 

 TION. 



As early as the decrease in the number of lobsters was observed,, 

 some 80 years ago, various States and the general government began 

 to contrive means to prevent the decrease and, if possible, to increase 

 the supply of this " king of Crustacea." Naturally the methods which 

 had proved satisfactory in the case of fishes were first used for the 

 lobster, i. e., legal restricting of the fishing and artificial hatching of 

 the eggs. These two methods will be considered briefly, and then 

 will follow a somewhat detailed description of the scheme of hatching 

 and rearing so successfully developed by the Rhode Island Commis- 

 sion of Inland Fisheries. 



A. LEGAL RESTRICTIONS. 



1. Protection of Egg Lobsters. One of the first laws enacted for 

 the protection of the lobster is that which imposes a fine on any one 

 retaining or destroying lobsters bearing spawn. The value of the 

 principle upon which this law is based is apparent to any one, espe- 

 cially considering the fact that lobsters carry their eggs for eleven 

 months before hatching. Unfortunately this law can be quite easily 

 evaded by scraping off the eggs. Furthermore, when it is remembered 

 that the female carries its eggs only 10 months in every two years, and 

 in the remaining fourteen months may be caught and sold, the value 

 of the law decreases perceptibly. It should be added that the pur- 

 chasing of egg lobsters by the various States and the federal govern- 

 ment prevents many from being scraped by taking away the incen- 

 tive and is therefore a valuable addition to the lobster legislation. 



2. Protection of Immature Lobsters. An equally early law of 

 easily recognized value is known as the "short lobster law." A 

 fine is placed upon the retention of lobsters under a certain length. 

 The idea in the framing of this law was to enable the lobster to reach 

 maturity and spawn at least once before it was lawful to capture it. 

 The legal length in various States ranges from 9 to 10^- inches. As was 



