104 COMMISSIONERS OF INLAND FISHERIES. 



latter contention is a strong one, but in regard to the former, it is a 

 well-known fact that all the lobsters of a certain size are not caught. 



4. A Double Limit. There are certainly good points on both 

 sides of the argument presented in the last section, and it would be 

 impossible to give judgment in favor of either. The wisest plan, in 

 view of the depleted condition of the lobster fishery, would be to 

 adopt both. Laws could be enacted preventing the legal capture of 

 those under Sh inches and over 13 inches. As a help to the enforce- 

 ment of such a law the pots might be required to have an entrance 

 small enought to prevent those over 14 inches from entering. The 

 value of such a law cannot be too strongly stated, especially when 

 there is coupled with it laws penalizing the retention of egg lobsters 

 except to sell them to the State for propagation purposes. 



5. Close Time. The State of Rhode Island has passed laws 

 making the setting of pots and the taking of lobsters between the 

 loth of November and the 15th of April unlawful. There might be 

 some question also, whether these particular dates are the best, as 

 every month in the year has been included in the close season in some 

 State or other. Some restriction of this sort is certainly needed, but 

 there should be co-operation between all the States interested in the 

 lobster fishery. 



6. Prevention of Mutilation. In order to avoid the consequences 

 of retaining short lobsters, the fishermen have recourse to breaking 

 the lobsters in two. This makes it impossible to tell the length of the 

 lobster, especially when the parts of many lobsters were mixed to- 

 gether. To prevent this infringement, and also to prevent the use 

 of short lobsters for bait, laws have been passed in most of the lob- 

 ster-producing States, imposing a fine for possessing the mutilated 

 remains of uncooked lobsters. The canning industry was dealt a 

 severe blow by these laws, but in one State (Maine) special legislation 

 was made in regard to these factories. 



7. Further Regulations. In Rhode Island and some other states, 

 non-residents are prevented from engaging in lobster fishing and the 



