258 THE WEALTH OF THE SEA 



The American lobster fishery first reached impor- 

 tant proportions in Massachusetts early in the nine- 

 teenth century. The fishery was not extended to 

 Maine until 1840. Here it grew very fast and soon 

 overshadowed in importance that of Massachusetts. 

 The Massachusetts fishery is now nearly exhausted, 

 and the Maine lobster catch is rapidly decreasing 

 from year to year. 



About 1870 the Canadian fishery became of impor- 

 tance and soon the Canadians were catching more 

 lobsters than were taken in all the rest of the world. 

 This lobster fishery is still far more important than 

 any other; but, unless conservation is practised, the 

 annual catch will rapidly dwindle, for the lobsters 

 are being caught more rapidly than they are 

 multiplying. 



Several steps toward conservation have already 

 been taken. Laws have been enacted in both the 

 United States and Canada which forbid the taking 

 of both immature and egg-bearing or "berried" 

 lobsters. Further, closed seasons have been inaugu- 

 rated. These regulations have retarded the decline 

 of the fishery, but either they are not rigorously en- 

 forced or have not been sufficiently stringent to 

 maintain the fishery even at its already low level. 



If the lobster were a rapidly growing crustacean 

 like the crab, the existing regulations would prevent 

 the decline of the fishery. But the lobsters grow very 

 slowly and do not reach sexual maturity until they 

 are about six years old and from seven to twelve 

 inches in length. If most of the lobsters over eight 

 inches in length are caught and sold, few can repro- 



