270 THE PLAGUE OF OCTOPUS ON THE SOUTH COAST, 



It will be seen from the table that the yearly fluctuations in the 

 returns for these mouths are almost identical in character with the 

 fluctuations in the returns for the entire year given in Table II. The 

 returns for the six summer months, however, in 1900 are seen to fall 

 far below the returns for many years previously, both for crabs and 

 lobsters, but especially for crabs. The number of crabs landed in 1900 

 is returned as 596 thousands, and that of lobsters 319 thousands. The 

 returns for the previous year are, for crabs, 877 thousands, and for 

 lobsters 388 thousands. The returns for 1900 accordingly show a 

 diminution of 32 per cent, on the returns of the previous year as 

 regards crabs, and of 18 per cent, as regards lobsters. These decreases 

 are without parallel in the whole period of tifteen years covered by 

 the Board of Trade's statistics, the nearest approach being afforded in 

 the stormy year 1897, when the returns both for crabs and lobsters fell 

 by 15 per cent, below those of the previous year. The number of crabs 

 returned as landed on the South Coast in the summer months of the 

 present year is actually lower than the number returned for any of the 

 previous eight years, and of lobsters for any of the previous eleven years. 



These figures therefore show in a marked manner the disastrous effect 

 of the octopus plague on the shell fisheries of the South Coast during 

 the present year. Unfortunately, it is not improbable that the ill 

 effects may continue to be felt for several years to come, since a great 

 destruction of shell fish, both mature and immature, must have taken 

 place without directly affecting the statistics for the present year, 

 though it may be expected to exert a depressing influence on the 

 number of shell fish available for capture in succeeding years. 



A feature of considerable interest in these statistics is the suddenness 

 of the faU in 1900, although the first signs of the increase in the 

 number of octopus on our coasts were manifested early in the preceding 

 year. Bearing in mind the fact that the full effects of the plague were 

 already experienced in the Channel Islands and on the French coast 

 during the preceding year, and that there were no indications of any 

 local increase in the numbers of octopus on our coasts prior to 1899, it 

 seems exceedingly probable that the plague on our own coast is due to 

 an actual invasion of octopus from the opposite shores of the Channel. 

 This invasion began in 1899, but did not reach its height until the 

 present year. The probable cause of the invasion, if this interpretation 

 of the facts be accepted, is not far to seek. Enough is known about 

 plagues in general to justify the statement that while they are in most 

 cases attributable in the first instance to the effects of exceptionably 

 favourable conditions for reproduction and survival, the migrations 

 which subsequently take place are caused by the overcrowding and 

 dearth of food which necessarily ensue in the original locality. I need 



