Chapter Hc± ching , p, 46 



Besides increasing the nuni er of broocl by protecting tlie feinrile 

 lobsters, v.-e can also obtain an increase in the lobster jjopulation 

 hy improving the possibilities of development for the eggs and the 

 young. 



The mother lobster crrries the eggs during the irhole devolop- 

 nent period - and there is no reason to believe that any hatching 

 technique can produce iiore eggs for hatching than the mother can 

 do herself - note, as long as it is permitted to live in frcedon* 

 But if thu spa-i/m lobster with eggs ready for hatching is sold for 

 consumption - or for export - then it is of course an advantage 

 for the population if the eggs are taken off the lobster, hatched, 

 and the "irood let free* In this country this "saving-v/ork", as vre 

 night crll it, has previously been practised by my father <, He 

 vras the first t.^ knov*- that loosened, eggs might be hatched success- 

 fully and he also designed apparatus for this purpose. But this 

 work was discontinued. This v/ork of his was not approved of bj;- 

 the authorities. His it'.ea w."s taken up in Canada and Nevir Poundlande 

 The eggs of the lobsters, ^vhich were used in the canneries, vj-ere 

 scraped off and hatched. Hov/ever^ the technique used there has 

 been very inefficient o Accrjrding to Ifcckay (1929) the result from 

 27^ million eggs at one station v/as only 100,000 three days old 

 brood. Olvioi'.sly enough, after such a result the work had to be 

 stoppedi. It is not enough to carry on hatching only theoretically. 



In this connection it night be of interest to mention that a 

 large quontity of the spovm lobsters hatch their eggs in floating 

 cars in the lobster storehouses « These are located in ■^''estland.et 

 and in the western pert of the Skagerak coast. Provided that the 

 cars are so op^en that the young can get out in the sea quickly, 

 the young will imr.ediately be living under nrtural conditions* 



Because some food remr.ins fall out of the cars when tlie lob- 

 sters get their food, usually some small fish gather underneath, 

 and the young which are released are therefore exposed to some 

 decii;xition. These storehouses . are no great source for the renCT/al 

 of the population. Because of the density of the lobsters in the 

 boxes is very high, they lose their external eggs, and the young 

 which are not let out of the boxes are eaten by the grovra up 

 animrls or by each other* 



With reference to v;hat is mentioned here we take it that hatch- 

 ing of loosened. spaT.Ti is only justified as an oction to save the 

 doomed eggs. It vfould be just r..s good to let the spatm lobsters 

 out in the sea again and let thexa hatch their , eggs themselves. 

 YJhich of these alternatives should be preferred. is a matter of 

 expense. 



94 



