10 



THE PRAWN (NORWAY LOBSTER, Nephrops 



norvegicus), AND THE PRAWN FISHERY 



OF NORTH SHIELDS. 



By B. STORROW. 



It is a well-known fact that the Norway Lobster was an 

 extremely rare crustacean until trawling was introduced on 

 Tyneside. Since then it has formed an interesting and valuable 

 part of the catches landed at North Shields. Howse* records 

 finding nearly two bushels of Norway Lobsters on board a trawl 

 boat in 1858, and Mennellt draws attention to the large number 

 which had been caught since the introduction of trawling in 

 the district, and to their being sold in the fish shops, but states 

 that this lobster is not so abundant as the common lobster. 



Professor Meek suggested in April of last year that periodic 

 examination of the catches of Norway Lobsters might yield 

 information which would enable us to state a little more 

 accurately some of the facts relating to the condition of this 

 crustacean landed at North Shields, and caught off the coast 

 of Northumberland and Durham. 



The following figures, obtained from the statistics of the 

 Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, show the total quantities 

 of Norway Lobsters landed at North Shields since the year 1895. 

 It is evident from these that the fishing for Nephrops is of 

 increasing importance, and although the catch for 1911 was 

 below that of the two previous years, there is nothing to show 

 that the species is decreasing in numbers. In certain of the 

 years — those marked with an asterisk — are some months for 

 which no figures are available, and none are to be obtained 

 for 1896. Now records are kept with more care, and will there- 

 fore be of more value for future reference. 



