LOBSTER SANCTUARIES AND HATCHING PONDS -43 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 38a 



water entering from the hillside is insignificant, and in my judgment would in no 

 way endanger the life or undermine the vitality of any adult lobsters confined in the 

 pond. 



Notwitlistanding the great disadvantages, it is only fair that the plant should 

 be operated another season before a final judgment can be rendered as to th'^ suita- 

 bility of the pond for rearing young lobsters to the fourth or fifth stage The disad- 

 vantages, however, overbalance the advantages so much that in my opinion the board 

 would not be justified in asking the Government to expend any money upon the 

 cement pond, excepting a small sum sufficient to provide the adult lobsters with 

 shelters from the excessive light and heat of the sun, and perhaps a further small 

 sum in reducing the leakage. 



(6) While Long Beach pond is not likely to prove suitable as a reserve in which 

 lobster larvae can be raised to the lobsterling stage, it miy neverthele-s become even 

 more valuable to the lobster industi-y: (1) as a sanctuary for berried females during 

 the open season, and (2) as a mating ground for male and female commercial lobsters 

 after the open season has ended. 



LOCATION. 



Long Beach pond is an elongated area of about 5 acres of sea-wate," at low tide 

 and 7 acres at high tide. It is situated 4 miles from th? sou'hwe;t end of Digby 

 Xeck, Digby county, Nova Scotia. 



The sea-wall which separates the pond from St. Mary's bay on the east is nearly 

 2,500 feet long, and varies in width from 20 to 50 feet on top. It consists of boulders 

 of all sizes up to about 100 pounds intermixed throughout with sand and gravel. As 

 a consequence, sea-water enters and leaves the pond along nearly the whole length of 

 the sea-wall, but especially at points marked R.K.R., etc., on the general plan. 



TIDE§. 



The tide rises and falls in the pond between 5 and 6 feet at the lower or south- 

 west end, less, of course, at the upper or northeast end, and is later than the rise and 

 fall in St. Mary's bay by about two hours. This delay in rise and fall is due to the 

 obstruction which the sea-wall offers to the ingress and egress of the sea-water. 



For convenience of description the pond may be considered as consisting of tbe 

 five subdivisions, marked on the general plan as I, II, III, IV, and V. 



Division I is the shallowest part of the pond, consisting of a tsmall pool of no 

 importance at the northeast end. 



Division II is in some respects the most important portion of the pond. It is 

 known as the cement pound, being inclosed on all sides by cement walls. It was 

 constructed by the Department of Marine and Fisheries for the purpose of impound- 

 ing berried lobsters, or holding them during the open season, the intention being to 

 liberate them again at the beginning of the close season so that they might hatch 

 their eggs naturally in the sea. 



Division III, like Division II is very shallow at low tide.i varying in depth from 

 an inch or two to 8 or 10 inches in most places, but much of it is a mud-flat covered 

 with sea-moss (Chaetomorpha). 



Division IV, between the wooden fences (E. 1 and F. 2), is the deepest of the 

 pond. Here, over an area of about 25 feet by 50 feet, the water is about 5 J feet deep 

 at low tide. 



Division V is the part at which there enters and leaves probably two-thirds of nil 

 tbe water which composes the tidal volume into and out of the pond. 



Long Beach pond is not directly accessible by railroad, boat, or stage. As a con- 

 sequence, the cost of freighting construction material and all kinds of supplies to the 

 place is greatly in excess of what it would be, if a more accessible location had been 



