120 DEPARTMENT OF THE XAVAL SERVICE 



6 GEORGE V, A. 1916« 

 2. Apparent Non-success of Lobster Shipments. 



Although the United States Fisheries Department has been planting lobsters in 

 the Pacific for over forty years, and the Canadian Department for nearly twenty 

 years, I believe I am correct in saying that there is no record to show whether or not 

 any of these lobsters have survived to spawn and produce another generation. Scores 

 of the reports have been correct, but one is much inclined to doubt it after following 

 up so many of the reports only to find that the so-called lobsters were not lobsters at 

 all. In nine cases out of ten these prove to be sand shrimps, either of the species 

 Callianassa calif ornensis, or of the species Eupogebia pugettensis. Why is it not 

 possible to find out for certain if the lobsters are present in these waters? 



3. Eeproduction of Lobster. 



According to Herrick^ the female lobster is 6 or 7 years old when it first spawna.- 

 In British Columbia waters there have been about 2,400 lobsters planted. Of these,, 

 about 300 were planted in 1895. At most, even if those were old enough to spawn at 

 the time they were planted, there could not be more than three generations since. 

 We have no means of judging as to how many would survive from each batch of eggs,, 

 but they would do very well if the number were increased 100 per cent in each genera- 

 tion. In that case there might be 1,200 from the first lot by this time. In 1905 about 

 1,000 were planted. There would be but time for one generation of lobsters from 

 these, hence on the same basis of calculation there might be 2,000 of these. From 

 those planted in 1908, about 1,100, there might be as many more well grown or 

 perhaps old enough to spawn, making 2,200 in all. Of course, the mature lobsters 

 would keep on spawning, every two years according to Herrick, but even taking that 

 into consideration, the above estimate would probably be high, and this would not 

 make more than 5,000 in all. The distance from Secret cove, Sechelt peninsula, to 

 Sooke harbour, north and south, is approximately 120 miles; the distance from the 

 Second narrows, Burrard inlet, to Nanoose bay, east and west, is about 50 miles. 

 The area between these points would therefore be at least 4,000 or 5,000 square miles. 

 Consequently, if the lobsters have done well, there may be one to each square mile on 

 an average, provided none have moved outside of that area. 



4. Migratory Powers of Lobster. 



It is true that ordinarily -the lobster is sedentary in its habits, and we might 

 expect to find them somewhat massed around the points at which they were planted, 

 but even that would not make them very plentiful in any one locality. On the other 

 hand, from tagging experiments carried out at W ickford- we have record of some 

 rather rapid migration. One covered 12 miles in eleven days, another 10 miles in 

 less than eight days, and several others made records almost as good. Since that is 

 the case, if those planted were not in localities to suit their taste, they might have 

 moved off a few miles to find better ones. In this case they might be massed in some 

 locality not so very far away. What chance is there to find such a locality, or if they 

 are scattered what chances are there for any great number to be near the original 

 location? Efforts have been made time and again to locate them by means of lobster 

 pots, but in vain. There is little chance of getting them in such a way except by 

 accident. T];iey should appear in shallow water occasionally, but even if they did, 

 many of the islands are uninhabited or but sparsely inhabited, hence they miglit be 



1 Herrick, F. H., Natural History of Ihe Americnn liObste-. Bull. U. S. Bureau of Fisheries, 

 Tol. XXIX, 1911. 



2 Natural History of the American Lobster, p. 180. 



