﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  SPECIAL 
  COMMISSION 
  FOR 
  THE 
  INVESTIGATION 
  OF 
  

   THE 
  LOBSTER 
  AND 
  SOFT-SHELL 
  CLAM. 
  

  

  I. 
  GENERAL 
  ACCOUNT 
  OF 
  THE 
  LOBSTER 
  AND 
  CLAM 
  

   INVESTIGATIONS. 
  

  

  By 
  Hugh 
  M. 
  Smith. 
  

   DECLINE 
  OF 
  THE 
  LOBSTER 
  FISHERY. 
  

  

  The 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  fishery 
  having- 
  becorrie 
  such 
  as 
  to 
  occasion 
  

   much 
  concern 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  fishermen 
  and 
  State 
  authorities, 
  the 
  U. 
  S. 
  

   Commission 
  of 
  Fish 
  and 
  Fisheries 
  in 
  1898 
  undertook 
  special 
  inquiries 
  

   regarding 
  the 
  status 
  and 
  needs 
  of 
  this 
  industry. 
  At 
  that 
  time 
  no 
  

   branch 
  of 
  the 
  American 
  fisheries 
  appeared 
  to 
  be 
  more 
  in 
  need 
  of 
  

   intelligent 
  treatment 
  than 
  the 
  lobster 
  fishery. 
  Notwithstanding 
  the 
  

   existence 
  of 
  stringent 
  protective 
  laws 
  and 
  the 
  regular 
  prosecution 
  of 
  

   artificial 
  propagation, 
  the 
  catch 
  of 
  lobsters 
  along 
  the 
  entire 
  coast 
  was 
  

   steadily 
  diminishing; 
  and 
  it 
  seemed 
  evident 
  that 
  unless 
  active 
  meas- 
  

   ures 
  were 
  taken 
  to 
  increase 
  the 
  supply, 
  the 
  species 
  would 
  in 
  a 
  compar- 
  

   atively 
  short 
  time 
  become 
  practically 
  extinct. 
  

  

  The 
  decline 
  of 
  the 
  lobster 
  fishery 
  may 
  be 
  attributed 
  to 
  three 
  causes, 
  

   namely, 
  the 
  relative 
  infrequency 
  of 
  the 
  breeding 
  periods, 
  the 
  slow 
  

   rate 
  of 
  growth, 
  and 
  reckless 
  and 
  illegal 
  fishing-. 
  

  

  The 
  lobster 
  does 
  not 
  ordinarily 
  breed 
  oftener 
  than 
  once 
  in 
  two 
  

   years, 
  and 
  the 
  intervals 
  may 
  be 
  even 
  longer. 
  The 
  egg.s 
  arc 
  carried 
  by 
  

   the 
  female 
  for 
  ten 
  or 
  eleven 
  months 
  after 
  extrusion, 
  and 
  when 
  they 
  

   finally 
  hatch 
  the 
  3"oung 
  must 
  pass 
  through 
  a 
  long 
  series 
  of 
  larval 
  

   stages, 
  during 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  subjected 
  to 
  many 
  adverse 
  conditions. 
  

   If 
  they 
  survive 
  the 
  early 
  critical 
  period 
  and 
  establish 
  themselves 
  as 
  

   young 
  lobsters, 
  it 
  is 
  probably 
  four 
  or 
  five 
  years 
  before 
  they 
  become 
  

   adults. 
  Even 
  under 
  the 
  most 
  favorable 
  conditions, 
  the 
  dangers 
  are 
  so 
  

   great 
  and 
  the 
  enemies 
  are 
  so 
  numerous 
  that 
  onlj^ 
  a 
  small 
  per 
  cent 
  

   reach 
  maturity. 
  

  

  Overfishing 
  and 
  disregard 
  for 
  protective 
  laws 
  are 
  mainly 
  responsi- 
  

   ble 
  for 
  the 
  present 
  condition 
  of 
  affairs. 
  In 
  all 
  the 
  States 
  it 
  is 
  legal 
  to 
  

   capture 
  and 
  kill 
  at 
  all 
  times 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  but 
  all 
  the 
  States 
  on 
  the 
  New 
  

   England 
  coast 
  have 
  enacted 
  laws 
  prohibiting 
  the 
  sale 
  or 
  possession 
  of 
  

   lobsters 
  under 
  certain 
  lengths, 
  and 
  all 
  prohibit 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  141 
  

  

  