706 HISTOEY AND METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



Bright, the lobster fishery was extensively carried on as early as 1860, the catch being sold to 

 carters for their local trade. The business gradually declined, however, until, in 1870, it was 

 almost wholly abandoned. About 1872 it began to revive, and it has continued to increase in 

 importance up to date. 



THE PRESENT RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF LOBSTERS AS COMPARED WITH THAT OP FORMER 

 YEARS, ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENTS OF FISHERMEN AND OTHERS. 



EASTPORT, ME. Mr. Thomas Holmes, who has been in the fresh lobster and canning busi- 

 ness for over ten years, is very firm in his conviction that lobsters are steadily decreasing in 

 abundance from year to year, and that stringent laws are required to protect the fishery. Many 

 more small lobsters are now brought in than formerly, and four times as many traps are required 

 to obtain the same catch. The decrease has been most marked in the several rivers of the 

 region and in the coves and bays that border them. Formerly a large part of the fishing was 

 done in the Pembroke and Calais Elvers, in the former river to within two miles of the town of 

 Pembroke and in the latter as far as Eobbiuston and Doshe's Island. These rivers were once 

 famous fishing grounds, but now very few lobsters are taken above their mouths. Broad Cove, 

 back of Eastport, was also a rich locality, though now yielding but a small quantity. The 

 lobsters from the Pembroke Eiver averaged very large, and catches were often made in which 

 but few individuals weighed less than 4 or 5 pounds. Lobsters are more abundant this year 

 (1882) than they were in 1880 and 1881. Mr. Holmes roughly estimates the decrease for the 

 past ten years as about two-thirds. He is in favor of a more stringent law, prohibiting the taking 

 of any lobsters under. 10J inches in length. This would for a time affect the interests of the 

 fishermen, who would be unable to dispose of their small lobsters to the canneries, but the fresh 

 lobster trade would not be disturbed, and the former abundance of large lobsters would in time 

 be restored.' The canning interests would thereby be seriously interfered with, but no money is 

 now being made in the canning business at Eastport. 



Mr. Frederick Holmes thinks there has been little or no decrease, though he admits that many 

 more fishermen in the vicinity are now supplying the markets. His practical experience dates 

 back but a few years. 



Mr. William Martin is of the opinion that there has not been a very perceptible, if any, 

 decrease in the abundance of lobsters, though they now run smaller in size. 



Mr. George E. Eay, from careful computations based upon the books of Messrs. Pike & Faben, 

 canners, estimates the average catch per boat iu the vicinity of Eastport, for the season of 1879 

 (April 20 to August 1), at 3,939 pounds, the lobsters averaging one pound each. These are impor- 

 tant figures for future reference, but we have no data with respect to former years with which to 

 compare them. 



MACHIAS, ME. It may be said that Machias Bay is a very good fishing ground, the statements 

 of several persons warranting the belief that the average daily catch falls but little, if any, short 

 of two lobsters to a pot. A statement is made by Mr. O. S. Church, of Cutler, that one of the 

 boats fishing from that place in 1879 was paid by an Eastport firm for 6 tons of lobsters (about 

 11,000, by count), being the catch for one season. 



JONESPORT, ME. Lobsters are not abundant enough for the use of trawls, although Mr. G. 

 W. Smith claims that there has been no apparent decrease in abundance during the past ten years. 

 They do, however, run smaller now than formerly. The average season's catch per boat in 1880 

 was stated by one informant to be about 9,250 lobsters, and by another 10,000 lobsters. 



GOULDSBORO', ME. Mr. J. M. Williams states that lobsters are less abundant than for- 



