714 HISTORY A1STD METHODS OF THE FISHERIES. 



time that the mass of lobsters that came near the coast during the spawning season was so large 

 that the comparatively inconsiderable number that were caught would scarcely be noticed. He also 

 thought that it would be so difficult to enforce the law, that it would be more injurious than useful. 

 Professor Sars thought that a thorough investigation of the spawning process of the lobster would 

 be the only safe basis of any law ; but this process was still very much enveloped in obscurity. 

 He supposed, however, that fishing could be carried on till the eggs came out of the ovary, and 

 were fastened under the tail, which took place in June, and fishing should consequently be prohib- 

 ited from June 1 till September 15. He did not think that the number of lobsters had decreased, 

 but that it only seemed so, because nowadays more people were engaged in fishing, and fewer 

 lobsters consequently fell to the share of each fisherman. He thought, however, that the lobsters 

 had diminished in size. In a later report he expressed his opinion that lobster fishing should be 

 prohibited from June till the middle of September. Prof. C. Boeck gave in his report, in the first 

 place, a description of the lobster's mode of life, and a criticism of the reports on the condition of 

 the lobster fisheries, sent by the governor. He showed from statistics that a decrease in the num- 

 ber of lobsters was both possible and probable, on account of the increased fisheries during the 

 past years. The lobster is a coast animal, and only stays where it can easily get a sufficient sup- 

 ply of food, therefore near the coast, and only as far from it as sea-weeds are found, among which 

 it finds the animals that constitute its food. Even if it wanders about, it does not go far, moving 

 in winter into a greater depth, and during summer into the shallow water near the coast. It 

 then swims about on the surface of the water, but never goes very far, its structure not being 

 adapted for longer journeys. The fact of the matter is, therefore, that a certain number of lobsters 

 belong to a certain extent of coast, which, by propagating freely, may increase if they have suffi- 

 cient food, or decrease from a natural mortality or too much fishing; and in this latter case, the 

 losses cannot easily be made up by lobsters coming in from the adjoining districts. There can, 

 consequently, be no doubt that the lobster can, on a given stretch of coast, be exterminated by 

 continued persecutions, or its number, at least, be diminished to such a degree as to make lobster 

 fishing unprofitable. Such an event would occur all the sooner if the coast in question be not 

 favorable to its increase. From the reports which had come in, it seemed that certain places were 

 less favorable to their propagation, or possible immigration from adjoining districts, than 

 others, and from such districts the complaints concerning the decrease in the number of lobsters 

 had come. In other places the bottom of the sea along the coast was a convenient place of sojourn 

 for the lobsters, and the number caught was but a small part of those that lived and were born 

 there. In such places the fisheries would be productive and steady. But even there continued 

 exhaustive fishing would diminish their number, especially if there should be an unfavorable year 

 for the growth and development of the lobster. Prof. C. Boeck considered it, therefore, not only 

 desirable, but even necessary for the-even maintenance of the fisheries, that there should be certain 

 limitations, so that lobsters should not be caught to such a degree as to make an entire stoppage 

 of the fisheries for a period of time necessary. He believed that the proposed law, in obedience to 

 which lobsters should only be caught at certain seasons of the year, would not fully answer the 

 purpose, especially as no fishing was going on during the proposed time of prohibition in those 

 districts from which there were the loudest complaints of the decrease of the lobsters. He thought, 

 on the other hand, that a law prescribing that only lobsters of a given minimum size should be 

 exported and sold, would keep the fisheries in an even condition. Regarding the size of the lob- 

 sters that were to be offered for sale, sold, and exported, he thought that, even if it could not be 

 definitely settled at what age and what size a lobster was capable of spawning, it could, to some 

 extent, be ascertained from an analogical comparison with the river crawfish. This is supposed to 



