Ill 



H and number. The decrease began 20 to 25 years ago. They 

 * have decreased one half in the last 20 years." Mr. James 

 Muirhead, Edinburgh : — " Lobsters have decreased a great deal 

 " in size, not so much in numbers." Mr. John Jamieson, Edin- 

 burgh : — u The lobsters have diminished both in size and quan- 

 " tity." Mr. Joseph Johnson, fish merchant, Montrose, also speaks 

 to a falling off in lobsters. Walter Noble, fisherman, Fraser- 

 burgh : — " Lobsters have fallen off very much. . . Twenty to 

 " thirty years ago they used to catch 100, 70, or 80 in the 

 " 24 hours. They now get a dozen to half a score in the 24 

 " hours." William Dunbar, Brawl Castle, Thurso : — " Lochs 

 " Laxford and Erribol and the Kyles of Tongue are almost fished 

 " out. They would not now yield anything like half of what 

 " they used to yield." William Thomson, fisherman, Thurso : — 

 " Lobsters are getting scarce. Four times as many were taken 

 "35 years ago as are taken now, yet there are now four times 

 " as many boats fishing. Thirty-five years ago 2\d. and 3d. 

 " was the price of a marketable lobster ; now Is. 6d. is 

 " paid." David Gunn, fish merchant, Wick : — " From about 

 " 1860 there has been a decrease in the supply" of lobsters. 

 Alexander Mitchell, chief constable, Caithness-shire : — " There 

 " is no doubt that the supply of lobsters has been falling off." 

 Robert Brough, fish merchant, Kirkwall, " thinks that lobsters are 

 " scarcer. . . . Two men 20 or 30 years ago would take 1,200 to 

 " 1,400 lobsters in a fishing season. Now they would not get 

 " above 200 lobsters." Donald Macdonald, steamboat agent, 

 Portree, 1 2 years supercargo in the steamer " Clydesdale " : — " The 

 " lobsters now have fallen off so much in size that twice the 

 " number are put in a box that there used to be."" John Robertson, 

 fish merchant, Portree: — "The lobsters are not so plentiful as 

 " they were in 1862, but there is more difference in the size than 

 " in the number. The lobsters are measured by the barrel gauge, 

 " and lobsters below 4J inches, or wanting a claw, count two 

 " for one. There are a larger proportion of lobsters under gauge 

 " than there used to be. About 20 per cent, of the lobsters 

 " were under gauge in 1862, and about 50 per cent, are so now." 

 Kenneth Smith, fish merchant, Stornoway ; — " There are more 

 " boats fishing than there were, and each boat has more creels. 

 " The boats ought therefore to get more than they used to do ; 

 " and as they do not, lobsters cannot be so plentiful as they were." 

 Norman McLeod, junior, general dealer and fisherman, Tarbert, 

 Harris: — " Mr. Maclachlan, of Glasgow, was the first man who 

 <! started the fishing for lobsters in East Loch Tarbert. He sent a 

 " smack down about 22 years ago. The men fished for him in the 

 " winter season and spring. The fishery was very successful. 

 " There were not so many boats — not a fourth part so many — as 

 " there are now. They fished with creels. The few boats started 

 " at that time caught as many lobsters as the 44 boats catch now. 

 " Thinks, therefore, indeed is sure, that the lobsters are falling off 

 " in numbers in East Loch Tarbert. The lobsters are also falling 



