"us that "there has been no falling off" since 1827. George 

 Bruce, a fisherman at Peterhead, thought that " crabs have not 

 " diminished either in size or number." Peter Sinclair, a fisher- 

 man of Stromness, believes that the ground on which he fishes 

 produces as many lobsters as it did 30 years ago. Murdo 

 Morrison, of Bernera, similarly " believes that there are as many 

 " lobsters caught now " on the Atlantic coast of the Hebrides 

 " as there were 30 years ago." Kenneth Smith, a fish merchant 

 in Stornoway, " obtains as many lobsters as formerly." James 

 McSween, a fisherman of Stornoway, "has fished for lobsters for 

 "15 years ; gets as many now as he got 15 years ago." There 

 is, therefore, a minority among the witnesses who disbelieve 

 in the alleged decay of the fisheries. We are ourselves of 

 opinion that the crab fisheries on the east coast of Scotland 

 are almost universally deteriorating. We are also of opinion 

 that the lobster fisheries, as a whole, are falling off both in 

 the size and number of fish caught. But a distinction must 

 be drawn between the lobster fisheries in sheltered places and 

 the lobster fisheries farther from the shore or exposed to the 

 Atlantic. We have no doubt whatever that the patches of 

 lobster ground, which are sheltered or partly sheltered by the 

 adjacent coast, and where almost continuous fishing is pos- 

 sible, are being rapidly fished out ; bnt there are large tracts 

 of almost illimitable extent on the Atlantic shores of the Orkneys 

 and the Hebrides where the evidence of deterioration is much 

 less distinct. The fishermen in these places, prevented by storms 

 from continuous fishing, are compelled to observe a storm-imposed 

 close season. Nature, in fact, makes a close time of her own.* 



In those places where it was acknowledged that the fishery Decrease due 

 was falling off the decline was almost unanimously attributed t0 over-fishing, 

 to one of the three following causes, viz., over fishing, catching 

 immature fish, and fishing at inappropriate periods of the year. 

 For instance, Mr. Joseph Johnson, of Montrose, attributes the 

 falling off to over fishing and the want of a close season. Mr. 

 William Ritchie, of Whitehills, compares catching crabs in June, 

 July, and August to cutting green corn. William Thomson, of 

 Thurso, states that lobsters are fished all the year round, and 

 thinks that over- fishing is the cause of the diminution. Mr. 

 John Jamieson, of Edinburgh, attributes the decrease in lobsters 

 to over -fishing and fishing all the year round. Walter Noble, 

 fisherman, Fraserburgh, thinks that lobsters are too much fished 

 in summer and winter. David Gunn, fishmerchant. Wick, attri- 

 butes the decrease to over-fishing. Alexander Mitchell, chief 

 constable of Caithness, Robert Brough, fish merchant, Kirkwall, 

 John Robertson, fish merchant, Portree, and Mr. Maclachlan, of 

 Glasgow, are all of the same opinion. 



* It is, perhaps, worth observing that, when the herring season commences, the 

 more active men leave the crabs and lobsters, and go to the herring fishing. 

 40353. G 



