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taking of too small crabs and lobsters during the fishing season. 

 A gauge alone would put a stop to the taking of immature and 

 undersized fish, but it would be no test of the condition of the 

 fish caught. 



But when we consult the evidence with the view 'of ascertaining 

 over what period of the year the close time shall extend, and what 

 shall be the size of the gauge, we find a great diversity of 

 opinion. Taking crabs in the first place, we find nine different 

 gauges suggested, varying from 6 to 3 inches measured across 

 the longer diameter of the shell,* while no fewer than 27 different 

 periods of close time are proposed. The most popular gauge is the 

 5 -inch which has 20 supporters ; and next to it are the 4^-inch 

 which has 10, and the 5 J-inch which has five. The close time during 

 June, July, and August has eight advocates ; that during Novem- 

 ber, December, and January, has five ; and that from 1st August to 

 1st April has four. At least as great a diversity of opinion exists 

 as to the most appropriate close time, and the most suitable 

 gauge, for lobsters. But with respect to the gauge, there are two 

 sizes which have far more supporters than any of the others — 

 in the first place, the 8-inch gauge, which has 30 supporters, 

 and in the second place the 9-inch gauge, which has 25. As 

 many as 23 different periods of close time for lobsters were 

 brought under our notice in the course of our inquiry, some wit- 

 nesses suggesting only one month, while others wished the period 

 prolonged to seven months. But among all the different periods 

 suggested, one had decidedly a strong majority of witnesses in 

 its favour — the period, namely, from 1st June to 1st September, 

 which had 12 supporters; whilst the next most popular period, 

 from 1st May to 1st September, had only six. It will be ob- 

 served, that both these periods of close time include the summer 

 months and the first month of autumn. But some witnesses 

 objected to both these periods on the ground that the fishing 

 in the stormy seas around the Orkney Islands, and in the still 

 more valuable and as yet imperfectly developed lobster fisheries 

 on the Atlantic shores of the Lews, Harris, and the long 

 stretch of islands extending from the Sound of Harris to Barra 

 Head, can only be successfully prosecuted in the summer months, 

 and that, if these months were closed the fisheries would be prac- 

 tically stopped altogether. It is, perhaps, a sufficient answer to 

 this objection that an overwhelming majority of the witnesses 

 who speak of the lobster fisheries in these stormy seas are in 

 favour of a close time during the summer months. For example, 

 five out of the seven witnesses examined at Wick, who gave 

 evidence with regard to the lobster fisheries about the exposed 

 coast near Wick, and in the rapid and tempestuous Pentland 

 Firth, supported such a close time. Donald Thomson, a fisherman 

 of 35 years' experience of the fisheries between the Ord of Caithness 

 and Cape Wrath, is in favour of a close time from 15th June to 



* The gauges suggested are as follows: — 6-ins., S^-ins., 5-ins., 4f-ins., 4^ ins., 4^-ins., 

 4-ins., 3|-ins., and 3ins. 



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