XIV 



the crabs unfit for human food are broken up and used as bait 

 The matter was first prominently brought under our notice at 

 Aberdeen, by Mr. William Paul, who stated that he " has 

 " often in November himself seen great baskets full of crabs, all 

 " of which were unfit for human food. These crabs are used as 

 " bait. The breast is pulled off and the back is used. The crab 

 " is the best bait, far better than mussels. A line of 40 score 

 u hooks is baited, one half with crabs (if they can be got) and one 

 " half with mussels or bullock's liver." George Bruce, fisherman, 

 Peterhead : — " Uses small crabs for bait in May and June, 

 " They are put on hooks to catch cod. During these months 

 " small crabs are valuable for bait. . . . Few partans " {i.e. large 

 crabs) " are used as bait. If it were made illegal to take these 

 " small crabs as bait it would be a little inconvenience to the fisher- 

 " men." Alexander Leper, fisherman, Muchalls : — " In the winter 

 " crabs are used as bait. . . . Every third hook on the long 

 " lines is baited with crabs, while two-thirds of the hooks are 

 " baited with mussels and bullock's liver." James Watt, fisher- 

 man, Gardenstown — "Would never consent to a law that would 

 <( prevent fishermen taking crabs for bait." Andrew Wilson, 

 fisherman, Macduff: — " They require a good many crabs for bait. 

 " The very smallest are a useful bait. . . . Would have no gauge 

 " for crabs, because it would prevent the small ones being used as 

 iQ bait." William Davidson, fisherman : — " He must have crabs 

 " of all sizes for bait for taking cod ; mussels are no good. The 

 *' cod come in seeking the crabs when they are shelling their 

 " shells. The bait he uses at that time is soft crabs." John 

 Strachan, fisherman, Inverallochy : — " It would be unjust to 

 " deprive the fishermen of the use of them " (the crabs) " as bait. 

 ee . . . Would greatly object to any law about crabs if the law 

 " proposed made it illegal to use crabs for bait during the 

 " months of July, August, and September, because the crabs 

 " then are the best bait for cod. If a law were made for pro- 

 " hibiting the use of crabs for bait it would be broken, especially 

 " in the case of old people, who then would be obliged to break 

 " the law in order to get a living." Finlay McLean, fisherman, 

 Wick : — " A great many crabs are broken up for bait in the 

 " course of the year. It would be a great hardship to prevent 

 t( the crabs being used for bait. There are six families in one 

 " village in Sinclair's Bay who live entirely by using crabs for 

 " bait/' 



The above affords sufficient proof of the use of soft and under- 

 sized crabs for bait in certain parts of Scotland, and also shows 

 that there are a good many persons who think that the destruc- 

 tion of those immature crabs and lobsters, which admittedly 

 takes place in certain localities on the east coast, is not only 

 excusable, but right and necessary, because it supplies a portion 

 of the bait required for the long lines. 



On the other hand, several witnesses were of a different 

 opinion. George Wood, Johns Haven, says he " has broken up 



