18 



LOBSTERS. 



CRABS. 



Store pots. 



Spaioning. 



shotten lobster is not so good as a berried one, and if the shotten lobsters only 

 were eaten they would not be so good. 



Would rather have small she crabs than big ones. Always throws overboard 

 small she crabs. Uses trammel nets for bait ; catches crabs in the trammels, 

 and sometimes takes them out and sometimes kills them. 



(Examined by Mr. Buckland.) Lobsters and crabs are all put into cruives. 

 The cruives are 9 feet long by 3 feet wide by 18 inches high, and divided into 

 three compartments to separate the fish and prevent them from fighting. A 

 crab is the king of the sea. A she crab will spawn in November. Has found 

 them, after being in a cruive 10 weeks, full of spawn. A lobster after she has 

 shot her spawn is not in good condition. 



Stephen Bond {recalled). The crabs are in spawn in February and March, 

 and not in November. 



John Kelynack. Lives at Newlyn. Is about 80 years old. Never in his 

 life caught crabs and lobsters. Has heard old men talk of the fishing, and 

 agrees with the evidence offered by Captain Richards. There are very few crab 

 pots at Newlyn. 



No decrease. 



Used for bait. 



No decrease. 



Casting their 

 shell. 



LOBSTERS. 



Season for. 



Increase. 



Sennen, Monday, 18th September 1876. 



Present : 

 Frank Buckland and Spencer Walpole, Esquires. 



Richard Nicholas. Has been a crab fisher for 40 years. Crabs and lobsters 

 are no scarcer than they were. Fish are no scarcer. The price is better, and 

 the fishermen get more money. She-crabs have been thicker the last two years 

 than ever. Fishes from the Longships to 3 miles eastwards. Catches crabs 

 of 4 and 5 inches. Merchants will not buy crabs under 5 inches. Uses 10 or 

 20 crabs under 5 inches in a day for bait, and those that are not used for bait 

 are thrown overboard. There are 22 boats here now. 40 years ago there were 

 just as many. Would be very sorry to hear of anything to be done to inter- 

 fere with the fishery. They want to be left alone. 



John George. Has been here 20 years. Crabs and lobsters are just the 

 same as ever. They fetch a better price, and the fishermen make more money. 

 They are sent away by rail from Penzance. Merchants will not take crabs 

 under 5 inches. Thinks crabs shoot their shells once a year. Has found them 

 every year in a certain hole with their shells off in March and April. The 

 fishing ground extends from off the Land's End to Cape Cornwall, 4 miles 

 eastwards, and 3 miles seawards. Two lobsters under 1 1 inches go for one 

 The largest lobster he ever saw was 13 lbs. The men do not fish here till 

 April, and leave off in August. Does not want any interference with the 

 fishery, but desires to be left alone. 



William George. Agrees with his brother (the last witness). There are 

 more crabs and lobsters than ever. The railway has done good for the fisher- 

 men. The fishermen continually shift their ground. It would make no differ- 

 ence to put back berried hens. 



N.B. — There are between 60 and 70 fishermen at Sennen 

 present at the meeting, and agreed with the above evidence. 



about 30 were 



Boats. 



Cadgwith, Tuesday, 19th September 1876. 



Present : 



Spencer Walpole, Esquire. 



Edward Rutter. Is coxwain of the lifeboat. Has been crabbing 20 

 years. When he began there were about five boats, now there are 10 boats. 

 The fishermen fish on much the same ground as they used to, but go a little 

 further out. The ground extends on both sides of the Lizard, 4 miles west, 



