20 



LOBSTERS. 



No decrease. 

 Store Pots. 



CRAY-FISH. 



Migration. 



CRIBS. 



Gauge. 



Price. 

 Pots. 



Price. 



lobsters, and scarcely ever sees one so small as 6 or 7 inches. It is not 

 necessary to have a gauge for lobsters. Very few berried hens are caught ; 

 but they are found all through the year. Cannot say whether it would be a 

 loss to throw back all berried hens. Keeps his fish in store pots, not in 

 cruives, and keeps them there a week or nine days. The smack ought to 

 come every nine days. All the fish go away by sea. 



The cray -fish are migratory and vary in number from season to season. Has 

 caught 50 or 60 a day, in some years, and in others not more than 12. Gets 

 the same price for cray-fish as for crabs. Is very well satisfied with the state 

 of the fishery. 



James Mitchell. Has been fishing about 10 years. Agrees with what has 

 been said by previous witnesses. Thinks that it would do no harm if she crabs 

 under 4^ inches, and lobsters under 7 inches were thrown back to the sea. Does 

 not catch on an average one 7-inch lobster in the season. Fancies fish were more 

 plentiful than they are now. Goes further out to sea now, and gets as much 

 money, but does not get quite so many fish. If prices had remained the same as 

 they used to be it would not pay to follow the fishery. When he was a buyer he 

 gave 13s. a dozen of 26, now the price is on an average 30s. per dozen. Thinks 

 8^ inches would be too large a gauge for lobsters ; but catches very few so 

 small as that. The pots are made hollow, and are 2 inches from rib to rib ; 

 they fish better this size than when made closer. The fishermen make the 

 pots themselves, and they cost about 24s. a dozen. The best quality of crabs 

 are those which are caught in trammel nets. 



Anthony Jane {recalled). When he fished first he sold his fish for 8s. a 

 dozen. The rise in price has done good. The lobsters from the Lizard ground 

 are one-third heavier than those in Falmouth Bay, but crabs are smaller. 



Edward Rutter {recalled). The Coverack fishermen come down here to 

 the Cadgwith ground. But there is a ground from Coverack to the Manacles. 

 This ground is better than the Cadgwith ground. The crabs there are better 

 but scarcer than at Cadgwith. The Mullion men have been doing less fishing 

 The weather has been bad. The Cadgwith ground joins the Mullion ground. 

 The crabs from the Manacles are best, the Lizard crabs come next, and the 

 Mount's Bay crabs come last. There are four boats fishing at Mullion ; they 

 are more exposed to the weather than the Cadgwith boats. 



The Ship Hotel, East Looe, Wednesday, 

 20th September 1876. 



Decrease. 



Close time. 



LOBSTERS. 

 Spawning. 

 Migration. 



CRAY-PISH. 



Decrease. 



Present : 

 Frank Buckland, Esquire. 



Richard Little. Is 50 years of age. Has been fishing for crabs and lobsters 

 for 20 years. Crabs and lobsters have diminished considerably. 20 years ago 

 there were six or eight crabbers, and now there are 20. Recommends that all 

 crabs under 5 inches should be thrown back, in order to preserve the fishery. 

 Fishing goes on all the year round, and the season should be shortened. The 

 fishing time should be from 1st March to the end of August. This would 

 allow time for crabs to breed and for the little ones to grow. Lobsters would 

 also be increased in numbers. Lobsters are caught full of spawn in March, 

 April, and May. After this they disappear. About June they fall off. They 

 are caught again in August, when they are " hollow," and looking for food, 

 and go into the crab pots in search of food. 



The smallest lobster he ever saw was 5 inches long. Catches hundreds of 

 prawns but no small lobsters. The cray-fish are all gone. The smallest cray- 

 fish are 1\ inches long. 



10 years ago the pots used to catch in one morning more cray-fish than 

 they do now in the whole season. 



