34 



CRABS. 



Decreased size. 

 Gauge. 



LOBSTERS. 



Close time. 



Berrien. 



CRABS. 



Spawning. 

 Soft. 



Season for. 



Soft. 

 Close time. 



Creels. 



Gauge. 

 LOBSTERS. 



Gauge. 



Boats. 



CRABS. 



Close time. 



LOBSTERS. 



Close time. 

 Gauge. 



Thomas Hall, of Beadnell {examined by Mr. Buckland). A fisherman for 30 

 years. Fishes about 3 miles north and 3 miles south of Beadnell, and about 4 

 miles seawards. The bottom is rocky. The crabs have not decreased in number, 

 bat they have decreased in size in-shore. The price of crabs has risen. The 

 very small crabs (say 3 inches) are hove away. Has had crabs as large as 5 lbs. 

 weight. Is in favour of returning small and soft crabs and of having no close 

 season. Is in favour of a close season for lobsters after May. They should 

 resume the lobster fishing after September. The object of the close season is 

 to save the breeding fish. There was a time when berried hens, however 

 small, counted as full lobsters. During the last few years small berried hens 

 have counted two for one. Never collects the berries and sells them separately, 

 but hears they are so sold. Thinks that the berried hen crabs should be 

 spared. They are thicker in May and June than at any other time, but crabs 

 are taken with berries all the year round. The crabs are thicker this year off 

 Craster then they have been for nine years back. This is in deep water. In- 

 shore the crabs are certainly decreasing. In November on some days one half, 

 some days more, some days hardly any, of the crabs would be soft. The soft 

 crabs are taken in 20 fathom water. They are unmarketable and unfit for food, 

 and ought to be returned. Some of the soft crabs are sold, however. There 

 are about 30 fishermen at Beadnell. There are three men to each boat, 36 

 creels to the three men. The creels are examined every day if the weather 

 permits. Sometimes, however, they cannot get out for the weather for a week. 

 Lobsters can get out of a creel, and he believes they go out claw foremost. 

 There are no cray-fish about here. 



Isaac Dickson (examined by Mr. Walpole). Lives at Beadnell. A fisher- 

 man for 28 years. Has been fishing occasionally for crabs and lobsters. When 

 he first went out used to fish for crabs and lobsters all the year through except 

 for three months during the herring season. During the last three years has 

 been catching crabs from October till the end of June. Before these three 

 years, used to begin in February. They commenced the October fishing 

 because they found the crabs and lobsters paid better than the white fishing. 

 They are mostly crabs in October, only a few lobsters. Gets a great many soft 

 crabs. Thinks this a very great waste. It would be a good thing to stop the 

 waste. Would, as a Beadnell man, be in favour of a close season for crabs 

 from the 1st July to the 30th November. Believes that the Beadnell men are 

 doing harm to the fishery of the autumn fishing. The lobster close season 

 should begin 1st June, and go on to the 30th November. Crabs and lobsters 

 are caught in the same creels. The fishermen fishing for crabs in June would 

 have to put back any lobsters they caught. A good many of the Beadnell 

 men would agree to this close season. Thinks the Coastguard might enforce 

 the close season. 



Is in favour of returning all small crabs to the sea. Thinks that all under 

 4 inches should be returned. Is in favour of returning all lobsters under 

 4 inches in the barrel. 



Crabs and lobsters are not increasing. More may be caught, but there is 

 more machinery for catching them. 



Charles Dawson (examined by Mr. Buckland). Lives at North Sunder- 

 land. Has been fishing for crabs and lobsters for 40 years. Thinks that 

 there are not much fewer caught, but there are more boats and men catching 

 them. Forty years ago there were about six boats here; now there are 16 to 

 20. The aggregate take of the boats is as. large as ever, but each boat gets 

 fewer. Is in favour of a close season commencing on the 1st July, and ending 

 on the 31st January. The crabs are not in season in these months. There 

 are about 50 crab fishermen. The population of North Sunderland is 900 to 

 1,000. Most of the fishermen are in favour of the close season he has recom- 

 mended. Is in favour of returning small crabs to the water. Is in favour of 

 a close season for lobsters commencing on the 1st June, and ending on the 

 30th November. The gauge for lobsters is 4\ inches in the barrel. It would 

 not do to return all lobsters below this size. But small lobsters ought not to 

 be taken. Cannot say exactly what the gauge should do. 



John Stephens (examined by Mr. Walpole). Lives at Beadnell. Has been 

 a fisherman for about 20 years. Heard part of Mr. Dickson's evidence. Is in 

 favour of a close season. Lobster fishing used, when he was a boy, to begin 

 on 1st December and close at the end of May. Crab fishing went on till the 



