40 



Pollutions. 



CRABS. 



Decrease. 



Pollutions. 



of alkali refuse is also brought down by the private hoppers of the alkali 

 owners. This is mostly Blue Billy, but there is a great deal of other refuse. 

 The Tyne Navigation Commissioners alone have dredged 500,000 tons of 

 rubbish a year. This has been going on for 20 years : 10,000,000 tons in all 

 must therefore have been deposited in the sea outside the Tyne. Has no doubt 

 that this deposit has filled up all the rocky ground at the mouth of the river, 

 and made it smooth. The deposit is heavy, and is not carried far by the 

 tide. Agrees with Mr. Lisle and Mr. Bolam that this deposit must spoil the 

 habitat both for lobsters and crabs. 



Reverend R. F. Wheeler, Vicar of Cullercoats. Has been at Cullercoats 

 15 years. Has taken a great interest in everything connected with the fisheries. 

 First the white fishery, second the salmon fishery, third the crab and lobster 

 fishery, are the chief industries at Cullercoats. Formerly the herring fishery 

 was also important, but the herrings have ceased during the last four years. 

 When he came to Cullercoats there were a great many more crabs taken than 

 are now. The decrease has been both in size and number. Is doubtful as 

 to cause of decrease, but is in favour of restrictions on taking immature fish, 

 and of a legal close season. Attaches importance to the refuse from the 

 hoppers, and especially to the polluted refuse. 



Justices' Room, Whitby, Friday, 17th November 1876. 



Decrease. 



Diode of 



counting. 



Gauge. 



Diode of 

 counting. 



LOBSTERS. 



Decreased size. 



Mode of 



ting. 



Berried. 



rauge. 



Present : 

 Frank Buckland and Spencer Walpole, Esquires. 



Thomas Smales (examined by Mr. Buckland). Has been a fish merchant at 

 Whitby for over 20 years. Deals in crabs and lobsters and all other fish. 

 Crabs have undoubtedly decreased both in size and number. It is an unusual 

 thing to measure crabs in this neighbourhood. Above a certain size, however, 

 crabs are considered " tale " crabs ; below that size they would go two for one. 

 A 5-inch crab would be a good " tale " crab. A 4-inch crab would go two for 

 one. Very small crabs, however, are also brought into the harbour. Many of 

 these are less than 3 inches. These very small crabs are sold among children 

 for about a halfpenny or penny a piece. A 5-inch crab would be worth 6d. 

 The small halfpenny crabs, he has no doubt, would grow into 5-inch crabs in 

 time, but doesn't know how long this would take. As a dealer, would have 

 nothing under 5-inch crabs, but this would be hard on the fishermen. The 

 chief market is in London, but the crabs also go to Stockton, Darlington, 

 Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, &c, and are hawked about. Even the fishermen 

 prefer the larger crabs. Crabs, however, are not usually sold now by count, 

 but by kits. A kit is a wooden package, holding a score of good crabs. 

 The women put the big crabs on the top of the kits. Small crabs and she 

 crabs go two for one. Soft crabs, so far as he knows, are never brought ashore. 

 There are more fishermen for crabs than there used to be, and the extra number 

 of fishermen keeps up the aggregate take, though individual fishermen do not 

 get so many. The fishermen here only fish for crabs in the spring of the year. 

 At this time (November) they fish for a few lobsters, but not for crabs. In 

 his opinion, thinks that there is no necessity for a close season, there being a 

 natural close season. 



The lobsters have certainly fallen off, but the falling off is in size and not in 

 number. A sizeable lobster is 4^- inches in the barrel. All below that size go 

 two for one. The fishermen call the very small ones Nintycocks, or Nancies, 

 and they go two for one. These Nintycocks would measure below three inches 

 in the barrel. The very small lobsters are of very little use. Would rather 

 not have them. Gets berried hens. There is a premium, he is sorry to say, 

 for these, as they are much sought after, the berries being used for sauce for 

 tnrbot. It would handicap the fishing to a very great extent to put back the 

 berried hens. The berried hens are being taken all through the spring. Very 

 few are taken in the back part of the season. It would be a good thing to 

 return all lobsters under 4 inches in the barrel. A full-size lobster used to be 



