41 



6d., Id., or Sd. each. They now fetch about 9d. each. The small lobsters do LOBSTERS. 



not make more than 3c?. or 4c?. each. Has had soft lobsters. It is very rare to Pr - Ce 



get any "light" lobsters. A few lobsters are caught at Christmas time, but 



there is very little fishing at that time. Has seen some very large lobsters 



here, some weighing 31bs. A 3-lb. lobster is a very large lobster here. 



The method of catching crabs and lobsters is different from what it used to be. 



They used to be caught in trunks (rings with nets), they are now caught in Rin v s - 



pots or creels. The pots were introduced about 20 years ago. The trunks 



required the constant presence of a fisherman, and could only be fished at 



night. The pots can be fished without the attendance of man. 



Crabs, 20 years ago, were 2s. 6d. a score. Has paid 5s. a score himself for 

 them this season. The- railway came to Whitby in 1847, but it was made to Railways. 

 Pickering in 1835. Before even those days lobsters were carried by coach to 

 York. The price of all fish went up after the railway was made. 



William Readman (examined by Mr. Walpole). Lives at Whitby. A jet- 

 worker by trade, but has been fishing for crabs and lobsters 1 1 years. Begins 

 fishing towards the end of March, and generally ends fishing about the 6th 

 July. Doesn't resume fishing till the following March. This is the usual season. 

 practice of all the boats. Two old men only go out in October for a week or 

 two to catch lobsters. There are about 20 boats at Whitby fishing for crabs 

 and lobsters. They go about 4 miles north, 3^ miles south, and a mile out 

 to sea. The ground is all rocky. A mile out there is 12 to 13 fathoms water. 

 Stops fishing in July because after that the crabs are soft. Doesn't fish before CRABS. 



March because the weather is too uncertain. The crabs are not so numerous 



as they were 11 years ago. The fishermen get less than they used to do. Used, decrease. 

 11 vears ago, to get regularly four or five score taleable crabs a day. Now it is a 

 very good day's work to get four or five score. The average take is about three 

 score. There are, however, more boats now than there were then. There were Boats. 

 14 or 15 boats 11 years ago. Thinks that there are fewer crabs in the sea than 

 there were. Thinks the decrease is due to the Scarborough men, who come 

 and fish the ground and take so many small crabs. The Scarborough men fish 

 the same season as the Whitby men. The Whitby men would have taken no 

 small crabs if the Scarborough men had not started it. Is in favour of stopping 

 the taking of all small crabs. By a small crab means a crab measuring 3 

 inches across the back. A 3i-inch crab should be taken. If these couldn't be Gauge. 

 taken it would be very little use for the fishermen to go out crabbing. A 

 3i-inch crab could not grow into a 4-inch crab in one year. Is in favour of a 

 gauge compelling the return of all crabs under 3| inches. 



Thinks lobsters are also decreasing. There are not so many caught as used LOBSTERS, 

 to be. Thinks the decrease in the lobster is due to taking the small ones. j) ec rease. 

 Thinks that no lobster under 3^ inches in the barrel should be taken. A Gauge. 

 lobster above this is a good half-sized lobster. It is not necessary to have a 

 close season as there is one naturally. 



(By Mr. Buckland.) The 6th July is the customary date for stopping. 

 James Fell (examined by Mr. Buckland.) Lives at Staithes, the largest CRABS. 

 fishing town in the North of England. The population of Staithes is about 

 2,000, and there are more than 150 fishermen there. Fishes for herring, cod, 

 lino-, halibut, &c, and shell fish. There is no trawling there. Has been fishing 

 for crabs for 50 years. Used at that time sometimes very nearly to load the boat Decrease. 

 with crabs and lobsters. It wouldn't be possible to load the boat with them 

 now. Would do well if they took a quarter of the number they took then. 

 Their "round extends six miles north, and three miles south of Staithes, and 

 one mile out to sea. The bottom of the ground is hard rock. There are some 

 places where there is sand, but they don't fish there as they get soft crabs and 

 dog crabs which they don't want. His crabs are sold at Staithes and also at 

 Grosmont, 11 miles off, where they go all over England, especially to London. 

 Has caught crabs 40 or 50 years ago, and sold them for 2s. a score. Gets now 

 5s. a score. There are 35 boats at Staithes (each with two men) fishing for Boats. 

 crabs and lobsters. Most boats carry 60 creels or over 2,000 creels altogether. 

 Has found 14 to 15 crabs in one creel. The creels are kept all night in cne 

 place ; but are shifted from place to place during the day. There are creels 

 all over the ground. The crabs come in from the deep water. They come 

 some years in March, some in April, but this depends on the weather. They Migration. 

 crawl best in April and May. The cock and hen crabs come together, A few 





