APPENDICES 



TO 



REPORT ON THE CRAB AND LOBSTER 

 FISHERIES 



OF 



SCOTLAND. 



APPENDIX No. I. 

 EVIDENCE, 



Balmoral Hotel, Edinburgh, Thursday, 5th October 1876. 



Present : 



Frank Buckland, Spencer Walpole, and Archibald Young, 



Esquires. 



John Anderson (examined by Mr. Buckland). Is a fishmonger at Edinburgh. CRABS. 



Has been in business 44 years. Crabs have decreased very much. The 



decrease began fully ten years ago, and is both in size and numbers. They 

 have decreased more than half. A large quantity of crabs come from Dunbar, 

 Crail, Buckhaven, and North Berwick. At one time (20 years ago), North 

 Berwick and Crail were the prominent places for crabs in the Firth. The j) ecrease , 

 crabs have fallen off in size. Has seen a crab 10 inches across the back. 

 These large crabs are principally males, and are comparatively rare. The 

 average size of crabs now brought into market is about six inches, though they 

 are brought as low as four inches : a great many under 4f inches. At North 

 Berwick and Crail most of the crabs are males, and at Dunbar and Newhaven 

 most of them are females. Thinks the crabs spawn about 1st August. Has Spawning. 

 seen them full of eggs at that time. These crabs are from 5 to 7 inches. Flas 

 seen crabs in the market of 2 inches, a great many of this size. The fishermen 

 keep everything they get. They sell crabs by the kit. A kit contains from Mode of count- 

 four to ten dozen crabs, according to the size. There are not many crabs in 9- 

 exported from Edinburgh ; but they are sent from Dunbar, Buckhaven, and 

 Crail to all parts of England where there is a market for anything. The 

 scarcity is due to the large demand for crabs in England. Before the railway 

 was made the demand for England was small. The crab pots are put down 

 day and night all the year round, but more especially in the summer. The 

 bars of the pots are about two inches apart. The scarcity is also due to the Pots. 

 crabs being taken of so small a size. Thinks that no crab less than 6 inches 

 across the back should be taken. This should apply to both males and females. 

 No crabs should be taken with roe at any time of the year ; they should all be 

 returned. The crabs are all boiled alive. They are generally put into boiling Boiling. 

 water ; sometimes into cold water; but are never previously killed. Thinks if 

 the legislation proposed were enforced, it would ultimately have a good effect. 



(By Mr. Young.) Has only spoken yet as to Firth of Forth. There is also a 

 large supply from the Moray Firth and the north-west coast of Scotland. Crabs 

 come from every part of the coast of Scotland. Is not in favour of the close Close time. 

 time recommended in the Norfolk Report.* Sees most crabs in spawn in June, 



* Report on Fisheries of Norfolk ; Parliamentary Paper, No. 428, 1875. 



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