16 



CRABS. 



Decrease. 



Close time. 



30, and so got too strong for them. Crab pots are a fixture and do not inter- 

 fere T with the long line fishing. 



Captain Hexry Thorburn has lived here 13 years in the summer, and 

 confirms the evidence of preceding witnesses, who are all reliable men. 



James Christie {examined by Mr. Young). Resides at Skateraw ; has 

 been a fisherman for 22 years. Has fished for crabs all that time except this 

 year. The crabs are scarcer than when he began, they are a complete failure. 

 The crabs are over-fished. The crabs are very plentiful in the winter months, 

 and taking them then for bait has to do with the falling off in the fishery. It 

 would be a good thing to close November, December, and January for the 

 crabs, but it would not be favourable to the fishermen, as it would prevent them 

 getting bait. Fishes off Muchalls. The Stonehaven men only occasionally 

 come up there. They have never destroyed his gear. There are double as many 

 boats as when he began fishing. The boats carry fewer pots than they used to do. 

 This year there is not a single pot in the whole village. Last year was a very 

 bad year, and the October storms destroyed the pots, and they did not think 

 it worth while renewing them. Crabs under 4 inches are all thrown back, and 

 all berried crabs are thrown back. 



(By Mr. Walpole.) Would not object to November, December, and January 

 being closed. 



Station Hotel, Stonehaven, Monday, 9th October 1876. 



Decrease. 



Close time. 



Gauge. 



LOBSTERS. 



Decrease. 

 Gauge. 

 Close time. 



CRABS. 

 Decrease. 



Used for bait. 



Present : 

 Spencer Walpole and Archibald Young, Esquires. 



John Mason (examined by Mr. Walpole). Has lived all his life at Stone- 

 haven, is 61 years old; a fisherman; fishes for crabs and lobsters ; fishes off 

 Dunnottar for crabs ; finds the lobsters and crabs all along the coast where the 

 bottom is rocky. There are 5 boats from Stonehaven fishing for crabs, over 

 30 boats long line fishing. The long line fishing extends 20 miles out to sea. 

 Some boats carry 30, some 20, some 60 creels. There are decidedly not so 

 many crabs on the Dunnottar ground as when he began fishing. They have 

 all gone to Manchester and London and the better markets. They are over- 

 fished. Can't see how they can be restored. Commences fishing for crabs in 

 April; continues till the end of June, when the bulk of the fishermen go to the 

 herrings. The herring season lasts from the 10th July to the 10th September. 

 In September resumes: crab fishing, and fishes till the end of October. After 

 October crabs are only used as bait. Does not think it good that they should 

 be used as bait. Thinks the close time for Kincardineshire should be Novem- 

 ber, December, and January. Such a close season would not be a bad thing. 

 Returns many small crabs to the sea. Thinks it would be a good law to 

 return all unsizeable crabs to the sea. The undersized crabs are now used 

 for bait. It would be a good thing to return all under 5 inches. It would be 

 a difficult thing to enforce this law ; if it could be enforced it would be desirable. 

 A penalty on buyer and seller would be a restraint. 



Used to get a good few lobsters, but they are over-fished. Not nearly so many 

 as there used to be. Takes all lobsters from 4 to 5 inches in the barrel. It 

 would be a good law to prevent capture of lobsters less than 5 inches in the 

 barrel, but it would be difficult to observe it. The crab close season (Novem- 

 ber, December, and January) would do for lobster close season. Cannot 

 practically catch them in these months. Thinks that crabs in roe should be 

 returned to the sea, Wouldn't return berried lobsters. 



(By Mr. Young.) Crabs have not decreased so much in size as in number. 

 When he commenced fishing crabs were 6d. per dozen. The last he sold were 

 Is. 6d. a dozen. It would be difficult to enforce the law of gauge. There are 

 many ways of evading a law at sea. If you can't stop the sale in the market, 

 you can't stop their capture at all. At this time of the year (October) no 

 crabs are used as bait. They are too valuable. The great bulk of the fishermen 

 have given over crabbing as it doesn't |pay. Mussels are the great staple 

 bait of Kincardineshire. They are very costly — 2s, 6d. the quarter basket — 



