20 



CRABS. 



Decrease. 



Creels. 



LOBSTERS. 

 Decrease. 

 Close time. 



Decrease. 



Spawning. 



Bait. 



Decrease. 



Close time. 

 Gauge. 



Seasonfor. 



9 inches long from snout to tail. Lobsters below that size are not of much 

 use, and might be returned to the water. 



Andrew Wilson [examined by Mr. Young), resides at Macduff. Has been 

 a fisherman for 45 years, and has had great experience in crab fishing. Crabs 

 are not so plentiful as they were. Thinks that they have decreased both in 

 number and size. There are more men crab fishing now than there were 

 40 years ago. When he was young all the crabs were taken in rings near the 

 shore. A ring is an iron ring filled with netting, and with three braces from the 

 centre. There were no creels in his younger days. They were introduced 

 about 20 years ago. Thinks that all lobsters below 4 inches in the barrel 

 should be returned. The lobsters are now so scarce that he can hardly get 

 one. Has taken 20 in a night in olden times. The lobsters are overfished. 

 Would give the lobsters, not a jubilee of seven years, but a jubilee every 

 seventh year. They require a good many crabs for bait. The very smallest 

 are a useful bait. There are mussel scalps in the Moray Firth. The mussels 

 are very dear. They go for the mussels themselves to Cromarty and other 

 places. When he first went for mussels he could get a cargo for \l. A cargo 

 would cost now 20Z. No crabs are taken between the 8th of October and 

 the 10th of June. They are then out of condition. Would have no gauge for 

 crabs, because it would prevent the small ones being used for bait. 



James West {examined by Mr. Walpole), a fisherman at Macduff. Has 

 been fishing for crabs and other fish for 40 years. 40 years ago the crab fish- 

 ing was only an "orra" or bye-job. Men would go at their leisure time 

 with rings and take as many as they could. The trade is now pushed hard, 

 and it would be impossible to get any crabs in rings now. The crabs have 

 been overfished. Would approve very much of a jubilee for crabs every 

 seventh or every fourth year. Crab fishing is one third of his living. Perhaps 

 20 others in Macduff are in the same case. Thinks the fishermen would be 

 able to support themselves. He does not think that they would be tempted to 

 break the law. Could scarcely fish for crabs without detection. It is difficult 

 to fish for crabs without being seen. Thinks the fishermen could get on with 

 a year of jubilee, and that it would be a good thing for them. Thinks that at 

 this time of the year the roe begins to gather, and from the first of next month 

 they do not fish them at all. They have already (10th October) stopped this 

 year. 



Is a mussel merchant. Has been so for 22 years. 22 years ago could buy 

 Clyde mussels at 14s. a ton in the Clyde. The carriage by rail was 11. 16s. 

 This made the mussels about 21. 10s. a ton. In the Clyde now the mussels 

 are 11. 5s., the carriage is reduced to about 11. Is. Crabs are very good bait. 

 When there are few mussels, crabs are good substitutes for them. 



George Paterson (examined by Mr Young). Resides at Macduff. Has 

 been a fisherman for 39 years. Has heard preceding evidence. There is not 

 the fourth part of the crabs there used to be. The decrease is due to over- 

 fishing. A close time v/ould do a great deal of good. The close time should 

 commence 1st November and end on the 1st June. The gauge for crabs is 

 A\ inches. Below that size they are used for bait. Thinks that it would be a 

 good plan to give the crab fishing a rest, one year in seven, or one year in four. 

 The lobsters are very nearly cleared out of this part of the country altogether. 

 Recollects the London smacks coming down, and thinks that a decrease began 

 with their over-fishing. 



James Watson (recalled). The Whitehills men fish six weeks later than 

 the Macduff men. They find crabs all through October; they are not so good 

 towards November. There is a reef of rocks opposite Whitehills, which the 

 crabs come to. Whitehills is only 2| miles from Macduff. 



St Combs, Peterhead, Tuesday, 10th October 1876. 



Present : 



Frank Buckland, Esquire. 



Andrew Buchan. Has fished for crabs for four years only. The first 

 season, four years ago, he caught 3,368 crabs. In the second season a few 

 hundreds only. The third about 4,000, and the fourth year about 5,000. He 



