and Ham Sound. The lobsters are pretty universal all round the islands. LOBSTERS. 

 Thinks that July, August, September, and October are bad months for fishing 

 lobsters. During these months constantly gets soft lobsters. The fishermen 

 don't return the soft lobsters ; it would be practicable to return them, and Soft. 

 it would be a good thing to make it illegal to buy or sell them. The soft 

 lobsters will not live when they are sent away. Is compelled to bay the 

 soft lobsters, because others do it. If Parliament made a law that it should 

 be illegal to buy soft lobsters there would be no practical difficulty in dis- 

 tinguishing between a soft and hard lobster. Thinks even with such a law a 

 close season would be necessary. The fishermen would do better in the other 

 months of the year. 



Gets berried hens more or less all through the year. Most of them are Berried. 

 caught in May and June. Berried hens take the market more readily than 

 any others. It would not do to make it illegal to buy and sell berried hens. Is 

 aware of the old close season under 9 Geo. II. Never knew or heard of its being 

 enforced. That law is a dead letter here. It would be a good thing if it were 

 not. The fishermen now want full price for every lobster, even for those under 

 9 inches. There are a good many under 9 inches. In most cases they get 

 their price. The competition is so keen they can command their own terms. 

 Would be in favour of a law enforcing the return of all lobsters under 9 inshes Gauge. 

 from the tip of the snout to the tip of the tail. Thinks that the return of 

 these lobsters would make a great difference, but is in favour of a close season 

 in addition. 



Would enforce the law of close season and gauge by making it illegal to buy Enforcement 

 and sell lobsters in close season and small lobsters. It would be absurd to aw ' 

 make a law applying to the fishermen and not to the markets. If there is a 

 close season it must be universal and apply to London. Imagines that the 

 habits of lobsters are the same everywhere, and that therefore the same laws 

 would be applicable everywhere. 



(By Mr. Young). There has been a decrease not only in numbers but in size. Decrease. 

 The decrease in size is also attributable to the over-fishing. Thinks the old 

 close season, June, July, and August, not so good as the four months he recom- Close time. 

 mends. Would have a provision like that in the Salmon Acts against the sale 

 of lobsters in close season. There are more boats in the lobster fishery than 

 there used to be, and they carry more creels and rings. The boats therefore 

 ought to get more lobsters than they used to, instead of fewer. 



Donald Neil (examined by Mr. Young). A fisherman at Kirkwall. His 

 experience in the lobster trade extends over 10 years. Lobsters are not so Decrease. 

 plentiful as they used to be. They have fallen off a good deal, but xhere are 

 more people following them than there used to be. They are less in size as 

 well as fewer in number. Formerly they only fished in May and June, now 

 they fish throughout the year. There are more boats, men, rings, and creels. 

 Thinks that all lobsters under 9 inches over all should be returned. A lobster Gauge. 

 of 9 inches is not much. 9 inches is the very lowest size that should be 

 fixed for the gauge. Would make it illegal to buy or sell lobsters under 

 this size. 



Thinks that there should also be a close season. Thinks that the close Close time. 

 season should commence on 1st July, and should last two or three months. 

 Believes that four months would not be too long so far as the fishing is con- 

 cerned, though the fishermen might object. Has often heard of the old 

 Act imposing a close season, but never heard of its being enforced. His 

 experience extends over most of the Orkney Islands. There are places 

 like North Ronaldshay exposed to the Atlantic, where it is impossible to 

 over-fish lobsters. Imagines that the natural habits of lobsters are the same 

 everywhere, and that the close season should extend everywhere. Couldn't 

 tell how close seasons could be enforced. Thinks the law would be obeyed. 



(By Mr. Walpole.) Thinks that there is only one officer of the White 

 Herring Board in the Orkney Islands, and that there is no Coastguard. There 

 are only three policemen. The law, therefore, ought to be enforced in the 

 markets, and the sale must be allowed one week after the close season com- 

 mences. Wants a close season for July to September, because the lobsters 

 are soft in those months. It would not be sufficient to have a law prohibiting 

 the sale of soft lobsters, because it is difficult to distinguish some of them from 

 hard ones. 



