41 



for one. The cause of the falling off is the use of small crabs as bait for the CEABS. 

 lines. All the fishers use lines from. April to June. 



A 6-inch crab (in length of shell) would be counted a whole crab ; an extra 

 big one would be 8£ inches, and the proper size for a half crab would be 5 

 inches. All "partans " below 5 inches should go back into the sea. It would Gmige. 

 be an advantage to put back two crabs now worth 3c?. each in order to get two 

 crabs worth 6d. each the next season. Crabs begin to spawn in April. Rarely 

 sees crabs in April and May. So far as he and his crew are concerned, any Berried. 

 crabs full of spawn are put back. There is no market for these crabs. Would 

 like to have a law enjoining that these crabs should be put back. Thinks that 

 by taking spawning crabs he would be robbing himself and his fellow fisher- 

 men of thousands. Would like a close season from the latter end of August 

 till November. Crabs cast their shells in the middle of August. Lobsters, Shedding shells. 

 like crabs, have fallen off very much at North Berwick, the cause being the LOBSTERS. 

 catching of females in spawn and of small ones. The merchants' gauge at — '■ 



present is 4 inches across the barrel. Lobsters under this measurement D ecrease - 

 should be thrown back into the water. They are called half lobsters. auge. 



Has seen a hen lobster put into a box, and in about three or four weeks after Spawning. 

 a great many young ones were born, and they clustered round the mother like 

 chickens round a hen. Has seen a lobster on the top of a hole, and young 

 lobsters, 1 or \\ inches long, within sight of the holes. The mother was 

 evidently looking after her young. A hen lobster when spawning makes a 

 nest like a swallow, building it with mud and sand with her horns; and spawns 

 in the nest. A lobster found in a nest is always full of spawn. It would be 

 a good plan to throw all berried hens into the sea, and he would answer for 

 himself and his crew that this should be done. Lobsters over A\ inches long 

 bring Is. each. Is engaged by Mr. Goodall to fish. Small lobsters should 

 be put back into the sea. 



James Goodall (recalled). People will not buy the half lobsters : they 

 should be put back into the sea. This would be a benefit to his business, as 

 people do not care about them. He should like to see it enacted that female 

 spawning lobsters be put back during all the season for two or three years to 

 come, with a view to reinstate the breed. In North Berwick lobsters are never jsoziing. 

 " plugged," and crabs are put into hot water, not into cold. 



Provost Brodie (recalled). Thinks it would be a good thing to enforce Berried. 

 the putting back of lobsters in spawn in localities where this is desirable. 



James Foster, fisherman. The North Berwick fishery ground begins at CRABS. 

 Canty Bay and extends to the islands of Lamb and Fidra, and is one mile 

 wide ; altogether it is about four miles in extent, and in this there are set, 

 during summer, about 1,000 creels. The depth is about 4 to 8 fathoms. 

 In the winter crabs and lobsters go into deep water. " Partan " fishing should Close time. 

 be closed from August till November. He would agree to put back all 

 spawning hen lobsters for at least two years. Lobsters spawn all the year round. 



James Gullan. Has fished for crabs and lobsters for 20 years. The 

 fishing has fallen off both in the size and number of the fish. He and his 

 comrade used 20 creels from April to the end of September. Partans then go Migration. 

 into deep water. He commences fishing for lobsters on October 1st, and goes 

 on to April. Thinks the ground is fished out. Agrees that there should be a 

 close time during the time when crabs are casting their shells from August to Close time. 

 November. A great many partans are used for bait for haddock and whiting. 

 The nearest place for getting mussels is 23 miles off. Crabs are only used on Used for bait. 

 every tenth hook. If a law affecting all alike were made, that no small 

 " partans " should be used for bait, he would not object to it, and he should 

 think the other fishermen would agree to it. 



All half lobsters, two for one, should be put back into the water. The 

 merchants would rather be without them. The ground outside is all rocky 

 hard ground, with patches of sand. The fishermen must go a mile from 

 the land before they get clear of the rocks. 



There are plenty of cray-fish on the ground ; but the fishermen never go CRAY-PISH. 



after them, as there is no sale. Has seen tons of these fish thrown away. 



Has thrown them back for the last 20 years. Calls them soft-ground Valiie. 

 lobsters. They average 3| inches in the barrel, Would be glad to find a 

 market for them. They are not falling off. 



