42 



Enforcement of 



John Morris, station officer of the Coastguard. Has been here two 

 years. There are 45 boats from North Berwick : 22 of them are crab and 

 lobster boats : the rest are engaged in the white-fish trade. Has never been 

 instructed by his commanding officers to carry out the Act of George II. 

 enforcing a close time for female lobsters. He and his officers are in a position 

 to carry out any law that may be made. 



Boats. 



Decrease. 



Close time. 



Gauge. 



Portree Hotel, Portree, Friday, 20th October 1876. 



Present : 



Spencer Walpole and Archibald Young, Esquires. 



LOBSTERS. Donald Macdonald, steamboat agent, Portree [examined by Mr. Young}. 



12 years supercargo in the steamship " Clydesdale." Carried a good many fish. 

 Carried more lobsters — a great many more — at the commencement of his 

 experience than latterly. The lobsters came chiefly from Tarbert in Harris. 

 But they came also from Stornoway, and Lochmaddy. They got lobsters 

 from Lochmaddy all the year round. The fishermen fished all the year round, 

 and there was no close time. Never saw anything but creels used. Believes 

 there are more boats employed in the fishery now than when he first knew it. 

 They could, if lobsters were equally plentiful, get more than they used to do, 

 but they don't give the lobsters time to grow, they are " nipped in the bud," 

 and don't have fair play. The lobsters are put into half tea chests, and sent 

 away by steamer. Has seen 30 or 40 lobster chests in a single trip, when 

 they went to Tarbert and Lochmaddy. The lobsters now have fallen off so 

 much in size that twice the number are put in a box that there used to be. 

 Thinks that there should be a close season, commencing 1st May and ending 

 31st August, because lobsters are out of condition and watery in those months. 

 No lobsters under 4^ inches in the barrel ought to be sold. The only people 

 this would interfere with are the fishermen who fish on the Atlantic coast of 

 the Long Island, who fish chiefly in the summer months. The small lobsters 

 won't sell in the Scotch markets. The lobsters come chiefly from the west coast 

 of the Lews. They had ponds for them there, but the ponds did not succeed. 

 The lobsters fell off in condition when they were confined in ponds. His ship 

 had no crabs consigned to her, but had oysters from Skye, Harris, and the 

 Lews. Never heard of a lobster ground which was entirely fished out. A 

 great many lobsters come from Tobermory and from the west side of all the 

 Hebrides. The best fish and fishermen are on the Atlantic shore of all these 



Weather. islands. The coast is more stormy; the lobsters cannot be over-fished ; they 



have time to grow and get stronger and firmer. 



(By Mr. Walpole.) He ceased to be supercargo in the " Clydesdale "in July. 

 The Skye Railway was not built when he was first connected with the " Clydes- 

 dale." "it was made in 1870, and the lobsters have been considerably diverted 

 from the steamship to the railway. But this does not account for the falling 



Decrease. off. There are fewer caught. Believes that there are fewer lobsters caught in 



Harris than there were 12 years ago, at any rate that there are fewer boxes. 



Price. The lobsters being smaller more are packed in each box. The price is three 



times as high as it was 12 years ago. If May to August were closed the men 

 on the Atlantic coast of the Long Island would only be able to fish occasion- 

 ally in frosty weather. Thinks that lobsters can be caught as easily in frosty 

 weather in winter, as in summer. But the west coast is a stormy place. 

 There are now as many lobsters under the gauge as there are above it. 12 

 years ago nearly all the lobsters were above the gauge. Believes that May, 

 June, and July are the chief spawning months, but is not sure of this. Has 

 heard the fishermen say that the ground was over-fished, because they caught 

 so many small lobsters. Two weeks ago lobsters were 95. 6d. a dozen in Skye, 

 wholesale, they were last week 8s., but they did not pay at either of those 

 prices. 



John Robertson (examined by Mr. Walpole). Fish merchant, Portree. 

 Commenced buying lobsters on his own account in 1862, but bought them 



