52 



LOBSTERS. 



Supply of. 



Decrease. 



Rings. 



Close time 

 observed. 





Close time. 



Gauge. 



Decrease. 



goes on buying till the 1st May. There are six other dealers at Tarbert buying 

 lobsters. His business is bigger than the others. The six other dealers are 

 sending away a good many, and it is estimated that 40,000 lobsters are sent 

 annually from Tarbert. Two of the dealers send the lobsters away throughout 

 the year, observing no close time at all. 



The principal lobster grounds in the neighbourhood are off the Island of 

 Scarpa, but lobsters also come from the East and West Lochs. The Harris 

 fishermen, too, go both to Skye and the Lews to fish for lobsters, but they 

 bring them to Tarbert to sell. There are some 44 boats fishing in East Loch 

 Tarbert, for lobsters. 30 of these are from Scalpa alone. Can recollect the 

 time when there was no fishing for lobsters in East Loch Tarbert. There are 

 about 16 boats in West Loch Tarbert; nine of these come from Scarpa. 

 The 16 boats on the West Loch catch more than the 44 on the east side. 



Mr. Maclachlan, of Glasgow, was the first man who started the fishing for 

 lobsters in East Loch Tarbert. He sent a smack down about 22 years ago. 

 The men fished for him in the winter season and spring. The fishery was very 

 successful. There were not so many boats — not a fourth part so many — as there 

 are now. They fished with creels. The few boats started at that time caught 

 as many lobsters as the 44 boats catch now. Thinks, therefore, indeed is sure, 

 that the lobsters are falling off in numbers in East Loch Tarbert. There is too 

 much fishing. The lobsters are also falling off in size. They haven't time 

 to come to maturity. Thinks the fishing gets worse every year. The proof 

 of this is that the fishermen have to leave the Harris coast for the Lews, Skye, 

 and North and South Uist. 



West Loch Tarbert, was fished before the East Loch fishing commenced. The 

 lobsters were sold to London smacks. The fishery in West Loch Tarbert is also 

 falling off. It used to be fished with rings, but it wouldn't pay to fish with 

 rings now. Scarpa is the best place, but it is also falling off. The fishermen 

 there only fish from December to May, and never fish the rest of the year. 

 Scarpa belongs to Mr. Scott. He has only 16 tenants, and they have made a 

 mutual arrangement among themselves only to fish these months. The arrange- 

 ment is kept. The coast is too wild for a stranger to fish there. It is only, 

 however, on the coasts of the island, which is a small one, that the arrange- 

 ment is kept. All the surrounding mainland is hard fished. If it were not for 

 this, Scarpa would show no falling off. The Scarpa men generally get some 

 good weather for fishing in February, March, and April, and they can fish when 

 the wind is off the land. During the rest of the year some of the Scarpa men 

 go away to the herrings, and others are preparing potatoes and peats. This 

 Scarpa arrangement has been going on for some time. The Scarpa men consider 

 that they can earn more money, and do better, by confining their own fishing 

 to the few months when the fish are at the highest price. 



Is in favour of a six months' close season. Would commence fishing at the 

 end of November, and end at the beginning of May. This is only five months, 

 but it is long enough. It is no use fishing in September and October, because 

 the market in those months is always choked with Norwegian lobsters. Thinks 

 that a law of close season could be carried out. Would himself inform against 

 an offender. 



Some of the lobsters caught are very small lobsters ; those under 4| inches in 

 the barrel count two for one. Would be in favour of returning all these small 

 lobsters to the sea. Thinks such a rule would be for the benefit of the 

 fishermen. Thinks that if a close season were made as proposed, and a gauge 

 instituted, the fishery would recover. The lobsters in Uist are fished all the 

 year round ; can't say how the fisheries there are doing. 



Angus MacLeod, partner with Norman MacLeod. Agrees that lobsters are 

 decreasing, and concurs in the recommendations of the previous witness both as 

 to close season and gauge. 



The"Dunara" steamship comes once a week till the New Year. From 

 January to March it conies once in ten days. The " Clydesdale " also comes 

 once a fortnight all through the winter. 



