57 



arc hundreds of miles along the coast that are swarming with crabs where CRABS. 



none yet have ever heen taken ; these districts could be fished at the rate of a 



thousand barrels to the square mile yearly, that is in places where there is a 

 sandy bottom and the water is from 30 to 40 fathoms deep. 



Has watched the evidence all the way along in the papers, and sees that 

 many wish for a close time in the months when they themselves are not in the 

 habit of fishing. On the 16th October he marked the backs of a few crabs Migration. 

 with his initials, "W. W.," and put them back inshore. On the 27th of 

 November these crabs were caught again two miles seaward, having passed 

 over eight fleets of creels. One crab was caught in the 9th, and another in 

 the 10th fleet. The creels are let down to the bottom by a rope; the rope is Creels. 

 attached to a long stout rope which is buoyed on the surface of the water by 

 corks ; this rope is called a messenger. Eighty creels are fastened to one 

 messenger. The creels are placed 20 fathoms apart, so that the messenger 

 would be 3,200 yards long or nearly two miles. When the men fish these creels 

 the boat travels along the messenger, and the creels are drawn on board over 

 the bow to be examined, the crabs taken out, and the creels returned over the 

 stern of the boat rebaited. At Coldingham there are 10 crab boats, of these seven 

 set 80 creels, and two set 40, making 640 creels in all. At Dunbar each creel 

 has its own messenger. 



More crabs are caught here in winter than at any other places round about. Season for. 



The dead crabs in the harbour are those which are found dead when packing 

 the barrels. These are soft crabs, and the hard ones crack them when packed Soft. 

 in the barrels. 



Robert Thorburn. Has been a fisherman at Coldingham for 60 years. 

 Before the railway was opened 18 years ago, the fishermen never fished for Railways. 

 crabs, as they were then of no use — there was no market for them. Since 

 they commenced to fish for crabs the inshore fishing has diminished. Does Decrease. 

 not know anything about the deep-sea fishing for crabs, having never fished 

 far from the shore. Agrees that white and small crabs should be put back. Soft. 

 Always puts back small lobsters under 3^ inches in the barrel, They are not jopmtfp 



used as bait for crabs. Small lobsters have been put back ever since he ERS. 



knew. Crabs are not cannibals, and will not enter creels baited with broken 

 crabs. If a lobster entered a creel, crabs would not enter it. A white crab is Bait. 

 unfit for human food. Cuttle fish are capital bait for crabs. 



It takes from November to February for crabs to " fill up." 



Oban, Wednesday, 25th October 1876. 



Present : 

 Archibald Young, Esquire. 



Alexander Carmichael, fisherman, residing in Oban. Has been a CRABS. 



fisherman for more than 30 years, and is well acquainted with the crab and 



lobster fisheries about the islands of Mull and Kerrera. There are plenty of 



crabs in this neighbourhood, especially about the island of Kerrera. They are 



fine large crabs, fit for the market ; but the only market there is for them is 



Oban, and that only at certain seasons. They are in the best condition in Season for. 



October, but good also in August and September. Would have these months 



for the fishing season, and would observe the rest of the year as a close time. 



There should also be a gauge for crabs. All crabs under 5 inches should be Gauge. 



returned to the water. The small crabs are not used for bait hereabouts ; but 



they are used for that purpose on the west coast of Mull. The men don't 



fish specially for crabs, but great numbers of crabs are taken in the lobster creels 



— so many that the crabs are falling off both in number and size. 



Lobsters are to be found all round the coasts of Mull except from Salen to Loch LOBSTERS. 



Don ; but they have decreased since he was first a fisherman, both in number Deere 



and size. Would have a close time for lobsters, as in the old Act of George the 

 Second, and would also have a gauge. Every lobster under 4 inches in the barrel Gauge. 

 should be returned to the sea. The prices both of crabs and lobsters have 



