62 



Glasgow, Friday, 3rd November 1876. 



LOBSTERS. 



Decrease. 



Close time. 



Gauge, 



Creels. ' 



Close time. 



Gauge. 



Supply of. 



Present : 

 Archibald Young, Esquire. 



Captain Swinburne, R.N. Is proprietor of Eileari Shona and of the island 

 of Muck in the county of Inverness. Has paid much attention to the subject 

 of the lobster fisheries, and prosecuted them for three years — from 1856 to 

 1859 — in the neighbourhood of Eilean Shona and Ardnamurchan . Thinks 

 that lobsters have fallen off both in number and size, and that the great cause 

 of this is over-fishing. While engaged in lobster fishing, he himself always 

 observed the close time, from 1st June to 1st September, provided by the Act 

 9 Geo. II., c. 33, sec. 4, but never knew of any other person who observed it. 

 Thinks that a close time is absolutely essential for the restoration of the lobster 

 fisheries. It should be from 1st June to 1st October, and should be enforced 

 under a penalty in the market. The penalty should apply to taking, buying, 

 or selling during the close months. Where there are coastguardmen their 

 services might possibly be made available in seeing that the close time was 

 strictly observed. Would have a gauge in addition to a close time, and would 

 allow no lobster to be taken under 4 inches in the barrel. There are still good 

 lobsters to be found about the island of Muck, but the average weight has 

 decidedly fallen off, though occasionally individual lobsters are got as large as 

 any caught formerly. The boats now engaged in the lobster fishing carry 

 more creels than they used to do, and would get far more lobsters than they 

 get if lobsters were as plentiful in these seas as formerly. Considers it quite 

 possible to exhaust a lobster ground by over-fishing so as to render it not 

 worth working. 



Captain John W. P. Orde, of North Uist. Has been acquainted with 

 the lobster fisheries, and taken an interest in them for 20 years. Speaks 

 specially with regard to those of North Uist, and generally with regard to 

 those of the Outer Hebrides. Twenty years ago the lobster fishing in North Uist 

 was almost unknown as a general industry. It was first prosecuted by boats 

 from Ireland, and was afterwards taken up by Harris and Bernera men ; but 

 now a considerable number of the natives of North Uist take part in it. The 

 lobster fisheries in North Uist are very valuable, and there are far more men 

 and boats now engaged in them than formerly. The fisheries on the western 

 coast of North Uist are chiefly in the hands of men from the island of Ber- 

 nera, and from the Hysker Islands. No close time has ever been observed in 

 any of the western islands, except Colonsay. Were there to be a close time 

 enforced during the summer and autumn months, it would practically put a' 

 stop to the lobster fishing on the Atlantic coast of North Uist and the rest of 

 the Outer Hebrides. A gauge strictly enforced by a prohibition, under a 

 penalty, against taking, buying, or selling any lobster under the prescribed size, 

 is the true remedy to restore the fisheries. It should apply to foreign lobsters 

 brought to the British markets, as well as to British g lobsters. The gauge 

 should be <\\ inches in the barrel. Inspectors of markets and harbour police 

 should see to its enforcement. Informers should be rewarded, and any person 

 should be entitled to prosecute. Loch Maddy and Kallin are the principal 

 shipping places for lobsters from the Sound of Harris, coasts of North Uist, 

 Benbecula, and the fords between Benbecula and South Uist, and Benbecula 

 and North Uist. Was travelling in September last in the steamer which calls 

 once a fortnight on her passage south at these shipping places and at Loch 

 Boisdale and Barra, and there were taken on board during that trip 70 boxes 

 containing on an average six dozen lobsters each, or upwards of 5,000 lobsters 

 in all. This did not seem to be regarded as at all a remarkable consignment, 

 and may therefore be taken as a fair average of the fortnightly catch at these 

 places. The lobsters are carried in boxes on the upper deck of the steamer; 

 believes that in warm weather considerable losses occur ; but an improved 

 method of packing and carriage might possibly be devised which would make 

 these losses lighter. 



