JOINT APPENDICES 



TO 



REPORTS ON THE CRIB AND LOBSTER 

 FISHERIES 



OF 



ENGLAND AND WALES, 



AND OF 



SCOTLAND. 



JOINT APPENDIX No. I. 



Correspondence relative to the Laws in Force for regulating the Shell 

 Fisheries of Norway. 



British Consulate General, Christiania, 

 My Lord, 6th November 18/6. 



I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of Despatch No. 7 (Com- 

 mercial) of the 18th ultimo, enclosing copy of a Despatch received from the 

 Inspector of Fisheries at Aberdeen, in which he expresses his desire to obtain 

 either an abstract or a complete translation of the law in force for regulating 

 the taking of shell fish. 



In conformity with your Lordship's instructions, I beg leave to transmit 

 copies of the laws bearing on this subject now in force in Norway, one relative 

 to the preservation of lobsters, and the other to the pearl mussel fishery, 

 with translations of the same. During the late session of the Storthing, a 

 Royal Proposition was laid before it, dated 31st December 18/4, to amend the 

 Law for the Preservation of Lobsters. 



The proposed amendment only affected the third paragraph of the Act 

 in force, in which the fine is fixed at 24 skillings (l(He/.) ; this, it was 

 proposed, should be raised to 60 skillings, and that an additional paragraph 

 should declare it to be unlawful at any time to possess, sell, buy, or receive 

 lobsters under 8 inches in length, as well as lobsters in spawn. 



The rejection of this amendment was, however, recommended by the Committee 

 appointed to report upon it, on the ground that those best acquainted with the 

 subject failed to recognise its necessity, and, further, that the enforcement of the 

 provisions of the proposed amendment would be attended with much difficulty; 

 that, from the statistical facts before the Committee, there was no evidence of a 

 diminution in the supply of lobsters of late, and that consequently the circum- 

 stances did not warrant the adoption of the extraordinary regulations proposed, 

 which would be justifiable only when there was a prospect that without such 

 restrictions the fishery in question would materially suffer. 



The annual take of lobsters in Norway may be estimated at about 1 ,000,000, 

 representing a value of about 22,500/. They are exported chiefly to the United 



