SEA-FISHERIES LABORATORY. 



251 



inches and berried lobsters, the landing of which is 

 illegal in the District, are excluded. (I find, however, 

 that the Fishery officer includes 7 berried lobsters landed 

 on May 27 (2), June 17, June 24 and July 7 (3), 1908, 

 by a fisherman, who was warned on the first occasion and 

 prosecuted on the other three.) A few measurements 

 were made in similar manner by the Fishery officer at 

 Carnarvon and Bangor. 



The statistics at New Quay relate to the fishing 

 carried on by an individual fisherman (our Fishery officer 

 at New Quay), who recorded all the lobsters found in his 

 " pots." Consequently, lobsters under nine inches and 

 berried females are both included. The total number of 

 lobsters of all kinds caught by this single fisherman will, 

 of course, bear but a small ratio to those landed and 

 measured at Pwllheli. At New Quay the berried lobsters 

 taken in the pots were labelled before liberation, but in 

 no instance was one recaptured. 



To group together returns obtained from entirely 

 different sources, and from different methods, as was done 

 by the Board in Table IX is misleading. 



The fallacy of the Board's arguments, which lead 

 them to conclude there is widespread " stripping " of 

 berried lobsters in this district, is seen when the detailed 

 statements are examined. 



Lancashire and Western Lobsters (1907-9). — Determinations 

 of Sex, etc. 



Berried females 

 Non-berried females 

 Males 



9,442 





The Records 



From all 



of one 



sources. 



Fisherman 



29 



21 



4,901 



385 



4,512 



362 



708 



