134 



Part III. — Eighteenth Annual Report 



The Regulation of the Crab Fishery. 



The aim of regulation in the case of a fishery is usually either to arrest a 

 decrease in its productivity, or to increase the commercial value of its 

 returns. In discussing, then, the question of interference with the 

 present mode of conducting the crab fishery, it is necessary to consider 

 whether or not (1) there are signs that it is declining, (2) if by regula- 

 tion the fishery might be so improved that it make a better return to 

 those most interested — viz., the fishermen. With regard to the first 

 question, the Crab and Lobster Commission of 1877 came to the 

 following conclusion: — "We are ourselves of opinion that the crab 

 fisheries on the East Coast of Scotland are almost universally 

 deteriorating."* Wilsont reported in 1893, regarding the crabs on the 

 coast of Northumberland, that — " there is no evidence of a steady 

 decline in the aggregate take, except at one or two places. But that 

 there is at least danger of over-fishing is indicated by the fact that the 

 increase in gear is not yielding corresponding increase of crabs." MeekJ 

 was of the opinion that the crab and lobster fishery had deteriorated in 

 the Northumberland district. The annexed Table, extracted from the 

 Reports of the Fishery Board, gives the numbers of crabs landed in the 

 Eyemouth and Leifch districts, on the East Coast of Scotland, and also 

 the landings for the whole of Scotland, for the period from 1883 to 1899 

 inclusive. 





Eyemouth 

 District. 



Leith District. 



East Coast of 

 Scotland. 



East and West 

 Coasts, 

 Orkney and 

 Shetland 

 Islands. 



Number of 

 Creels owned 



by the 

 Fishermen. 



1883 



Hundreds. 

 15,841 



Hundreds. 

 6,196 



Hundreds. 

 32,196 



Hundreds. 

 35,393 





1884 









33,178 





1885 



15,550 



4,780 



31,061 



32,499 





1886 



2,281 



6,173 



21,193 



23,846 





1887 



3,173 



6,577 



21,034 



22,157 





1888 



3,082 



8,275 



29,676 



30,817 





1889 



2,720-5 



6,445-5 



26,090 



27,743 





1890 



2,710-5 



7,654 



27,335-9 



28,823 





1891 



2,746 



7,630-5 



29,753 



30,924 





1892 



3,620 



8,192 



30,269 



31,179-9 





1893 



3.819 



9,084 



31,638 



33,050 



69,331 



1894 



4,145 



7,359 



25,684 



26,801 



75,198 



1895 



3,568 



6,151 



24,058 



25,482 



71,968 



1896 



6,041 



10,101 



32,569 



33,973-8 



72,790 



1897 



3,947 



9,186 



32,672 



34,943-9 



73,651 



1898 



5,434 



9,533 



35,330 



36,465-8 



77,157 



1899 



3,765 



8,600 



29,611-5 



31,125 



76,007 



* p. v. f Op. tit, 1893, pp. 3, 4. 

 %Op. tit., 1899, p. 41. 



