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Part III. — Eighteenth Annual Report 



" In order to promote the plaice -fishery, in our seas at any rate, it is nob 

 enough to protect the unsaleable fish only ; we must also, and particularly, 

 protect the saleable fish, so that the latter becomes sufficiently saleable. 

 T am convinced that no other way will lead us to the goal, the greatest 

 possible profit.*' Such an improvement in value may be obtained by an 

 increased catch, or by securing a higher price for each individual crab. 

 The former need not be considered here ; the latter is a line on which 

 some progress may be made. The first point to which attention may be 

 directed is the fact that the smallest legally saleable crabs are not 

 accepted as full marketable crabs. The smaller crabs of the catch sell 

 at half the price of the larger. At Dunbar, for example, although no 

 definite size in inches is accepted as the standard by which a whole crab 

 is measured, it may with confidence be stated that all crabs under 4| 

 inches across will be counted as half -crabs. The highest price paid to the 

 fishermen at Dunbar for crabs is Is. 6d. per dozen — i.e., each crab brings 

 three halfpence. Crabs under -if inches are sold at three farthings each. 

 The capture of half -crabs is economically a mistake, since by leaving them 

 in the sea until they cast again, their size would be much increased. They 

 would on recapture bring double their former value.* In the ten catches 

 referred to above, 2684 crabs were of marketable size (4| inches and 

 over), and of these 597 were found to be between 4| and 4| inches 

 inclusive ; i.e.. 22 per cent, of the crabs of marketable size were half- 

 crabs. After one cast, all of these crabs would measure more than 

 5 inches across (vide p. 110). Then if only half of these were recaptured 

 when they had increased in size, no loss would accrue to the fishing, 

 since their value had doubled itself. The question arises as to how long 

 a period will elapse before a crab between 4| and 4| would cast again. 

 In the case of a female which was fertilised, two years at least would 

 probably elapse between its soft period and the next casting ; but during 

 that time it is more than probable that she will carry eggs. In the case 

 of an unfertilised female of these sizes, a year may be taken as the 

 interval between the time of its previous cast and the following one. 

 With regard to the male crab, it is not improbable that the similar 

 interval will be one of two years at least. But on this point evidence 

 is wanting. Taking everything into consideration, it would very 

 probably be an advantage to eliminate the half -crabs from the market. 

 And for this purpose a 4| inches gauge at the very least would be 

 required. The Crab and Lobster Commission recommended for Scotland 

 a 5 inches gauge, and instead of that size 4J inches was taken as the 

 standard. In most of the fisheries districts in England (vide p. 140) the 

 4| inches gauge has been by local bye-law replaced by a minimum of 

 5 inches. This is a size which would keep out the Dunbar half-crabs ; 

 but care should be taken against instituting a gauge which is larger 

 than absolutely necessary. A 5 inches gauge would have kept out 35 

 per cent, of the crabs measuring 4^ inches and over in the sample 

 catches which were examined (p. 119), while a 4 J inches gauge would 

 have caused the rejection of 22 per cent. 



Even without further restriction in the matter of the minimum legal 

 size, much good might be done by preventing the use of the small hard 

 crabs and soft crabs for bait. The Crab and Lobster Commission in this 

 connection reported as follows: — "There is, then, much diversity of 

 opinion among the fishermen of Scotland as to the expediency or 

 inexpediency of using crabs for bait. Without expressing any opinion 

 on the propriety of the practice, we may repeat that we cannot recom- 

 mend any legislative interference with its continuance, because we are 



* Wilson, op. cit., 1895, p. 5 ; Allen. "The Protection of Crabs and Lobsters," Journal, 

 Marine Biological Association, N.S., Vol. IV., No. 2, p. 186. 



