32 



Fortieth Annual Report 



3. Lobster Fishery Development. 



During the year the lobster investigations were actively pursued, 

 although, owing to the curtailment of the funds placed at the Board's 

 disposal for this purpose, operations were conducted on a less com- 

 prehensive scale than was originally contemplated. The Board's 

 expert has visited many of the localities in which lobster fishing is 

 pursued, and with the aid of local observers has collected much 

 useful information regarding this crustacean. Large numbers of 

 lobsters have been weighed, measured and examined, and the results, 

 together with other data and material collected, have been placed 

 at the disposal of the scientific staff at Aberdeen, where the life history 

 of the lobster is being investigated (vide also p. 49). 



In the course of the year the lobster expert visited the principal 

 lobster fishing ports on the East Coast in order to enlighten the 

 fishermen as to the best methods of fishing and the possibilities of 

 development there. 



4. Oyster Fishery Development. 



The operations contemplated for the year under review in con- 

 nection with the Board's scheme for the resuscitation of the Scottish 

 oyster fisheries, to which reference was made in the last annual 

 report, had to be very considerably curtailed owing to the necessity 

 for restricting expenditure, while they were still further hampered 

 by unexpected difficulties which were encountered in the course of 

 the year. It had been arranged, pending a supply of brood oysters 

 becoming available from the Conway oyster breeding station, to 

 obtain a stock from France, but delay occurred in consequence of a 

 serious mortality amongst French oysters, and subsequently difficulties 

 of transport incident on the coal dispute rendered it impossible to 

 secure a supply from that source in the extremely hot weather 

 which prevailed. Ultimately a stock was obtained by sea from 

 Holland, and despite the hot weather conditions, the bulk of them 

 were successfully laid. These Dutch oysters went to supplement a 

 stock of native oysters which had previously been transplanted from 

 Skye waters in the course of surveys of various grounds on the 

 West Coast for the purpose of studying the temperature and specific 

 gravity of the waters and other natural conditions. Later on, when 

 the oysters began to spawn, efforts were made to collect the fall of 

 spat, but these efforts were frustrated owing to difficulties in obtaining 

 proper collectors and other materials required, and to the prevalence 

 of stormy weather. 



It is hoped that greater success will be achieved in this direction 

 during the summer of 1922, although in the absence of any means 

 of impounding it a considerable loss of spat seems to be inevitable. 

 An artificial breeding station in Scotland would have been invaluable 

 as a means of eliminating adverse natural conditions, and plans 

 therefor were drawn up, but had to be abandoned as too costly in 

 existing circumstances. 



By arrangement with the Development Commissioners and 

 the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Board's expert in 

 ostraculture gave his assistance in connection with the breeding 

 experiments being conducted at Conway. 



