87 
THE CRAB AND LOBSTER FISHERIES OF 
NORTHUMBERLAND. 
By A. MEEK. 
I.-THE VALUE OF PROTECTION. 
In continuation of the accounts given in previous reports, and 
the more complete paper in the report for last year, I bog now 
submit tables showing the catches of crabs and lobsters made in 
3£ by G. Fawcus, Sea Houses, and by J. Douglas, Bcadnell. 
Attention may especially be drawn to the numbers of soft crabs 
the catches at Sea Houses during the months of August and 
ptember. The proportion of soft crabs in the latter month was 
5 to 100 hard, or 73 per cent, of the total catch. Mr. Fawcus 
jte with regard to his figures for September : " I had the crab pots 
three fleets, two on hard bottom and one on soft. If all the 
b pots had been on the smooth bottom, I could have doubled the 
mber of white crabs. I counted 2S white crabs in one crab pot 
the smooth bottom." 
The attempt was made in the last report to contrast the 
rthumberland with the districts to the north and the south, since 
laws relating to crabs and lobsters are different in all three, 
bring the evidence up to date the following figures for 1905 are 
.v presented : — 
Numbers of Nnmbers of 
Crabs. Lobsters. 
Northumberland.— Northern District ... 948,273 21,02.1 
Southern District ... 393,871 17,809 
Total ... 1,342,144 38,834 
North Eastern ... ... ... 2,222,819 3o,79"> 
Eyemouth ... 326,100 5,226 
If these returns be compared with those given in the last report 
vill be seen that the general improvement, which has resulted 
ce the close time was imposed in 1896 in the North Eastern 
trict, is continued. The number this year is in fact the largest • 
ich has been recorded during, at all events, the past 15 years. 
A slight improvement has also taken place in the Xorthumber- 
d district at least in the southern division (where practically no 
'ter fishing for crabs takes place), but the figures are much 
*W the average of the last ten years. 
