94 
The numbers for tho Eyemouth district show that the crab fish 
Ing in that region appears to be getting worse year by year. 
A considerable increase has taken place during the years undei 
consideration in the intensity of the crab fishing in the Northumber 
land region, and more than probably the same is true of the Nort 
Eastern. There is this difference between the two districts, how 
ever, — during the last ten years the winter fishing lias beei 
greatly developed in the northern half of the Northumberlanc 
region, whereas in the North Eastern area the close time has pre 
vented fishing for crabs from the beginning of September to the em 
of January, or restricted it during that time to occasional attempt; 
to fish in extra-territoral waters. If the general factors of tiie cast 
be therefore that the catching power has increased in the tw( 
districts along parallel lines, and that in the one restricted, and ir 
the other unrestricted fishing has been done in the last ten years 
the experiences of the fishermen resolve themselves into a scientifk 
experiment, the result of which is that the restricted has gradually 
improved and the unrestricted region has deteriorated. 
The preceding tables and those which were given in the lasi 
report show that the modern winter fishing for crabs is done during 
the main casting season, if the term be taken to include also th( 
period during which the crabs are relatively soft or " white," anc 
that a large number of soft crabs are caught to get those which an 
fit to send to market. It has also to be said that the many com- 
plaints which have been made during that season by the recipient* 
of the crabs m the various markets indicate that those sent are nol 
always even "fit." When they are "fit" they are, as was stated ir 
the lust report, usually females which are about to spawn. II 
would appear from the results of the migration experiments that 
these females have migrated into the district from the south. In 
both cases, however, the fishing must be considered destructive, and 
that it is destructive is evident from the difference in the results in 
the two divisions of the Northumberland region. It has already 
been said that the winter fishing has been particularly developed in 
the northern part of the district, and reference to the last report 
will show that the crab fishing in that area has pretty steadily 
decreased since 1898, while in the southern district it has slightly 
improved. 
There is only one possible inference from these considerations, 
and it is, that the main population being stationary, the hardening 
