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in crab than in line fishing, and the change was thus a voluntary 
one. Other places and other men followed this example and for 
the same reason. More gear, after some years, was found to be 
necessary. But even with that to-day the fishing is not so 
productive, and especially in the autumn or end of year fishing — a 
very unprofitable one — so that we are finding some of the fishermen 
again voluntarily going back to the line fishing and many others 
willing to do so were it not for their neighbours. The returns in 
price again, are, as the fishermen confess themselves, not so good 
as formerly. The gear is expensive and does not last very long. 
Besides, storms sometimes cause a great deal of loss during the 
autumn. The fishing itself is very bad ; so many soft crabs 
are got in the pots that even with much care of selection those 
sent to market are so inferior that the merchant in many cases 
refuses to have more sent to him. It is the time of year, moreover, 
when the deterioration, which is admitted, takes place. I believe, 
in fact, the time has come for imposing a close time, including the 
months of October, November, and December, as well as for pro- 
tecting the “ berried ” lobster for the whole year. 
But (fourth), the difficulty is, could the fisherman as profitably 
at least, spend his time at the white or any other fishing but crab 
and lobster fishing ? No one will doubt from the evidence which has 
just been presented that the haddock fishing has deteriorated; and 
cau we therefore, in the face of these facts, recommend closing the 
kind of fishing, so many of them at present prosecute if only with 
a fair success, for three months of the year. Several intelligent 
fishermen to whom I have stated the problem, have replied that the 
line fishing during that period could not be worse than the crab fish- 
ing. They have never fished for white fish to any large extent 
during these latter months of the year — at least at the northern 
places, where the restriction suggested seems to be more desired. 
The herring and the pot fishing has served to take up their time 
entirely. The latter, they are realising, is seriously threatened. 
It is admitted that the white fishing is not in a satisfactory state 
for line fishermen, but I am persuaded that the fishermen for these 
months in the year would make as much, and perhaps more, with 
their lines. Some prefer to do so voluntarily, and the necessity for 
a close time is so great that the others should he compelled to follow 
suit. 
Fifth. If the round fish have decreased on the grounds 
accessible to the in-shore fisherman, the flat fish seem to have still 
