Dabs are not so numerous either. They used to he common in 
Skate Roads. Twenty stone could he obtained with say 3000 
hooks ; 1 to 2 stones might he said to be the catch to-day. 
Mr. Douglas pointed out to me that the cormorant and shag take 
a heavy percentage of flat fish in the young condition such as plaice 
and turbot. He has watched one of these birds eat 9 flat fishes of 
4-0 inches in a few minutes, and thinks, therefore, that the Wild 
I>ird Protection Act is not altogether a blessing from the point of 
view of the fisherman. The North Sunderland men have got many 
flat fish, including soles, for their crab pots on the Megstone, 
where the cormorant breeds. This is not the first time that the 
cormorant has been blamed for taking more than a fair share of 
fish. Mr. Hancock, in the interesting introduction to his 
“ Catalogue of the Birds of Northumberland and Durham,” gave 
extracts from Newcastle Municipal accounts supplied to him by 
Mr. Glephan, which showed that the Tyne cormorant at one time, 
(1561-1654), had a price set upon his head. 
Crabs. — Forty to fifty pots for 4 men are in use at this time of 
year, but 4 fleets of as many pots each are put in in the spring. 
When 1 visited Beadnel on April 1st, there were some ten boats 
fishing, each boat possessing say four fleets of 60 pots each fleet 
(the usual number being 40-00) ; at that time then there would be 
about ‘2000 pots in the water. The crabs are reduced in numbers 
and in quality. The autumn fishing is admitted by some to be 
very destructive. 
Lobsters are not nearly so numerous either, now that the fishing 
is so widespread as regards area and the time devoted to it. The 
close time for the berried hen is welcomed as an excellent measure, 
and should be extended to include the whole year as for the crab. 
Fishing Grounds. — The crab and lobster ground is now much 
more extensive both laterally and seawards. 
The old spawning grounds of the haddocks, where they and 
other fish used to be so plentiful, are now of little use to line fisher- 
men. The harder grounds, where the trawler cannot go, on the 
north side of the spawning ground, is the only place available now- 
a-days, though naturally more codling are caught in such a place. 
Bait is got from Budle Bay usually. 
Marketing. — Sixpence a stone would clear railway rates and 
marketing expenses for fish. For crabs, 3/3 a large barrel for 
carriage and 2 3 for commission, Ac , gives 5 0 — the figure 
necessary to clear expenses. 
