27 
a part of the year, is now engaged in practically all the year round 
by an increasing number of fishermen. The decrease in the 
fishing was shown moreover by the fact that young men were 
leaving it more than used to be the case. Some of the fishermen 
could remember when 32 boats went to the herring fishing from 
Holy Island. Now-a-days only four boats, representing 24 men, go. 
This could be explained, of course, from the attractions which 
better markets gave, but the fact was that the number of men had 
at anyrate decreased. About UO men are engaged at the fishing 
there now ; some 20 to 30 years ago there were 7 I men. 
The following comparative statements were made to show the 
serious changes which had taken place with regard to the winter 
white fishing. They could catch on the same ground about 8 or 10 
miles off, three times the quantity of fish got at the present period. 
With four lines of 700 hooks 30 years ago, 80 stones was the 
average catch ; now-a-days 35 stones was the best catch of haddocks 
with five lines of 1200 hooks each. In this fishing they are in 
the habit of baiting with mussels in winter and sand-eels in summer. 
Flat fishes had also seriously decreased according to their opinion. 
Crahs. — With 150 creels, 35 score was the best result this 
season, the average may beset down as 25 score; 50 years ago with 
20 creels 00 to 70 score could be got in a night. 
Lobsters. — The fishermen say that the lobsters are now neither 
so large nor so numerous, in fact they have decreased both in 
quality and in quantity. As recently as five years ago 108 stone 
could be obtained, 20 stone is the best catch now-a-days. There 
was a local law among the fishermen that no fishing could be under- 
taken for crabs and lobsters outside of the months December to 
May inclusive. Now-a-days the fishing, as has been said, is prose- 
cuted practically all the year, and it takes very many more pots to 
obtain a catch which is certainly less than the catch of some few 
years ago. While acknowledging that the close time for the 
berried hen is bound to be beneficial, recognising the fact that they 
couldn't have the chicken and eat the egg as well, they said that 
fishermen could evade the Act if they felt so inclined. The 
impression was that if hatcheries could be established similar to 
those in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia the man could thus obtain 
his lobster in exchange for the “ berries,” and there would be no 
temptation to stripping. This, however, will be discussed when 
the information from other centres is presented. 
