47 
(6) That hatcheries should be established for lobsters so that the 
fishermen could retain the lobster he catches in return for the ova 
which would be delivered to the hatchery. 
In this latter connexion the men stated that, as a close time is 
already given naturally by the men with regard to crab and lobster 
fishing, no bye-law to that effect is required. 
The meeting at Cresswell on 29th November furnished informa- 
tion of a similar character to that derived at the other centres. 
There is at the present time no line fishing unless such as is 
ne.cessary for bait for the crab pots. This was the season — from 
September to Christmas — which gave very good catches of haddocks, 
&c., some twenty years ago. Now about three basketfuls per boat 
(about 15 stones) is the catch, and this only includes about 5 stones 
of haddocks. 
It was anticipated that the recent storms would have increased 
the catches of haddocks, but this has not resulted. 
The fishermen recommend that license should be granted to fish 
with small trawls, as specified above, after the salmon fishing which 
comes to an end at Creswell on 14th September. 
Five boats are fishing for crabs, but the quality is bad (November), 
and the expensive gear is liable to destruction by storms. The 
numbers, however, appear to be quite as good as formerly. With 
regard to lobsters, on the other hand, there is no doubt that they 
have much deteriorated, and for that reason the men expressed 
sympathy with the aims of the by(!-law referring to the berried hen 
lobster. During the crab season proper, about 120 pots are in use 
by each boat, and the average catch is 10 to 12 barrels a day. 
The fishermen complained that they were much hampered by 
the restrictions which prevented them fishing for salmon at the north 
end of their ground. They were of opinion that the license should 
give them liberty to fish wherever a drift net could be used. 
As a constant supply of bait would be helpful, they joined in the 
recommendations already made for the improvement of the Blyth 
and Coquet as centres for supplying the southern villages with 
1 mussels. 
These conferences show, as we pointed out in the report for 1899, 
that the condition of things in the fishing villages is far from what 
Ave should desire. The herring fishing, the salmon fishing, and the 
crab and lobster fishing still furnish the main sources of income to 
the fishermen. It is the line fishing AA'hich is threatening to change 
