THE LOBSTER FISHERY OE MAINE 
259 
ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OF THE LOBSTER. 
The rapid increase in the catch of this crustacean during the past ten years lias 
drawn upon it the most earnest attention of all interested in the preservation of this 
valuable fishery. If the “berried” or female lobster bearing eggs, and the young and 
immature, were let alone by the fishermen there would be no necessity for a resort to 
artificial lobster culture. Maine has a most stringent law forbidding the taking and 
selling of “berried” lobsters, and of any lobster under 10^ inches in length, but this 
law is evaded by numerous fishermen whenever possible. An idea of the extent to 
which short lobsters are marketed in the State may be gathered from the statement of 
Mr. A. E. Nickerson, commissioner of sea and shore fisheries for the State, that in 
1899 over 50,000 short lobsters were seized and liberated by the State wardens. As 
these wardens only discover a small proportion of the short lobsters handled by the 
fishermen and dealers it is easy to see what a terrible drain this is on the future hope 
of the fishery — the young and immature. Large numbers of “berried” lobsters are 
also captured, the eggs brushed off, and the lobsters sold as ordinary female lobsters. 
The Report of the U. S. Fish Commission for 1897, on pages 235 and 23G, contains 
the following account of the artificial propagation of lobsters: 
Prior to 1885 experiments bad been conducted at various points looking to the artificial propaga- 
tion of the lobster. The only practical attempts of this nature previous to those made by the Fish 
Commission were by means of “parking,” that is, holding in large naturally inclosed basins lobsters 
that had been injured, soft-shelled ones, and those below marketable size. Occasionally females 
with spawn were placed in the same inclosures. One of these parks was established in Massachusetts 
in 1872, but was afterwards abandoned; another was established on the coast of Maine about 1875. 
It was soon demonstrated, however, that the results from inclosures of this character, so far as the 
rearing of the lobsters from the young were concerned, would not be sufficient to materially affect the 
general supply. The completion of the new marine laboratory and hatchery at Woods Hole in 1885, 
with its complete system of salt-water circulation, permitted the commencement of experiments in 
artificial hatching on a large scale which had not been practicable theretofore, although small quan- 
tities of lobster eggs, as well as those of other crustaceans, had been successfully hatched. In 1886 
the experiments had progressed so successfully that several million eggs were collected and hatched 
at Woods Hole, the fry being deposited in Vineyard Sound and adjacent waters. From 1887 to 1890, 
inclusive, the number of eggs collected was 17,821,000. 
During the above years the average production of fry was about 54 per cent. 
By the use of more improved apparatus the average was brought up to 90 per cent in 
1897, when the collections amounted to 150,000,000 eggs, of which 135,000,000 were 
hatched. As the commissioner of sea and shore fisheries of Maine objected to the 
taking of female lobsters in that State and the planting of part, at least, of the 
resulting fry in other waters, an arrangement was made in 1898 by which all female 
lobsters and the fry hatched out from the eggs secured from these would be returned 
to the State waters. Under this arrangement 2,305 “berried” lobsters were bought 
from the Maine fishermen by the U. S. Fish Commission. From these 25,207,000 eggs 
were taken and 22,875,000 fry were hatched. Of these, 21,500,000 were deposited in 
Maine waters at various points. In 1899, 36,925,000 fry were planted in Maine waters 
by the Commission. In order that the female lobsters may be secured the authorities 
of Maine permit the fishermen to catch and sell “ berried ” lobsters to the Commission. 
The collection of eggs in Maine is usually made by the Commission during the 
mouths of April, May, June, and to about the middle of July, depending upon the 
supply to be had. During the season of 1899 a small steam smack was chartered for 
collecting the lobsters, starting from Gloucester, where the hatching of Maine lobster 
