The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-11-25
Grabs and Lobster Fisheries.

The London Telegraph says :-"0ys-
ters have recently been the subject of the
gravest deliberations Of Parliamentary
Committee, from whose reports, based us
it was on really valuable mass of evil
dence, satisfactory Legislative outcome
may ere long be expected. Meanwhile,
tho time of the crustacea to be overhauled
has come, and on Thursday last, Messrs
Frank Buckland, Spencer Walpole and
Archibald Young, the commissioners ap-
pointed to inquire into the crab and lobs-
ter fisheries Of Scotland, held their first
sitting for the purpose of taking evidence
in Edinburgh. The principal witnesses ex-
amined were fiShmongers, fishmermen and
lessees of fisheries, and their testimony
was generally to the effect that, as respects
crabs, there was at present great decrease
in their number and size, owing to over.
fishing. The demand was much greater
than the supply. Forty years ago dozen
crabs might be purchased sin the trade"
for tenpence; but the price would now be
three shillings. Lobsters, likewise, during
the last twenty years have fallen off wofully
in Scottish waters, and fish formerly worth
only ashilling now fetched two shillings or
half crown. There was general con-
sensus that both crabs and Holsters wer e
taken when of too small size, and in the
breeding season but opinion varied as to
the best remedies for stopping an acknow-
lodged evil. One witness thought that
there should bo gauge for crabs and lobs-
ters, aud that none of the former under
six inches along the back, or of the
latter none less than eight inches in
length, should be taken out Of the water.
Another witness thought that close time
during the month of June, to be enforced
for three or four years, would do a great
deal of goodj while others advocated the
gauge without the close time, and some
close time and gauge to boot. 1t might
perhaps, be difficult to draw hard-and-
fast line as to measurement, unless the
naturalists are prepared to prove conclu-
sively that n little crab left to itself is sure
to grow into big crab; and, again, when
the commissioners have finished their in
vestigations, some other authorities, such
as epicures and medical men, might be al
lowed to say word or two on the subject.
The gastronomes viii point out that mon
strous crabs and Holsters are apt to be
tough and devoid of flavor; whereas the
doctors may opine that a big she'll fish is,
under any circumstances, great evil, and
that huge crab, especially when dressed
in an unscientifc manner in which Britons
delight, is often fatally unwholesome
delicacy. We usually eat our shell-fsh at
the wrong time-late at night We use
too much vinegar and mustard aud too
little oil in dressing them; and the poorer
classes, at least, wash down their dressed
crab" with precisely the wrong kind Of
beverages-heavy beer. At the same
time--albeit the doctors may shake their
heads at the article altogether-it is ex-
pedient that this most popular item Of
food should be abundant in quantity and
cheap in price; and, if the Scottish fisher
les have really fallen off to an appreciable
extent, il would be certainly beneficial to
enforce close time, and to adopt some
reasonable gauge of measurement