The Republican journal., 1886-04-22
Lobster Culture.

THE DECREASE IN NUMBERS AND SIZE. ARTI-
fICIAL MATCHING AT WOODS HOLI.
\ bulletin Of the United States fish commits
sion, just issued contains an interesting paper
by Richard Rathbun. upon the subject of lob
stcr culture. While the lover of lobster salad
may regret to learn from this paper that the
supply of Holsters, as well as their average size
is rapidly decreasing on many portions of the
coast of America he may take heart again
from the account of tie experiments which
are being prosecuted by the fish commission at
Woods IIoll looking TO the artificial propaga-
ton of Holsters.
The Matching of small quantities of lobster
eggs, as well as eggs of other species of crus-
taccans, had been successfully accomplished,
from time t. time, by members of the fish COM
mission party interested in cmbryological
studies, and the possibility of conducting hatch
Ing operations on small scale, and of carry
ing the young through at least the first few
stages of growth, needed no further proof:
but the question of how to care for large
masses of eggs, and especially for the young
after Matching, has yet to be practically deter
mined. The experiments made with the eggs
at Woods Holl We're made WITH Mcdonald
Matching jars. 1t is probable, MIR. Rathbun
says, that the embryo1 cannot be kept in the
Mcdonald jar, as they swim at the surface and
would soon all escape through the outlet tube.
aquaria, to the large wooden tanks now rugged
OH the lower floor for the keeping of fish, or
to floating ears in one of the basins. The last
plan will probably answer best when working
on large scale. as the embryos will thereby
obtain some food from the surrounding waters
while in both of the former cases food would
have to be supplied them.
Mlt is not known how long the Young can be
kept in confinement, nor at what age it would
be advisable to turn them over to the care of
nature, but it will probably bepossible to trans
port them alive to any other portion of the east
ern coast, as the distances are nowhere great.
The eggs of lobster are comparatively large
(about one-twefth of an inch in diameter) and
hardy, and each lobster carries from about H.
900 to $4,000, according to its size.
That decrease has taken place in the num-
Der of Holsters. Mr.. Rathbun saws, and that in
some regions it has amounted to a serious loss,
is attestcd by the statements of many fisher
men and dealers. All the States interested in
the lobster fishery, excepting New Jersey,
whose fishery is small have enacted protective
laws but, either because these laws are made
quate or are not properly enforced they have
failed to stop the decrease, though they NAV
have checked it more or less. As a result, the
fishery is falling off in the United States, and
we are even now dependent, to greater or less
extent, on the British provinces for the supplies
of our larger markets. The same trouble ex-
lists in Europe, where the lobster fishery is of
course, of much older date than in this cOlIn-
try, and where it has been controlled by legis-
lation for many years. Many elaborate reports
have been published upon the European fishery
by experts appointed to investigate its condi-
ton and needs, but they are apparently at as
much loss there as we are here regarding the
methods and benefits of protection. In Nor
way, which country possesses the most impor-
tant European fishery, they have, as last re-
sort, sought relief through the aid of artificial
lobster culture, and experiments to that end
have been carried on for several years.
One of the strongest evidences of decrease in
abundance is afforded by the continuous de-
crease in the average size of the Holsters sent to
the markets.