The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-04
THE SUPPLY OF 1oBsrEns sHonr
Efforts Making TO Re,tock the waters Along
the New RnEiand Coast.

Wv
New LONDON, July 3.-Threo years ago THE
SUN published IN article on the passing Of tho
lobster from these waters. At that time tho
lobster had been followed Oft shore by tho nsh-
crrnon In steamers to such depths of water that
steam power was necessary to pull up the traps.
Since then the process of determination has
gone on, and as a result the supply this season
in the Eastern States has fallen far below the
demand. Lobstors readily bring from IL to 10
cents a pound, and sometimes are not to be
found even at those figures. The shore dinner
season is opening at the 'iorg.shoro umDer re-
sorts with n distressing lack Of half n lobster"
rs one feature Of the menu. The catch Ia so
scanty at such fishing ports rs Noank, Stoning,
ton, Block Island. and places further to the
to abandon Tho "G hunt for 'G lobStc TO OitoSotRSr.
A boat from Montauk several days ago made y
haul OF thirteen pots in deep water and caught
At present energetic efforts aro being made
to restore Holsters to their former ahundance'
t hir,St Of lI tSs i IlSse po0P IKE Ps'TSG nit tSGfs stntes G tnS STP.
mcnt's fish hatchery Mt Woods Holl is doing
good work; Live HOLSTERS arc being imported
from the British provinces and some men arc
raising and fattening tho crustaceans at private
expense; The regulations concerning the cap
as : stringent ri as any sn mre'"lI law. A law Just
passed IN. Connecticut provides. that any person
who shall have, in his possession for, any pur-
posO u iopslCI ICbS liiHl lllilt liilto iVhk HUN
head to tail, or a female. lobster with ova or
spawn attached, shall be fined not less than 81
imprisoned not more than thirty days as well.
The way the law works Is shown by the expert
once Of a lobsterman in Noank. In three hauls
that could have been sold for moro than $50.
As there are upward Of sixty lobster fishermen
in Noank, the pecuniary loss to them in consc.
quence OF this law will be heavy; but the lob
sternlen do not complain. AS they realize that
nothing but just such a statute will make lob
A new task for the lobstermen is the search
FOR TSI los bate eggs for the Government to hatchery Oh ~:
work Of Matching Holsters in earnest, and its
members believe that in u few years they can
place IN the waters along the Soast sufficient
to be caught In large quantities once more. To
carry out this plan they are sending out agents.
duty 1t is to buy from tho lobster cutchcrs all
the eggs they can secure. These eggs are for
warded at once TO the hatchery, and later, when
tive waters and dumped overheard. =,
pn The schooner g % nHr smack smack Il Martha ar II a Capt; Late Il to.
gagged, In the work of collecting the eggs at this
end Of the lobster territory. Several millions OF
last sunday, and other lots win bo dumped be;
tween Matthias Vineyard, Block Island, and
Montauk during tho warm weather. About
100000 900 lobster fry have been taken thus far
between Hockland, Me-, and this port. The work
of collecting has not yet been finished;
Holsters, tho largest single source to-day is the
British provinces, and "A steamer built last sea
ION to bring the Holsters here in wells promises u
be a very paying Investment this year, She /.
the lobster boat Helen May Butler, built al
NOank last year, and now owned in Boston
The Butler Is fitted with wells for the trtnspor
tation of live Holsters, and can carry 10000 Of
them. She has just made an experimental TRIP
TO the provinces which has proved II great sue
cess, having arrived at Boston from Louisburg
with 1900 live Holsters. These Holsters arr
shipped all over the country by rail, and if tn,
future ventures OF the steamer prove MS sue
cessful rs this, u new field of lobster supply will
have been opened for the United States for Q
time, although it is believed by the old lobster
catchers that in supplying the demands of sucl
craft as the Butler and OF the canning factories
as well the provincial lobster crop will be a
speedily killed as was that of the State OF Maine
In fact, advices from Halifax already arc to tn,
effect that the lobster catch there for the seasol
will he short.
Although the law regarding the sale of shoT
Holsters is being strictly enforced in New Eng
land, II Is limited that some OF the fishermel
along the Connecticut shore and on Long Islam!
are combining all the young HOLSTERS they catcl
in tidal pools at obscure places along the beache
and feed and fatten them there until they are o
marketable size. These Holsters are usual,
penned W, Oh Long Island, it is said. Tho!
will eat with avidity any sort Of foul fish, such a
pound fishermen throw away. and are also sai,
10 take on fat and to increase in size under suc
conditions quite rapidly.