The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-02-06
LOBSTERS ARt INCREASING.
Coast Fishermen Unions are Cooperating
With Maine Fish Wardens.


The first annual report OF Hon. james
Donohue of Rockland, commissioner on
sea and shore fisheries, shows that dur
ing the past year, 12O, 600 more Holsters
were caught than during the preceding
year. The value of the catch Was 1884,
SIG higher than in the preceding year,
due to the high price when the hShef-
men received. The report says:
"rhe lobster fishery is the most i'm
portant branch of the sea and shore
fisheries and in which there are great
er number of violations OF law. In
1907, the past year, there were caught
in the waters of the State S,69S, 671 legal
Holsters, the value of which was 81, OO5,-
1852. This number as returned by the
wardens to my office shows an increase
over the preceding year OF 119, 159 lob
sters, with an increase in valuation OF
1854, S16.
"The numbers of small Holsters seized
and liberated by the wardens IN the past
year is 1897 and the number OF persons
held for the violation Of the lobster law
is 4S. More than Is per cent. OF the
violations of the lobster law we're In
the counties of Sagadahoc, Cumberland
and York, the counties in which there
were until very recently no lobster fish
ermen's protective union. Branches
have been and are now being formed in
these counties and if they are as effec-
tive in helping to protect the small lob
sters as their brothers have been IN
other counties the number seized and
liberated by the wardens IN 1908 VIII be
much less than those reported IN 1917.
cat present more than 1900 lobster
fishermen on this coast are aiding and
assisting the wardens In every way IN
their power to protect the small and
seed Holsters. / hope within the next
year to see that number Increased to at
least $500, as branches are being formed
for this purpose the entire length of the
coast.
an round numbers.37, 900 short lob
sters were seized and liberated by the
wardens within the past year. 1t is
safe to say that this number does not
represent one in 25 of the number of
small Holsters illegally used. On that
basis, it means that approximately l.,
900, 900 of short Holsters were destroyed
on this coast in the past year. Estlmat-
ing them at price of four cents each,
fair average, it would amount to $40
900; whereas if they were allowed to
remain in the water for, say one year,
at which time they would have attain
ed the legal size, they would be worth
$3.50, 900, which shows loss OF $3.50, 600
to the lobster fishermen in this State
during the year; and | am glad that the
time has arrived when the lobster fish
ermen realize what they are doing to
their own business when they refuse or
neglect to liberate the small lobster
and allow it to grow to market size
and value.
81 believe with a strict enforcement
of the present law, with the co-opeIa-
ton of the fishermen as we are now
having from the unions, that inside OF
five wears our catch will have increased
from approximately S,50O,0oO this year
to at least 100000 III 1912. These
figures are compiled from actual facts
and actual experience, and not estab-
ished on theory.
"Too much praise cannot be given to
Mr.. Bowers and his officials in the Ma
tional Fisheries department for the
assistance and encouragement that
they are giving this branch OF the fish
cry in this State. This past year there
were Matched at the hatchery at Booth
bay Harbor and liberated along the
coast of this State about 140,oO0,o00
small HOLSTERS, which certainly must be
great benefit to this industry and
should have the hearty support and CO.
operation of every resident of this
State. The hatchery at 8oothbay H ar
bor also has Matched and liberated
nearly $4,000 small cod fish, and the
catch of cod fish on this shore the past
year proves conclusively that the cod
fish are increasing materially.
81 trust that our next legislature
will pass some law for the protection
of the small CLANS, as the present sys,
tenn of digging CLANS for factories ana
summer hotels is rapidly depicting the
clam flats by taking from them the
small CLAIMS, which are of practically no
value and are being needlessly destroy
ed