Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-04-13
VIEWPOINT
OF HOLSTERS 81 A POUND

annually would follow diminished
number Of young, and the curtailment
Of the supply would come with increas-
ing acceleration.
The lobster situation is identical, ex-
cept that we cannot see so plainly what
is going on under water, whereas on
land we can see the effects and. init
mately know all the causes.
BY observation and everyday expert
ence, we recognize the necessity Of
adult geese and other poultry as the
only possible source Of young. whereas
the lobsterman frequently neither
knows nor cares, but covers himself
with the statement either that latter
the Holsters are gone will find some
thing else" or "the quantity in the
ocean Is SO large 1t is not possible to
lessen this supply"
The people must not expect too much
from artificial propagation Of the lob
ster. It's chief value lies in the fact
that purchase Of the egg bearing lob
ster checks to some extent the wilful
destruction Of eggs which before the
practice of artificial Matching by the
Bureau Of Fisheries, were brushed or
wiped Off and the female sent to mar
ket.
At present the problem is to reduce
the infant mortality by protecting the
young during the first few months or
even weeks.
The progress must be necessarily
slow in an animal which breeds once
In two years probably annually, how
ever, in the case Of those IL inches and
upward) and requiring from four to
seven years to reach the breeding age.
In addition, they are such arrant
cannibals that the number per acre is
necessarily relatively small when COM
pared with other animals more readily
propogated. Much progress has been
made in the attempts to reduce infant
mortality, but nevertheless the number
OF breeding adults, the sole source OF
eggs and young, steadily diminishes.
The usual potent biological remedy OF
reducing the number of enemies is no,
| readily applied, for before man the lob.
ster was nominant species holding its
own in the struggle for existence.
Man alone has changed conditions
and If man persists in killing the adul,
| Holsters commercial extinction is Ger.
tain.
On account Of the present plethora o.
news the public failed to note the
manual legislative massacre of al
measures protecting interests Of thu
| lobster industry.
This year the slaughter was purel,
an incident taking the form of killine
| fha hill rrnyi6irer
means of enforcing the existing lobster
laws, by making 1t possible to put ou
OF business for a year the lobster fish.
erman convicted Of violating the lob
ster laws. ...%
Largely to personal animus is du,
again the failure Of an important ste,
In real constructive legislation, BY
securing the only possible means O
adequately enforcing the existing laws
which though woefully Inadequate an,
based upon false assumptions, ar
robbed of even the slight value if IN
7 enforcible.
Much time and energy has bee,
wasted upon such merely restrictiv.
and therefore inadequate measures. a.
close seasons and methods Of measure
ment.
| While by indirection the public is r.
blame, the Massachusetts. and Main,
politicians are directly responsible TO,
the existing deplorable condition,
through persistently refusing to view
the subject in broad way, and +,
secure uniform legislation in the Unit
ed States and Canada which at ono,
meets the following requirements. q
protects the adults of breeding age
thereby insuring a supply of eggs ant
ana young; ca permits the youn,
10 reach the marketable size an(
"hne reducing the cost of en-.
forcement, yet protects the homes
hshermen against the unscr,,pulou
law-breaker fishing nearby, (s) secure
to the public a just exploitation of !,
national resource, a. eliminates tn,
personal element Of measurements 8,
far as possible