Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-03-03
LOBSTER LAW
Continued from Page one)

ANJOO l. G1G LAW
Continued from Page one)
Goldwaithe, 80 inch Holsters are
caught on the Maine coast but we do
not get them"
e. B. Studley of Wells. fisherman
for 40 years, said that Massachusetts,
and New Hampshire each have a 9
inch lobster law and he thought that
Maine should have one to make it
uniform.
IF we could catch inch Holsters
it would be better for all fishermen"
said Mr.. Studley, "for then the fish
ermen would act as wardens and if
we had a crook among us we would
get after him"
Judge John P. Deering of Saco, who
was associated with Judge Emery,
said that he would not tire the COM
mittee with corroboratiye evidence so
he asked all those who favored 9
inch lobster law to arise and about
80 hardy lobster fishermen did so.
The Opposition
Harry C. Wilbur of Portland a
member of the Commission on Sea
and Shore Fisheries, In appearing in
opposition to the bill, said that if Mr.
erie, the director of sea and shore
fisheries, favored 8 inch law for
York county that he spoke for him
self and not for the commission, as
he and DR.. E. w. Gould, another
member of the commission, favored
the present law.
THE present lobster law is the re-
suit of years of study" said Mr.. Will
bur, land the smallest lobster county
in the State, York county, is the only
one that wants inch law 1t is
self evident that if you dump a ire
mendous quantity Of Holsters on the
market the price will go down. There
would be just as much sense of hav-
ing an S inch law as 8 inch law.
The sentiment of the fishermen to-
day is overwhelmingly in favor of the
present law. I do not believe that
Massachusetts, smacks are now COM
ing to Maine and taking the 9 inch
Holsters"
George Hatch of Jonesport said
that the people of his section of the
State were satisfied with the present
law and they wanted no change.
Henry E. Joyce of Swans. Island
told the committee that he was sent
to the hearing by lobster fishermen
who want the present law retained.
why. in five years time" said Mr..
Joyce, IF the law is changed in York
county, it will have to be changed in
other counties. / have been here. |
think eight times and there is moth
ing new in the situation. People who
are crying for cheaper Holsters will
never get them but once"
Down our way, the people think
that it would be very wrong to
change the present lobster law" con-
cluded Mr.. Joyce
Lewis Mcdonald, who opposed the
bill, said that he did not represent
anyone but himself. He was opposed
to any change in the law and he be-
heved that the present law is the
best one that the State ever had.
Mr.. Mcdonald declared that it will
require more wardens to enforce the
3-inch law and he did not think that
there was any desire to change the
law except in York county.
again in opposition to the bill, said a
9-inch law would mean the exter-
mination Of the lobster and the fish
ermen of Cumberland county are
very much opposed to any change.
DIR. z. w. Gould of Rockland. a
member of the commission on sea
and shore fisheries, also spoke against
the Qinch 1ohafpr hill
THE present law regulating the
taking of Holsters is founded upon
scientific facts, not alleged facts but
scientific facts, that is, is is based
upon the life history and re-produc-
ing functions of the lobster" said Dr.
Gould.
ut has been proved beyond ques-
ton that 1t is an exceptional rarity
for Holsters to re-producetheir young
before arriving at q stage Of less
than nine inches in length but that
they do spawn before reaching ten
ane one-half inches in length" con-
tinued DR.. Gould.
CAS- matter of fact any law or
regulation designed to protect and
increase any member of the fish fam
lily must of necessity be based on the
life history of the fish in question
in order to be effective and to SECURE
the desired results. The law as 1t
stands today upon the statute books
of Maine Is the result of long years
OF study and observation, and it is
designed to help those who are here
in opposition to it's further enforce
ment.
"One reason why these men appear
in opposition to the present law is
the better and more efficient enforce
ment of this law, and tacitly urge
in their contention that science is All
wrong. that the taking of the imma-
ture Holsters has no effect on the fu-
ture supply, in other words, hey are
using an alleged scientific fac to ac-
complish their object.
Il can give no better illustration
of this condition than by calling at
tention to protest against the use
Of beam trawlers by the fishermen
of England, committee of whom APP
peared before the Ministry of Fish
cries in London and asserted that
the dragging Of the trawl on the
ocean bottom destroyed the spawn of
bottom fish, which theory was shown
to be wrong as science had demon
strsted that bottom fish were pelagic
spawners. that is, that the eggs were
free floating.
"Viewed in fhis light an s.ipcb I,u