The lobster is usually caught in creels or “pots” baited with portions of stale fish—generally flounder, skate, eels, etc. Lobster fisheries tend to deteriorate in value very rapidly. Owing to the lobsters’ keen sense of smell, the method of capture by means of creels or pots is very efficient, so that the lobsters are caught in great numbers, with the result that the fishery soon shows signs of exhaustion, the average size of the lobster caught becoming smaller. The lobster fishery is entirely confined to the shallow water near the shore, and can only be replenished and maintained by the young lobsters that hatch out in that neighbourhood. Large quantities of lobster spawn are destroyed every year when berried lobsters are caught. It is estimated that, on an average, 30 per cent of the lobsters caught are berried females. The fishermen either remove the spawn and throw it back into the sea—where, of course, it almost certainly becomes fish food—or sell it to be used in making certain special sauces. Various attempts have been made by legislation in different countries to prevent the capture of berried females, and so protect the lobster spawn, but, since berried females are found all the year round and comprise about 30 per cent of all the lobsters captured, it is practically impossible to prohibit the capture of berried lobsters without seriously penalizing the fishermen. A better policy would be to hatch lobster eggs in large numbers artificially, and when the young lobsters are well established add them to the natural stock. This is actually done on a large scale and with excellent results in America and Norway. In Europe lobsters are generally sent to market in a fresh state, but in America they form the basis of an extensive canning industry. In 1913 over 2,500,000 lobsters were captured round the coasts of Great Britain and Ireland, the total value of the fish being more than £110,000. Shrimping is one of the most important methods of inshore fishing, and gives employment to a large number of fishermen round our coasts. The shrimp is found on sandy or muddy ground in shallow water near the coast. A female shrimp, like the lobster and the crab, carries its eggs under its tail.