A comparison of the efficiency of the Scottish creel and the inkwell pot in the capture of crabs and lobsters

In a comparative fishing experiment conducted to the west of the Outer Hebrides in September 1977, 1,002 crabs, Cancer pagurus L., and 78 lobsters, Homarus gammarus (L.), were caught by five mixed fleets of inkwell pots and Scottish creels. There was no significant difference in the numbers of crabs or lobsters caught by the two types of gear. The crabs taken by the inkwell pots were significantly larger than those taken in the Scottish creels. The sizes of the lobsters taken by each gear did not differ significantly.