FISHERIES AND SEAL-HUNTING. GO 



The value of these fisheries (by hook and by net) may be estimated 

 with certainty at 400,000 " roubles" ($280,000 gold) per annum. 



The annual revenue of the fisheries of the army of Cossacks of the Ural 

 is 1,200,000 "roubles," ($840,000 gold.) 



Fisheries of the government — The following localities belong to the vast 

 basin of government-fisheries: (a) the Volga, with its tributaries from the 

 city of Kamychine, in the district of Saratow, to the sea, which includes 

 an area of 15,900 square " versts," (about 7,000 square miles,) with 135 

 fishing-establishments, (" vatagas ";) (b) those portions of the sea in 

 which fishing is free, according to the imperial decree of May 25, 1865. 

 This part of the sea is divided into seven fisheries : 1. The southwest 

 fishery, from the northern frontier of the territory of the Terek Cossacks 

 to a point on the coast five " versts " (almost three miles) from the mouth 

 of the Talovka, with an areaof l,501f square " versts," (about G57 square 

 miles ;) 2. That of the buoys of the Terek, from the boundary of the pre- 

 ceding division to five " versts" (almost three miles) beyond the mouth 

 of the Prorva, with 1,252£ square " versts," (549 square miles;) 3. That 

 of the west from the boundary of the preceding division to the Island of 

 the Four Hills, with 4,206^ square "versts," (1,844 square miles;) 4. 

 That of the buoys of the Volga in front of the mouths of the river from 

 the Island of the Four Hills to the eastern extremity of the great gulf 

 of Siuoye Mortso, with 3,G55f square " versts," (1,720 square miles ;) 5. 

 That of the northeast from this gulf to the western limit of the waters of 

 the Ural, with 11,054 square " versts," (4,047 square miles;) 0. That of 

 the Emba, from the eastern limit of the waters of the Ural to the fish- 

 ing-basin of the inhabitants of Mangyschlak, with a surface of 60,596 

 square " versts," (22,667 square miles;) 7. The division of the high sea 

 and the waters that wash the eastern coast of the sea to the river A trek, 

 which forms the boundary-line of Persia; the extent of this division 

 has not been exactly measured. 



All these divisions, not including the seventh, have an area of 82,267 

 square " versts," (32,286 square miles.) If one adds 15,914 square "versts" 

 (3,398 square miles) of river-fisheries, the fourth fishing-basin comprises 

 an area of 98,181 square "versts," (35,6S4 square miles.) It includes, at 

 least in part, the districts of Saratow, of Astrachau, of Orenburg, of 

 Stavropol, and of Daghestan. The administrative authorities have 

 their seat at Astrachau. They were constituted by an imperial decree 

 of the 25 tii of May, 1865, and are called "Administration of the fisheries 

 and of the seal hunt." This administration belongs to the ministry 

 of domains, and it has officers appointed to secure the strict observance 

 of the fishing-regulations. It also makes out the contracts and receives 

 the payments for fishing-permits. 



ISTot only are the river-fisheries of private individuals subject to the 

 regulations, but also the fisheries of the cities, convents, and villages, 

 as also those of the Astrachau Cossacks. 



The river-fisheries of the Terek are leased out by the chamber of do- 



