46 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



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they seem more willing to accept advice and to try experi- 

 ments, but it is useless to attempt or expect anything- if 

 demonstration and material help do not accompany advice. 

 As in all pioneer fishery work, a thorough preliminary 

 investigation is necessary. We want definite and detailed 

 information on the seasonal abundance of the food fishes 

 frequenting the vicinity of the islands ; we must ascertain 

 whether the bonito — most valuable of pelagic fishes — is found 

 in large shoals and whether suitable live bait can be found 

 in the island lagoons ; we must try whether the Minikoi and 

 Japanese method of capturing them is suitable for local 

 cond tions or whether drift-netting may not be preferable. 

 We have to ascertain whether the particular species of flying- 

 fish which, in the breeding season, furnishes an extensive and 

 profitable fishing to the Coromandel fishermen, occurs in the 

 Laccadive sea, and if so, when the breeding season is and if 

 these fishes can then be caught by the same ingenious and 

 simple plan as is practised on the East Coast at that particu- 

 lar time. The potentialities of the beche de-mer fishery also 

 require careful investigation, particularly on the outlying 

 uninhabited reefs, several of which are of very great extent, 

 and consequent promise. It is notable that the small beche- 

 de-mer industry that existed in Kiltan at the time of my visit 

 in 1908, has died out and is now but a memory. I feel sure 

 that if the islanders be taught improved methods of curing, 

 such as this department has introduced into the Palk Bay 

 beche-de-mer industrv, and if arranoements be made either to 

 buy their produce at a rate that would yield them a fair profit 

 or, alternatively, to arrange to sell it for them on a commission 

 basis, quite an extensive industry might result. Similarly, 

 the export trade in cured fish would expand greatly if 

 encouragement be afforded the islanders to pay greater atten- 

 tion to this trade and if direction in methods and cheap salt 

 for curing be provided. Salt curing is practically unknown 



