NO. 2 (1922) INTRODUCTORY NOTE 47 



in the islands, presumably because the cost of bazaar salt is 

 considered prohibitive. (No public fish-curing yards where 

 duty-free salt is supplied have as yet been ojzened in the 

 islands.) 



The main conclusions we come to, are that much more 

 detailed information is necessary before concrete proposals for 

 fishery development are possible and that the introduction 

 of improved methods will be valueless unless means be taken 

 to obtain fair market rates for the produce, in similar way to 

 that adopted in respect of the coir production of the islands. 

 Without help given in the marketing of their produce, the 

 islanders will inevitably fall a prey to unscrupulous traders 

 with the result that the unremunerative returns will cause 

 discouragement and a cessation of further effort. A patri- 

 archal treatment of the islanders is necessary till they become 

 more worldly wise. 



It is notable that neither lono-linincr nor drift-nettinq- is 

 practised in the islands. The value of these methods there- 

 fore should receive careful attention in any future efforts 

 towards fishery development. 



Mr. Ramaswami Ayyangar was successful in finding 

 young pearl oysters alive in the islands ; I doubt greatly if 

 they occur in commercial quantities in any locality ; if they 

 do, it will be in the lagoons of the great uninhabited pars. 

 As I have pointed out elsewhere, these pars are veritable 

 terra: incognita? ; they are never visited by the revenue 

 authorities, and ne> zoological or fishery examination has ever 

 been made of their potentialities. We know only that the 

 island fishermen periodically visit them and bring back good 

 catches of fish. An early investigation should be included 

 in our programme for the development of local fisheries. 



The mosquito plague in Minikoi is referred to This is 

 notorious and changes what appears to be an earthly paradise 

 into a place of the utmost discomfort, to say nothing ofdisea.se. 



