NO. 2 (1922) LACCADIVE FISHERIES 65 



process. After removing the head and guts they are cut into 

 pieces of 1% to 3 inches square, washed in freshwater, boiled 

 for about 5 to 10 minutes in a mixture of half fresh and half sea 

 water, drained and taken to the smoking pits. These are more or 

 less small square excavations in the ground, generally opposite to 

 their living houses, 2 to 3 feet long, 1% to 2 feet wide and a 

 foot to a foot and a half in depth, and covered by a sort of trellis 

 work of coconut leaf midribs. On this trellis the boiled pieces of 

 flesh are arranged ; a slow smoking fire is lighted beneath in the 

 pit and kept going for two to three hours till the flesh turns red (or 

 black in certain islands). Then they are dried in the sun for 3 to 

 4 days until quite hard. This product is said to keep good for 

 six months and even one year, of course with an occasional drying 

 in the sun. At present the product is cured for home consumption 

 only. 



Bonito or Mas-min.—lt was at Agatti that I saw a shoal of these 

 fish and when I told the Inspecting officer (Mr. Ellis) of this fact 

 he asked me to inquire into the present condition, difficulties and 

 possibilities of introducing the well-known " mas " fishery of 

 Minikoi Island into the other islands also. It was suggested that 

 the difficulty at present expressed by the islanders in not launch- 

 ing forth into this special fishery, is partly due to paucity of 

 " mas " fish, partly to ignorance of the methods of capturing 

 them. Fishermen generally say that "mas" fish is available in 

 their seas also. But there are a few who doubt its existence in 

 such numbers as to create a profitable industry, and hence a 

 disinclination to go out prospecting for shoals of these fishes. 

 Granting that the fish are available, and the men take the trouble 

 and incur expenses to undergo a training in the methods followed 

 in Minikoi, there may probably be a bait difficulty. From the 

 description given in Mr. Ellis' report the keeping of the " live fish ' : 

 bait is an all-important condition for the success of the fishery. 

 The fishermen of the other islands doubt the availability in their 

 lagoons of small fish required for bait in sufficiently large numbers. 

 Lastly, the men doubt whether the Minikoi fishermen can be 

 induced and hired to teach the other islanders the method of 

 capturing, and, even then, whether they will disclose the secrets of 

 their methods. As an instance, the men point out the failure of the 

 efforts of a former Amin of Androth who, a few years ago, built, at a 

 cost of Rs. 500 to Rs. 1,000, a boat of the pattern of Minikoi but did 



