Il8 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XV, 



difficulty, largely due to the conservatism of the fisherfolk and the 

 difficulty of getting satisfactory teachers and demonstrators. The 

 introduction of methods proved excellent in one locality, into 

 another where those that are indigenous are weaker in catching 

 power, has been tried in Malabar, Tuticorin, Madras and Nega- 

 patam. At none was there decided success, but recently both at 

 Calicut and at Negapatam local men have come forward with 

 proposals to take over the boats and gear we have used for the 

 demonstrations. Supervision of actual operations on the fishing 

 grounds has been hitherto in the hands of intelligent but otherwise 

 uneducated men as no educated Indian fishermen at present are 

 available; the material being faulty and lacking in initiative, it is 

 no wonder the results have been unsatisfactory in the main. 

 Neither have these men been able to report intelligibly upon the 

 conditions of the new waters they have worked in. With the 

 recent placing of an order for an experimental sea-going launch to 

 be devoted to the purpose of introducing and testing new methods, 

 this vitally important problem will be attacked in a fresh direction 

 with greater resources than in the past, and with greater concen- 

 tration of effort. This fishing launch will be manned by an Indian 

 crew who will be taught under the working direction of an 

 experienced European master-fisherman able to report results and 

 to vary the methods according to circumstances. 



II— INDUSTRIES. 



Fish curing is an age-old industry in India, but the methods in 

 use are generally primitive and susceptible of great improvement 

 in regard to the flavour, appearance, cleanliness and keeping 

 quality of the products. The chief indigenous method is to salt 

 the fish, usually for one night, followed by sun-drying. Long 

 and patient endeavour to ascertain improvements in methods that 

 are yet inexpensive to adopt has been made by the department, 

 particularly at its Experimental Station at Tanur in Malabar. 

 Here numerous and varied experiments have been conducted 

 with generally gratifying results. To enable the methods thus 

 elaborated to be introduced to the notice of curers and to improve 

 general conditions, particularly in regard to cleanliness and sanita- 

 tion, six Government fish-curing yards were transferred temporarily 

 from the Salt Department to " Fisheries " over two years ago. 

 Progress in improvement has been slow owing both to the innate 

 and ignorant conservatism of the curers and to factious opposition. 



