No. 6 (1922) FISH SUPPLY OF MADRAS 135 



taken to pieces so quickly and the component parts so easily 

 beached. It can get through the fiercest surf ; a common sight is 

 of the men, washed away from their catamaran by a huge wave, 

 slipping under the wave and picking the raft up on the other side. 



The Thuri valai is a light trawl net operated from two cata- 

 marans, one of four logs and the other of three, when the current 

 is strong- The net, a conical bag into which two wings lead, is 

 used all the year round whenever weather conditions are favour- 

 able. Most of the seafish sold in Madras are captured in this net. 



The Eda valai is a square net with two long and two short 

 ropes at the corners. The corners from which the two long ropes 

 emanate carry weights, while there is a float between the two short 

 ropes. The net is operated with four catamarans, two large and 

 two small. When shoals of fish are sighted the four catamarans 

 separate, .each with a rope, the net having been let down obliquely. 

 At the opportune moment the net is quickly lifted up by all the 

 four corners, the catamarans coming close together simultaneously. 



Sometimes a crude weight— a leaf basket loaded with clay — is 

 let down to the sea bottom by a coir rope with a float at the other 

 end and a string of coconut leaves between. Fish attracted by 

 this are caught by the Mada valai, a net similar in structure and in 

 its mode of operation to the Eda valai, which is swept on the coir 

 rope, the side of the net with the float being carried high up behind. 

 Fish thus caught are usually sardines, mackerel and also large 

 mullets. 



Peranda valai, similar to Eda valai but with medium-sized mesh, 

 is also operated from four catamarans. Sardines and small mullets 

 are usually caught. 



Eru valai is a very minute-meshed net used with two catamarans 

 for catching shrimps and anchovies. 



Kola valai is another net used with two catamarans. It is a kind 

 of Vangu valai with about 100 sticks and is used for catching gar- 

 fish. 



Irukkan valai is a drift net consisting of walls of nets, the under 

 rope of which is weighted while the head rope is buoyed to float 

 on the surface. The net is left in position in the sea for a night 

 and the men go next day to transfer into their baskets the fish 

 which have been enmeshed by gilling. The Irukkan valai is 

 large meshed and is used to capture large seer, sharks, etc. The 

 Vala valai, another drift net but smaller meshed than the former, 



