8i 



traders to the villagers of the creeks who did most of the 

 collecting was ai the rate of Rs. 3 per 100 dozen, frac- 

 tionally less than half an anna per dozen. Considering 

 that several score men were engaged in the business its 

 great extent may be readily inferred from this rate. 



In 1894, considerably greater efforts were required to 

 gather a given quantity than in previous years and the 

 middle-men had to increase their purchase rate to Rs. 5 

 per 100 dozen, as the villagers found it no longer remu- 

 nerative to work for Rs. 3 per 100 dozen. The first 

 note of alarm for the depletion of the beds was sounded 

 in this year, the Customs authorities at Karachi reporting 

 to Government that the beds in all the creeks were being 

 exhausted at a rapid rate, so much so that several 

 Karachi firms interested in the supply of oysters to up- 

 country clients were trying to arrange for supplies from 

 the Baluchistan coast to make up for the ever increasing 

 difficulty in obtaining sufficient supplies from the home 

 district. One officer reported that masses of empty 

 shells were all that remained to mark the spots where 

 at one time boat loads of oysters were obtainable. He 

 predicted the entire exhaustion of the beds unless 

 measures were at once adopted to prevent further uncon- 

 trolled spoliation. The next year the scarcity was further 

 emphasized and instances are given of oyster boats 

 returning to Karachi after eight to ten days' search in the 

 creeks with not even a quarter load. 



The authorities were thoroughly aroused to the 

 gravity of the situation and since 1896 the following 

 measures have been adopted in the endeavour to prevent 

 further exhaustion of the beds and to renew their pros- 

 perity, namely : — 



(a) The observance of a close season from 15th 



April to 1st October in each year. 

 (6) The closing of the creeks by compartments to 

 oyster fishing in addition to the annual close- 

 season, a two-years' rotation being observed. 

 (c) Prohibition of the removal of oysters less than 



2 inches or more than 6 inches in length. 

 11 



