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miles in the rainy season. Covelong and Dugaraza- 

 pattanam are two others of large size well designed 

 by nature for conversion in part into fish farms that 

 might easily surpass Comacchio, were capital and orga- 

 nisation available. The backwaters on the West Coast 

 are even more extensive than these two latter ; they are 

 richly supplied with branches and side-creeks which 

 swarm with myriads of fry at the commencement of the 

 rains and which require little else than bunding off from 

 the main channel to convert them into natural fish-ponds 

 of any required area. 



The side creeks, of all manner of size and aspect, 

 given off in great numbers by all the great rivers in the 

 neighbourhood of their embouchures are equally suitable 

 for natural fish culture on a large scale wherever they 

 can be cut off securely by bunds from overflow by flood 

 water. In the deltas of many of the great rivers on the 

 East Coast there are often to be seen long stretches 

 of quiet water representing channels forsaken by the 

 river for some new outlet ; these old channels are often 

 ideal situations for fish rearing as they are well within 

 tidal range and would also afford frequent opportunity 

 for freshening with sweet water when this became 

 desirable. 



The presidency is particularly favourably situated 

 for the inception of large schemes for the natural culti- 

 vation of sea fish on the Venetian system. So many 

 places are so perfectly adapted for it, that it is difficult 

 to point to one as being notably superior ; all circum- 

 stances considered I am inclined to think that whereas 

 Dugarazapattanam backwater may be equalled, it can- 

 not readily be excelled as the site of a lagoon fish farm. 

 The area available is ample in acreage, the depth is of the 

 requisite shallowness, a sufficiency of fresh water is 

 available during the rains to reduce salinity and induce 

 a strong run of fry whereof multitudes belonging to 

 suitable species swarm in from the sea on the annual 

 opening of the bar ; finally, prescriptive fishing rights 

 are non-existent in the backwater, the fishing popula- 

 tion being most meagre, their operations virtually 

 limited to the open sea. In such circumstances the 

 initiation of a fish-farming industry at this centre would 

 come as a boon to a population living under conditions 



