REPORT 



ON 



THE RESULTS OF A FISHERY CRUISE ALONG 



THE MALABAR COAST AND TO THE 



LACCADIVE ISLANDS IN 1908, 



BY 



JAMES HORNELL, f.l.s., 



Marine Assistant to the Honorary Director, 

 Madras Fisheries. 



[With 27 photographs and text-figures.] 



A fishery investigation cruise in the Government steamer 

 " Margarita" was arranged towards the end of 1908 by Sir 

 F. A. Nicholson, Honorary Director of the Madras Fisheries, 

 with a view to collect such reliable data, by direct enquiry 

 and experiment upon fishery problems on the West Coast of 

 this Presidency, as would determine the most suitable lines 

 on which practical development and the more detailed investi- 

 gation of important problems should be conducted. Among 

 the principal questions with which this investigatory cruise 

 was to deal and to endeavour to elucidate were the following, 

 namely : — 



(a) The suitability or otherwise of west coast fishing 

 grounds for steam-trawling. 



(b) To what extent and on what lines are the industries 

 of drift- netting and long-lining capable of development and 

 extension. 



(c) The determining influences which control the migra- 

 tions of sardinesaud mackerel, entailing an inshore superabund- 

 ance in some years, a more or less complete dearth in others. 



(d) An enquiry into the vertical and horizontal distribu- 

 tion of the microscopical organisms (plankton) which constitute 

 the food supply of the smaller food-fishes. 



(e) Observations at sea upon the principal methods of 

 fishing pursued on the Malabar and Canarese coasts, with a 

 view to introduce improvements both in boats and equipment and 

 to determine if any appliances elsewhere in use are suitable 

 and appropriate for introduction. 



(/) An enquiry as to what ports on the West Coast are 

 most suitable to serve as fishery centres in the event of deep-sea 

 fishing being developed. 



