68 



Pamban, Kilakarai and one of the ports near Manapad rank 

 next, their relative value to be gauged only after practical 

 experience has been gained. 



63. Rounding Cape Comorin to make a choice of fishing 

 centres, we are confronted with the fact that excellent as are 

 so many of the ports on the Malabar and Canarese coasts, the 

 fishing season there is limited to the fair weather period from 

 October to May inclusive. During the rest of the year the 

 fishing fleet must either lay up or follow the good weather to 

 the East Coast. 



64. Apart from this consideration, the most suitable fishing 

 centres arranged in the order of probable importance, due 

 regard being given to the conveniences at present available for 

 rapid and profitable disposal of the catches both in the fresh and 

 cured conditions, are : — Calicut, Mangalore, Cochin, Telli- 

 cherry, Cannanore, Ponnani and Malpe. The first four indeed 

 appear practically on a par with one another, Calicut's special 

 advantages being the location there of a small ice factory and 

 the shorter railway journey thence inland. Apart from these 

 advantages Mangalore has particular claims as it is already 

 used as a deep-sea fishing centre by the Ratnagiri boats and has 

 the largest dried fish export of any town on the west coast. 

 Further, Mangalore is the nearest port to that immense ocean 

 shoal, the Bassas de Pedro or Munyal Par which extends 70 

 miles from north to south and is 10 to 15 miles in breadth. 

 Judging by analogous conditions the bottom, which consists of 

 sand, shells and coral at a depth of 22 to 28 fathoms, appears 

 particularly well suited to be the resort of very great quantities 

 of valuable bottom fish. This great bank is virgin fishing 

 ground as it lies a full 100 miles from the nearest land and 

 cannot be exploited save by boats able not only to keep the 

 sea for a fortnight but if need be to face severe weather with 

 confidence- 



The Sesostris bank, another promising ocean bank lying 15 

 miles westward of the Bassas de Pedro, also awaits the advent 

 of large sea-going fishing boats working out of Mangalore 

 harbour. 



65. Types of boats. — The design of the sea-going fishing 

 boats suitable to work from the various harbours enumerated 

 above will be subject to considerable variation dependent upon 

 (a) the particular fishery on which employed, lining, drift- 

 netting or trawliDg, (5) upon the character of the harbour or 

 coast where employed, and (c) lastly upon the length of the 

 trips to be made and whether the catches are to be brought 

 ashore fresh, alive or more or less partially cured. 



