66 



the large dimensions required to make deep-sea fishing a 

 succass. This last matter has already been dealt with very 

 fully by Sir F. A. Nicholson in his several reports on the 

 Madras Fisheries and may now, I think, be taken as granted. 



56. The selection of fishing centres and the necessity for 

 separate classes of fishing ports, — The catamaran having con- 

 quered the surf, special fishing ports or havens have not been 

 requisite hitherto in the districts where this type of craft is 

 in use ; wherever a sandy beach is found the catamaran may 

 be used, hence in the neighbourhood of populous centres the 

 whole coast line for miles together is used indifferently by the 

 catamaran men. On the East Coast where fishing is confined 

 very largely to a fair weather season when landing is easy 

 almost anywhere, the same result is seen ; fishing hamlets dot 

 the coast irrespective of any consideration for the superior 

 shelter to be had within neighbouring river mouths, indeed the 

 open beach has quite a superior attraction in the eyes of fisher- 

 men as its use enables them to reach the fishing grounds more 

 quickly than if they had to come from out a river mouth. 



07. The case of sea-going boats is wholly different. Of 

 necessity they must be of such a build and depth as preclude 

 them from being hauled up daily upon a beach, and, with the 

 exception of the West Coast during the fine season, it would 

 not be advisable to anchor them off the open beach (except at 

 Point Calimere) unless there be a safe haven within easy reach 

 in the event of a sudden outset of stormv weather. Even this 

 would entail risk in manv localities and would necessitate one 

 or more of the crew remaining aboard at all times. We 

 may expect therefore that if any considerable number of boats 

 eventually take up work on our coasts, the same process of 

 local centralization will take place here as has taken place in 

 Britain as the village cobble gave place to the smack and the 

 latter in turn to the steam trawler and steam drifter, till at the 

 present day the fishing craft belonging to half a dozen ports 

 monopolize between them three-fourths of the entire fish trade 

 of England and Scotland. 



58. Apart from the matter of safety, the selection of 

 special fishing centres is desirable in fishing interests as only 

 by so doing can outside capital be attracted and the industry 

 placed on a sufficiently wide basis. Catamaran and canoe 

 fishermen may be likened to retail traders ; large fishing craft 

 must be handled on broader lines and made to conform to 

 commercial ideas of wholesale trading. To be profitable the 

 catches of sea-going fishing boats must be large and they must 



