No. I (1920) ADMINISTRATION REPORT, I918-I9 17 



were less remunerative than in the year before ; concurrently the 

 wages bill increased ; hence the profits were largely decreased. 

 Comparison with the results of the preceding period reported upon 

 is misleading as the latter covered a 14 months' term and included 

 extraordinary miscellaneous receipts of Rs. 276-6-0. If the receipts 

 from catches alone be compared of the past three years (actual) 

 we get the following data : — 



1916-17. 1917-18. 1918-19. 



LB. RS. A. P. LB. RS. A. P. LB. RS. A. P. 



Prawns ... 7,306 769 5 o 7,487 737 1 6 7,446 632 11 9 



Fish ... 2,262 121 o 9 3.S37 201 12 10 4,623 264 6 9 



Crabs 30 o o ... 38 o o ... 39 11 9 



Total ... 920 5 9 976 14 4 936 14 3 



^Miscellaneous receipts are omitted.) 



These figures show remarkable consistency from year to year, and 

 their average may be accepted therefore as an accurate index of 

 the revenue to be obtained from a sheet of water of this extent in 

 the undeveloped condition. The possession of these data will be 

 of the utmost importance in future when the lagoon is worked as a 

 cultural proposition ; it will enable us to judge of the utility or 

 otherwise of rearing sea-fish in confinement. The profit made was 

 Rs. 72-13-5 on an expenditure of Rs. 864-12-4 for wages and nets. 

 The line fishermen as usual obtained notable benefit from the 

 supplies of prawn bait we were able to provide ; a new development 

 was the taking up of the crab fishery with our own staff. Simple 

 though this is, we had great difficulty in persuading our men to do 

 this; crab fishing is the monopoly of two or three low caste men 

 and ordinary fishermen were averse to attempt it. Eventually traps 

 were obtained and the staff instructed and somewhat to their 

 surprise they found the work easy and catches as good as those 

 made by the professional crabbers. We have now trained half a 

 dozen men to the work and catches should increase considerably in 

 the coming year. 



33. Pulicat Oyster Park. -Operations were carried on as usual. 

 Demand increased notably, particularly from the hotels in Madras, 

 Bangalore and Secunderabad. From 1st July 1918 to 30th June 

 1919, 404,850 oysters were supplied as against 99,100 for the 

 corresponding period last year. The steady progress made in 

 2 



