

NO. I (1920) ADMINISTRATION REPORT, I918-I9 15 



28. Pearl Bank Inspection. — No detailed inspection was possible, 

 but the principal banks were visited and tested with the help of 

 the motor launch Sutherland; no deposits of oyster spat were found 

 anywhere. A thorough examination of the banks is arranged to 

 take place next season. 



29. Beche-de-mer Fishery. — As a means to keep the chank divers 

 together by affording them an opportunity to earn money when 

 chanks are scarce, this industry was continued at Tirupalagudi in 

 the usual manner of previous years. The quantities fished were 

 as follows : — 



1918-19. 1917-18. 



< •*- * , -*■ < 



LB. LB. 



Large size (Nos. I 13, 145 weighing 675 39,520 weighing 1,710 



and II). 

 Small size (No. III). 195,465 „ 2,844 19,407 „ 431 



Total ... 208,610 „ 3,519 58,927 „ 2,141 



The bulk of the No. Ill size was obtained in April, May and 

 June of this year ; all these are immature individuals, under one 

 year old and should be left on the beds to grow to adult size. 

 Unfortunately the Fisheries Act of 1897 does not provide for the 

 protection of any immature marine animals of economic value and 

 till it be amended, a pressing necessity, we have to stand helpless 

 and watch the destruction and waste of valuable food materials. 

 Were these immature beche-de-mer left unfished another year, the 

 product would increase three-fold in weight and some five-fold in 

 value. As it is, if we did not allow our divers to fish the immature 

 some outside merchant would step in and perpetrate much greater 

 havoc ; we do discourage the fishing of the very smallest and reject 

 a considerable number in order to emphasize our views. It appears 

 that conditions have been specially favourable to the propagation 

 of beche-de-mer during the past year, and the quantities of young 

 are so great that I trust enough will be left unfished to give a 

 bumper fishery of adults next year. 



30. The same great abundance of young has been found in the 

 inshore grounds north of Ramesvaram Island, and this abundance, 

 coinciding with a sharp rise in prices in Singapore and Penang, 

 induced two Ramesvaram merchants to resume the industry in 

 April and May 1919. I had originally intended to carry on the 



