no. 3 (1920) Inshore fishing experiments 119 



is used for a portion of the Naria Vala part also. About 200 skeins 

 of thread will be required for one Eda Vala. Cat-fish and other 

 medium sized fishes are caught with this net. The price of one 

 net is Rs. 175 to Rs. 200 (pre-war) and Rs. 300 (present). 



(c) Vakku Vala.— This is also similar to 'a' in shape, but 

 it is a little bigger in size and is made of hemp ; this is the biggest 

 net in Malabar. 



The price of one net is Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 (pre-war) and Rs. 350 

 to Rs. 450 (present). Shoals of big and powerful fishes, e.g., Kora, 

 bigger cat-fish, etc., are caught with this net. To operate (a) and 

 (b) the 2 big canoes are manned by 10 to 14 men, but to (c), 12 to 

 18 men are required. 



(2) Sulthan Vala. — This is a smaller seine net operated from 2 

 small canoes with 3 to 4 men in each. In fact, it is a miniature 

 Paithu Vala with the bottom of the purse extended far out of 

 the mouth thus diminishing the" width of the Keezh Vala of 

 Thattu. The length of the purse from the apex to the peri- 

 phery is I fathom less at the top and 7 to 8 fathoms more at the 

 bottom than that of the Paithu Vala. Thattu (coir rope-net) of 

 Sulthan Vala is made up of the same 3 parts, Keezh Vala, Kachu 

 Vala, and Kadangani and they are 15 cubits, 20 cubits and 15 

 fathoms long, respectively. The terminal coir rope (Kamba) is 

 10 fathoms longer than that of Paithu Vala. The meshes gradually 

 become bigger towards the mouth as in (i) but they are here 

 specially bigger near the thattu. 



The cost of one net is Rs. 200 (pre-war) and Rs. 350 (present). 

 The catches here consist of mackerel, sardines and other small fish. 



(3) Kolli Vald — (means an instrument of destruction which 

 it proves to be especially to Sardine shoals). — This is also a cotton 

 seine similar to Sulthan Vala but double its dimensions- This is 

 operated from 2 big canoes manned by 10 to 16 men. The cost of 

 one net is Rs. 300 to Rs. 350 (pre-war) and Rs. 500 to Rs. 600 

 (present). 



(4) Vcechu Vala {Cast net). — This is a large circular net 

 weighted rather heavily along the periphery. There is a ring at 

 the apex through which passes a coir rope which is tied to a certain 

 fixed number of strings each of which while radiating towards the 

 peripheral string divides into 3 branches. Fishermen cannot 

 operate the cast net without considerable practice over a number 

 of years generally commencing from their boyhood. This net is 



