144 



As a result of the Exhibition held in December last, many enqui- 

 ries were made about the use of the fish tin carriers, etc., and some 

 of the enquirers were supplied with carriers and instructed how to use 



them. 



The President, Taluk Board, Mannargudi, requested this depart- 

 ment to inspect one of the tanks in the Mannargudi town and suggest 

 the best means of improving its fishery. The tank was inspected by 

 my Sub-Assistant and the President was advised about the methods 

 to be adopted for che same. 



17. Remarks. — All the more important waters of the Presidency 

 are gradually being taken over by this department and are temporarily 

 being stocked with the best kinds of fish indigenous to India. Later 

 when large stocks are available at the different fish farms, I hope to 

 introduce to all these waters non-indigenous fish, such as ' Osphro- 

 menus olfax and Tinea vulgaris, which will be of very much greater 

 value as a food supply to the people and also to the fish revenues of 

 the Presidency. 



APPENDIX II. 



Report h;^ J. Hornell, Esq., F.L.S., Government Marine Biologist 

 and Superinte?ident of Pearl and Chank Fislieries, Tiiticorin. 



I have the honour to submit the following summary of work done 

 in my section of the Fisheries Department during the financial year 

 1915-16. 



2. The operations under review may be grouped in five separate 

 categories, namely {a) those dealing with the exploitation of the 

 Government monopolies of the pearl and chank fisheries, (/') those 

 concerned directly with the commercial development of marine indus- 

 tries, {c) those having for their object the economic improvement of 

 the fishing population, {d) educational work, comprising fishery pro- 

 paganda, the training of fishery students, and the provision of 

 teaching collections for schools and colleges ; and lastly (e) the all 

 important investigation of the life histories of food fishes and their 

 enemies, together with those physical and biological problems which 

 affect their abundance or their scarcity, and which in consequence 

 control the prosperity of our fisheries. 



3. Financial results. — I am pleased to be able to state that the 

 working of this section has been phenomenally successful from the 

 revenue standpoint, more particularly in respect of the chank fisheries. 

 A far higher total of shells has been fished than in any previous 

 similar period and as expenses have been normal, the result is that 

 this section of fisheries will have a net profit to pass to the credit of 

 revenue much higher than in any year since Government undertook 

 the departmental conduct of this fishery. As the chank fishing year 

 does not terminate till 30th June I am unable to give the exact figures 

 of gross value of the produce and net profits thereon ; the former will, 

 however, certainly exceed Rs. 92,000, and the latter Rs. 49,000, as 

 against Rs. 40,014 and Rs. 16,759, respectively, obtained during the 



