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32. (/) Siafi sties, — Under Government Orders the 

 department began to compile fishery statistics. Mr. 

 Hornell has for several years done so for his own 

 station (Tuticorin) as regards fish and fishing, but the 

 statistics required by Government are more far-reaching. 

 A beginning has been made in utilizing the statistics 

 found in the standing note-books of the 119 Govern- 

 ment fish-curing yards (i.e., bonded yards where duty- 

 free salt is issued to the curers who are left mainly to 

 their own curing methods) and these are now being 

 compiled, supplemented, and commented on by the 

 Assistant Director and will shortly be submitted to 

 Government. As the department has absolutely no 

 staff for collecting statistics, these will necessarily be 

 imperfect ; but may serve as a basis and should give 

 some idea of the fishing population, of their boats and 

 fishing gear, and of the fish obtained at various seasons 

 and localities. I am also collating the answers to 

 questionnaires issued to various authorities (Revenue 

 officers, Medical and Sanitary officers, and Municipal 

 authorities) some years ago ; these should give some 

 knowledge of fishery conditions and of fish as popularly 

 used for food. 



T)T). (m) Socio-economic ivork. — This is almost entirely 

 in the hands of the Assistant Director Mr. V. Govindan, 

 who was not only deeply interested in such work 

 (especially among the " depressed " classes) before he 

 joined the department, but is otherwise well fitted for it, 

 especially on the west coast. During his work under 

 me on the west coast he has been not merely collecting 

 data for a complete paper on the condition of the fisher- 

 folk on the west coast — which is his own country — but 

 has constantly discussed economic matters with groups 

 of people in various localities. He writes as follows : — 



*' After four years of constant talk and persuasion I have 

 succeeded in starting a co-operative society among the fishermen of 

 Tanur. The society was registered about the end of March and 

 arrangements are being made to commence business. Fifty of the 

 leading fishermen who own boats and nets have already joined the 

 society and paid the first call on their shares. This is a co-operative 

 nidhi and each shareholder has to pay a sum of Rs. 50 within 25 

 months by instalments of Rs. 2 per month, and thus the members 

 have to create a capital by their own contributions. As the maximum 

 number of shares is 200, this society will have a capital of 



