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shoals are there but do not come Inshore, and the use 

 of a good inspection boat is necessary to ascertain facts 

 and suggest effort. So, again, little is known of the 

 possibilities of deep-sea fishing in East Coast waters 

 during the south-west monsoon period, the best fishing 

 season with catamarans being the short season 

 from January to May inclusive ; a power boat could 

 investigate this question. Again, a boat is wanted for 

 experimental trawling and dredging ; the question 

 whether trawling can possibly pay, e.g., whether there 

 are bottom fish in any paying quantity, is absolutely 

 unanswerable at present, and trials round the coast are 

 essential ; it is far easier, especially for experimental 

 purposes, to do this with a power boat than with a 

 sailer which must be of some size to traw), and is largely 

 dependent on wind and tide. I am informed that 

 the Ceylon Pearl Fishery Company has recently con- 

 ducted experimental trawling operations from Ceylon 

 to Madras and near Cape Camorin, and that valuable 

 information has been obtained ; information as to 

 results is at present inaccessible, as a private company 

 is naturally secretive where competition is possible ; 

 hence Government operations, conducted solely for 

 public information, are all the more necessary ; I hope, 

 however, shortly to be favoured by the company with 

 a report as I have applied for the same. Again, it is 

 necessary to ascertain the productive capacity of the 

 sea outside the loo-fathom limits and the possibility 

 of remunerative drift net fishing ; a vast number of our 

 fishes are surface or mid-water swimmers, especially 

 shoalers, and for catching these with drift or purse nets 

 the depth of the sea is, of course, immaterial, ?/the fish 

 are there. Similarly we want to know something of the 

 fish food (plankton) capacity of our waters and this can 

 only be tested at sea. Dredging again is necessary, 

 for we know nothing of the shell bearing capacity of our 

 sea beds, and there are possibilities in shell, especially 

 as I note that pearl shell is being exhausted in the 

 Thursday Island regions and culture is spoken of as a 

 necessity. Finally, the inspection boat is required for 

 experimental use as a carrier ; I do not propose to have 

 a separate boat for such use, for a carrier is needed 

 chieliy in the fresh fish or canning business, and these 

 demand trade organizations which Government can 



