19 



more powerful appliances ; tropical seas in general 

 abound in marine life and the many thousands of square 

 miles within the lOO-fathom limit on the West Coast, 

 appear to be no exception ; the numerous rivers bring 

 down annually large quantities of food suitable for fish 

 life ; the varieties of fish are very numerous, and the 

 waters swarm with predaceous tribes which argue 

 abundance of other fauna : laroe shoals are seen out ai 

 sea at periods when they are deficient inshore ; the 

 catches of fish even with the primitive appliances 

 available are larger per fisherman than those on the 

 Irish Coast with better boats and oear. It is true that 

 some Western scientists (see Johnstone's " British 

 Fisheries" 1905, page 196) declare or consider that 

 plankton or fish food is less abundant in tropical waters 

 owing to the greater prevalence of denitrifying bacteria, 

 and if such fish food is less abundant it is probable that 

 fish may also be less. But the suggestion is theoretical 

 and there are no actual data at all events for Indian 

 waters : the probabilities seem the other way. Indian 

 capital, however, is remarkably shy of investment in 

 probabilities, and the matter of quantitative experiment 

 and proof by trawling, etc., as well as of experiments in 

 salting at sea and of more rapid and better transport to 

 and curing on shore, will be placed separately before 

 Government if Government signify that they are 

 prepared to undertake considerable expense in such 

 experiments, e.g., in fitting the '' Margarita " (probably 

 not very suitable) with a trawl, in engaging an expert 

 trawler, curer, and so forth. 



19. The actual catches of the West Coast are not 



known, but on an average of five 



Amouut of catches years endiuQ; 1903, 40,000 tons offish 



estimated and com- ■^ , p '. ' . i r 



pared. wcre brought to the curmg yards or 



that coast, in which, however, are 

 included the heavy catches of the comparatively large 

 Ratnagiri boats from the Bombay Presidency. There is 

 considerable local trade in fresh fish within a 10 or 12 

 mile limit from the shore ; the fishermen's families are 

 also provided from the catches, and in most years a 

 good deal of small fish (sardines, prawns, etc.) is simply 

 dried on the beach without going to the yards. The 

 fresh fish trade does not absorb so much fish as might 

 be supposed : 1 1,000 tons will give 100 lb. per annum 



2 -A 



