47 



Have any new European methods of catching fish been attempted, 

 such as steam-trawh'ng ; if so, when- and with what results, and what 

 reasons are assigned for the result ? Whether any methods of piscicul- 

 ture are known or practised, i.e., the hatching or breeding of fish by 

 (a) natural, {l>) artificial means ; for instance, are mature fish conveyed 

 or enticed into enclosures in estuaries or backwaters and kept there 

 to spawn (natural pisciculture) ; or are fish anywhere caught and the 

 eggs taken from them, fertilised and artificially hatched (artificial 

 reproduction) ; or are eggs collected from places of deposit and placed 

 in localities favourable for hatching ; are any methods practised of 

 catching and fencing in young fish or fry (whether of fish or of shell- 

 fish such as prawns, oysters, lobsters, etc.) and keeping them until 

 they mature. {JV.B. — All questions relating to fish are intended to 

 include all classes of shell-fish, e.g., lobsters, oysters, crabs, cuttlefishes 

 and so forth.) Are oysters, mussels, or other shell-fish transplanted, 

 when young, to favourable localities ? Is there any native demand 

 for shell-fish ; if so, of what class principally ? Is the demand for 

 food or for other purposes such as bait? ^Vhat special modes or 

 implements of catching and keeping alive to the market are adopted 

 for crabs, lobsters, etc. ? 



VII. — Distribution. 



Modes of disposal of the fish when brought to shore by fishermen, 

 whether by auction, by private bargaining, by transfer to merchants, 

 curers or persons from whom advances have been received ; whether 

 the fishermen take or send by relatives their fish to the fish-market or 

 whether they make arrangements for sending it inland by partners, 

 relatives or coolies ; what persons generally conduct the fresh fish 

 trade, whether on the sea beach, or in the fish-market, or by hawking 

 it in the streets, or by carrying it to inland villages ? 



What is the condition of the fish when brought to shore generally ; 

 is it alive or dead, firm and rigid or flaccid ; is it becoming or has it 

 frequently become decomposed or tainted ; note specially its condition 

 in the hot months. Is any difference in freshness observable between 

 fish which are always alive when taken into the boat, e.g., those caught 

 in " Odam " or other dip-nets or by hand line, and those which are 

 frequently dead when taken into boats, e.g., those caught and suffo- 

 cated in gill-nets, especially those which are down for long periods 

 (as in the nets which remain set all night at Mangalore), and fish 

 caught on the long line which are frequently found to be dead when 

 taken up ? Distinguish also between fish caught by boats which go 

 out in the morning and come back in the afternoon and fish caught 

 by boat such as (Ratnagiri) boats which go out in the afternoon and 

 come back in the morning ; in what condition is the fish which is 

 brought in by those Ratnagiri, etc., boats which stay a week or more at 

 sea ; how is such fish kept from being tainted ; is such fish classed as 

 fresh fish or is it only fit for salting ; if salted at sea, how much salt is 

 used. What is the general condition of " fresh " fish which has been 

 taken ten miles or more inland ? Is it fresh or slightly tainted or bad 

 especially in the hot weather : does it find a ready sale, whatever its, 

 condition ? Have you heard or have you any practical suggestions for 

 improving the fresh fish trade on its present lines ? 



