( 113 ) 



enquiries, appear more alive to the destructive waste in the 

 fresh-water fisheries that is now being carried on than do the 

 Europeans. Such might be anticipated ; it comes more home 

 to them, whilst a very little trouble would disarm their oppo- 

 sition. 



A General Fishery Act. 



CXXIV. It would seem then that, if any action is 



taken, a " Fishery Act" will be neces- 



A Fishery Act necessary. -,-,- . -. * , . . , . ■ 



sary. Here the question arises at the 

 outset — should such be one adapted for all India ? Should it 

 be made applicable to certain places ? Or should the general 

 principles be laid down, leaving details to Local Administra- 

 tions ? In practice, it would probably be most efficient to fol- 

 low the spirit of the British law, considering each " Local 

 Administration" as a " board of conservators" who could 

 enact bye-laws, and so modify general rules as to meet each 

 different district. 



CXXV. Should anv such general skeleton Act be con- 

 „ . . ._ , sidered necessarv, I would propose 



Skeleton of General Act. . , . ., .. i it t ., 



that its action should be simple, 

 but still feel confident that if only a modicum of trouble 

 is taken in carrying its provisions into effect, the re- 

 sults must be most beneficial. First, that poisoning of 

 waters for fishing purposes, or permitting any poisonous sub- 

 stance entering into pieces of water so as to become delete- 

 rious to fish, be generally prohibited. Secondly, that all fixed 

 engines be declared illegal. This probably will meet with 

 some opposition, but fixed engines are at the root of 

 the destructive waste which is proved to be going on in India. 

 They are now used where previously they were never per- 

 mitted (para. LX and LXI) ; whilst, due to there being no 

 lessees or fishery contractors in large districts of country, the 

 agriculturists are employing fixed traps in every irrigated and 

 inundated field. Nothing is now spared. But whilst deciding 

 that weirs and fixed traps are generally illegal, modifications 

 or exceptions might be allowed by Local Governments with 

 this proviso, that no fixed engines (excluding fishing weirs 

 that are subject to rent in Government waters, or situated 

 in permanently settled estates) may be employed between 

 ist June and 1st December, whilst, to be legal in the remain- 

 ing six months of the year, a license must be obtained from 

 the civil officer of the district, that, if destitute of a fish- 

 pass, they should never entirely obstruct a water-way, and 

 that 1 inch at least exists between the substances forming 



H 



