XIV 



possible in this district. There is no doubt that even now the mahaseer 

 especially are a persecuted fish, particularly at that seasou of the year 

 when the water is low (just before the rains), and especially in the hillstreams 

 (where they are spawning) , when they are nearly all destroyed. I would 

 strongly advocate, as regards this district, that the Government of Cashmere 

 be keenly urged to carry out whatever system of preservation Government 

 intends to enforce, as our efforts to preserve this main staple of food 

 must be considerably retarded without their support/' The Deputy 

 Commissioner of Gurdaspur states, that since licenses have been issued 

 the destruction of breeding and very young fish has diminished, but 

 that the capture of fry during the rains is still carried on ; they are taken 

 with baskets, cloths, &c, in all shallow places in streams, after the rains 

 have subsided. The minimum size of the authorized mesh is \\ inches. 

 The impossibility of supervision is the chief difficulty in regulating the 

 size of the mesh. This can only be met by finding out all men who 

 make any part of their living by fishing and compelling them take out 

 licenses. The recorded license-holders could be visited periodically, and 

 their nets examined year by year, thus the fishing of the rivers could be 

 brought more under control. The objection against prohibiting the 

 snle of the fry of fish in the bazar, is, that they are more tasty ; but 

 on the other hand, Hindus think that it is better to take the life of one 

 large fish than of many small ones. "The principle of protecting fish, 

 and in fact all game, during the breeding season, is too well established to 

 need comment. Should it entail any hardship on the population of the 

 hills, it seems to me that they must bear it, as the fish are protected in 

 the interests of the community at large." 



29. The Commissioner of Ambala forwards the following from the 



Officiating Deputy Commissioner : that he 

 Ambala Division.— Answers of thinks breeding and immature fish are de- 



the European officials of Ambala j , , ,-> , ,i . • i- 



and Ludhiana. stroyed to a great extent ; that the restriction 



as to the size of the mesh of the net has only 

 been held to apply to rivers, whilst in fields, tanks, and hollows, the 

 smallest meshes are used; indeed, sheets are employed. No difficulties exist 

 against regulating the minimum size of the mesh of nets ; but if the sale 

 of fry is prohibited, it would simply deprive the public of a valued 

 article of food. No objection obtains against prohibiting the capture of 

 fish in hilly districts during the first two months of the monsoon season 

 when they are breeding ; in fact, he considers the suggestion expedient. 

 The Deputy Commissioner, in 1870, stated, that " there are numbers of 

 kahars and others, who at different reasons of the floods, when at leisure, 

 catch great numbers of small fish, which appear principally to be washed 

 down from the hills, and which if uncaught must perish in the drying 

 up of the water. These fish form an important article of food temporarily 

 for a number of the poor classes, and any attempt to prevent them from 

 enjoying this article of food would be a hardship." The Officiating* 

 Deputy Collector of Ludhiana considers, that the breeding fish and very 

 young are not destroyed to any great extent in the district, since the size of 

 the mesh of the nets has been regulated. It is considered expedient 

 to prohibit the sale of the fry of fish in the bazars. 



