liv 



in catching 1 fish in the small tanks which dry up at every hot reason, 

 and it would be of little use, because the fish are caught by the hand 

 even in the mud as the water subsides, and the quantity captured by man 

 is small in comparison to the enormous numbers destroyed by the large 

 flocks of birds that prey upon fish. The Collector continues, that in 

 large tanks that do not dry up and in the rivers the mesh might be re- 

 gulated by law, but in tanks and rivers that dry up during the hot sea- 

 son it is proposed that nets should not be interfered with. For the 

 former localities the minimum size of the mesh proposed is one inch 

 between knot and knot. To attempt to make a larger limit would be very 

 unpopular, because there are so many descriptions of fish that are eaten, 

 and which never grow to any great size. 



108. The Acting Collector of Batnaghari, with his report of June 



16th, 1871, enclosed one from the Deputy 

 Opinions of the European Conservator, who stated that he had obtained 

 officials of the Ratnaghan Col- j <■ i j. c-\.- ■ ru t 



lectorate good fresh-water fishing in the J og river near 



Dapoolee. No private parties exercise any 

 exclusive rights in regard to such fisheries. One reason probably 

 why the fish are so few in number, is that they are caught in vast numbers 

 when they have only just spawned, as is thus described by the Assistant 

 Collector. The people in this part of the country are not in the habit 

 of catching fish either by means of hues or nets. In some places they 

 raise dams across streams, which do not allow the water to run off, and 

 into the pools thus formed they throw the juice of the hoora plant, 

 which blinds the fish, after which they are easily taken. The usual 

 method, however, is by placing baskets in convenient situations in 

 the current. Such a system of capturing fish newly spawned, and the 

 practice of throwing nets across creeks and rivers, has done much to 

 diminish the number of the fish in this country. The Acting Collector 

 subsequently (March 20th, 1872) observed that there are no fresh-water 

 fisheries, properly so called, in his zilla. The chief fisheries, exclusive of 

 the sea ones, are those up the numerous creeks or arms of the sea, which 

 penetrate inland for several miles along the whole length of this coast dis- 

 trict. Far inland, in depths too shallow for navigation, at low tides and 

 during the monsoon, some parts of these creeks contain fresh water, and in 

 regard to them, both breeding and very young fish a re destroyed to a great 

 extent. The rivers are swept with close nets at all seasons of the year 

 from their source, and principally by Bhoees, but also by the villagers 

 generally. Banks are formed to make the fish pass through narrow 

 channels; nets are employed, also baskets and bag-like nets. Fish of 

 a very small description are caught all the year round, but the principal 

 time for this pursuit is during July and August. There is no doubt that 

 breeding fish and very young ones are not spared. Any sized mesh is used 

 which the fishermen choose, and the difficulty in regulating the minimum 

 to be employed in future is the want of supervision in remote vil- 

 lages. Half an inch between the knots of meshes is proposed as the 

 smallest legal size. Fry do not appear to be sold in the bazars, but 

 used for home consumption. Prohibiting* the capture of fish in hilly 

 districts for the first two months of the monsoon season, when they are 

 breeding, would be of great advantage to the country, but rules would 

 be difficult of enforcement. 



