CXV1 



The smallest 

 mesh of nets. 



size of the 



251. The smallest size of the mesh of the 

 nets emptloyed is thus recorded by the Euro- 

 pean and Native officials : — 



When the above are not considered sufficiently minute, a cloth is employed. 



252. The other modes of taking fish are adverted in the reports 



r ... , „ c , . of the various Native officials. Weirs exist 



Other modes of fishing. . . „ . . . , , , , , 



permitting nothing but water to go through, 



detaining all the fish ; fixed traps are placed in every run where young or 

 old are likely to pass, even at each opening through which the waste 

 water in the rice fields flows from a higher to a lower level ; streams are 

 dammed and laded ; poisoning is freely resorted to. Every form of net 

 appears to be employed, from large-meshed to small-meshed ones, fixed or 

 moveable, whilst rivers are swept by a number of cast-nets being con- 

 nected together and dragged their whole width; night lines and day 

 lines ; baits fixed to bamboos inserted into the beds of rivers ; torch-light 

 netting and spearing; in short, every mode of poaching is said to be 

 freely employed. 



253. As to remedial measures which have been proposed, the Chief 



„ , Commissioner suggests that poisoning waters 



Eemedial measures proposed. , , , , , ., P°, j A , •..• 



should be prohibited, and no great opposition 



would be encountered in attempting a close season, but deprecates any 

 action as to regulating the minimum size of the mesh of the nets to 

 be employed ; still if Government legislates, he urges a very wide dis- 

 cretion be given to local Governments in the framing of the rules. Per- 

 sonally I would also wish to see the local Administrations deal with the 

 evils which exist, and provided they will do so, that regulations res- 

 pecting the minimum size of the mesh of nets be left to their decision, 

 only recommending that it never be permitted to be less than half an inch 

 between each knot of the meshes. In fact this would be in the spirit 

 of the British law, considering each local Administration in the place 

 of a ' District Fishery Board' at home, and only subject to certain regula- 

 tions, which I have already proposed. Forbidding any fixed engines as 

 weirs or cruives, at least during breeding months, and the poisoning of 

 waters, and the protection during the dry season of a few pools, would, 

 I am convinced, at once show how easily remedial measures improve 

 the condition of fisheries and augment the food-supply of the people. 



254. Respecting regulating the smallest size of the mesh which may 



be employed, one European official suggests 

 Respecting regulating the mi- that it would not be easy to do s0 i n 

 mmnm size ot the mesh or nets, . , , . ,. , " ^• cc _ ■> 



and what such ought to be. tanks and ponds, but that he sees no uimcul- 



ty in rivers and nallas ; four others consider 



