exxxiii 



this district, and therefore the prohibition of the sale of the fry would 

 be superfluous. 



286. The Collector of Sidtanpur observes that breeding- fish and 



young- ones are destroyed, but not to any 

 Sultanpur. Opinion of the great ex tent. Those taken are from tanks 



and marshes fed by the rain, or filled by the 

 overflow, of rivers such as the Goomti. The meshes of the nets are 

 small enough when so required to catch fish about the size of a gudgeon. 

 Interference is not considered desirable, because there would be a difficulty 

 at first in the novelty of making regulations laying down the size of 

 the mesh of nets, and he refrains from answering what size he considers 

 advisable. As a rule, the fry of fish are reported not to be sold in 

 the bazar, and he would avoid all novel regulations suitable for European 

 countries, interfering with property and old customs. He considers no 

 objection exists to a close season for breeding fish in hilly districts. 



287. The Collector of Pratabgarh reports that breeding fish and very 



Opinion of the 

 Pratabgarh. 



Collector of 



young ones are destroyed indiscriminately, 

 and to a very great extent, from April to the 

 end of June and from September to October, 

 wherever they can be captured in rivers, jhils, tanks, and nallas, by means 

 of nets, traps, or by hand. The minimum size of the mesh of nets will 

 admit of a corn of barley passing through it, and nothing larger. There 

 is no difficulty in regulating the size of the mesh of nets except the un- 

 willingness of the people to let even the smallest fish escape them, and he 

 proposes at first, as an experiment, to double the size now in use. There 

 can be no objection to prohibitingthe sale of the fry of fish in the bazars, 

 or any other reasonable measures being adopted to arrest the senseless des- 

 truction of breeding fish and of the very young ones now going on. Some 

 restriction also should be put on the capturing of fish in the breeding season. 

 288. The Tehslldar of Faizabad reports through the Commissioner 



that there are about 700 fishermen, 42 of 

 whom only have no other occupation ; whilst 

 1,500 are given as at Baraich and 2,830 at 

 Gondah, all of whom follow other occupations; in the last locality the 

 boatmen and palkee-bearers are included, which augments the total. 

 In the periodical fishings of village tanks, many persons not included as 

 fishermen join in. The names of the fishermen castes are given as follows : 

 Gooriyas, Mullahs Chakees, Khowicks, Kuhars, Coniyas, Gharooks, 

 Jhabjhaliyas, &c. Fish are said to be only sold in the large bazars ; some of 

 the Faizabad markets are fully supplied, others are not, as in Baraich, where 

 the supply is not equal to the demand, whilst in Gondah contradictory 

 accounts are given. The relative prices of fish and mutton are as follows : — 



Faizabad reports from Native 

 officials. 



