c 



1 " • " 



llll 



the size of the meshes, unless fishing without a license were forbidden ; in 

 that case nets might he examiued and stamped before the license was 

 granted." Considers Government employes and the natives of India so 

 ignorant as to the difference between fry and adult small fish, that the prohi- 

 bition against selling fry in the bazars could not be enforced. The Collector 

 of Moradabacl (February 29th, 1872) reported, — fish of every sort are caught 

 indiscriminately, especially in the rainy season. The smallest mesh, of 

 nets used is one quarter of an inch. " If meshes of less than one inch from 

 knot to knot are prohibited, other means will be sure to be adopted for cap- 

 turing the very small sorts of fish." One inch from knot to knot might 

 be adopted as the smallest measure experimentally ; but it is anticipated 

 such would give great dissatisfaction, and not remedy the real evil much. 

 Respecting what objections exist against prohibiting the sale of fry in 

 the bazar, — " Practically impossible, except with a large establishment, 

 to pick out the 'fry' of the better sorts of fish, and when caught, the fry 

 may just as well be eaten as be thrown away/'' The former Collector 

 (1868) observed that wanton destruction of fish takes place in this dis- 

 trict when fishermen go up in gangs to the rivers where they come out 

 of the hills. And that damming a river, and diverting it from its bed, with 

 a view of catching all the fish at one time for several hundred yards of 

 the stream, should, without express permission, be forbidden. The Offi- 

 ciating Collector of Bareilly (March 2nd, 1872) stated that breeding-fish, 

 and also fry, are largely destroyed on the waters subsiding after the rains, 

 in streams, small rivers and water-courses by nets and traps, the meshes 

 "not being large enough to admit a grain of mucca to pass through." He 

 continues, " I do not believe any restriction is necessary. I do not believe 

 in the alleged destruction of fish to an extent which requires interference.'" 

 " As far as my experience goes, and I have fished a good deal in the 

 Himalayas, the hill-streams are too powerful to admit of the capture of 

 fish in the two first months of the monsoon. Fish are slaughtered 

 wholesale in the dry months.'" 



330. The Commissioner of Kumaon (I860) replied that in the 



smaller rivers all the fish that can be caught 

 Opinions of European Offi- , meang &re j^^ . fche vil W rs du _ 



Cials in Kumaon. J J .... ,, •> . ° m , 



rins: the cold weather and summer. Ihe 

 Commissioner (February 27th, 1872) observed that " the Tharoos who 

 live in the Turai spend much of their time in the rains in catching small 

 fish, and would be very discontented if their fishing were interfered with. 

 I consider that it would be unwise and unnecessary to stop the inhabitants 

 of the Turai fishing in any way."" He continues — large rivers are too ex- 

 tensive to suffer from any system of fishing. That up the small streams, 

 spawning-fish ascend and are killed by the villagers, all of whom try 

 to get what fish they can. That fish can only ascend during the rains, 

 and that for the last thirty years, he has seen that any fish, large or small, 

 that could be caught, has been caught, and that as the rains return, more 

 fish ascend from the plains. " If the fish that come up to the hills 

 are allowed to go down again, as 1 understand from Dr. Day's report, they 

 would do, I do not perceive how the hill people would be benefitted by 

 allowing them to go, as they would only cume up to the hills during the 

 close season. I feel certain that every fish, large or small, however 

 caught, is eaten — not one is wasted. And the villagers having from time 



