CXCV11 



present assumed deterioration of these fisheries ; the rules are not regu- 

 larly carried out : thus, amongst the untaxed nets at Thyetmyo are 

 recorded sorts 400 cubits long", &c, which it is impossible can be employ- 

 ed simply to take fish for home consumption. Again, below Prome I 

 examined a boat in which two men had been fishing for home consump- 

 tion, who had as many fry of fish in it as they could carry, perhaps 

 1501bs. weight. In fact, the philanthropic plans allowed are most grossly 

 abused, and these free fisheries and unlimited fishing ought to be subject 

 to regulations. 



372. Are breeding -fish or fry destroyed? I cannot see how two 

 _ ' , „ opinions can exist upon this subject : every 



Breedmg-fish and fry gene- < , ,.-, i -rn_ j. i * l\ l. 



rally destroyed. reporter (except (jreneral rvtche) agrees that 



they are, and my own observation (see para- 

 graph 374) led to the same result. Fixed traps and engines, weirs com- 

 pletely barring streams, damming up and lading out waters, nets with 

 meshes so fine that scarcely more than water can pass, and the interstices 

 of traps still more minute, are freely used : even poisoning the waters is 

 carried on, as will be detailed. 



373. The Secretary to the Chief Commissioner of British Burma, 

 Opinion of the Chief Com- General Fytche, reported (August 3rd 1 86 IS) — 



missioner that fish are carefully " I nave the honor, by direction ot the Chief 

 preserved throughout British Commissioner, to acknowledge the receipt of 

 Burma - yours No. 3006, dated July 16th, and in 



reply to state that there is a tax upon nets and fisheries in British 

 Burma, that fish are carefully preserved, and that no wanton destruction 

 takes place within the province.'" 



374. Having been directed, in 1869, to proceed to Burma and inves- 



tigate into the state of its fisheries, the fol- 

 wlfTri f° pi !- ion p\ & \ a lowing are some of the conclusions I came to, 



wasteful destruction of fish oc- -. n ° , , . * 



curs throughout British Burma, deduced from personal observation, as to 



whether a " wasteful " destruction of fish 

 occurs in the province, and I considered that it did, and to a great 

 extent. This was being effected by two ways — fixed engines and small 

 meshed nets. Fixed engines were of two main descriptions : (1) large 

 weirs, " Tsays/' or bunds crossing whole rivers, and with the interstices 

 between the pieces of bamboo of which they were formed, or of those 

 in the cruives or other moveable traps, so fine that only water could pass 

 through. Some of these, viz., bunding, I shall allude to further on (para- 

 graph 384). No regulation whatever existed; streams were simply let out, 

 and the native fishermen permitted to capture everything they were able, 

 in any way they pleased. Weirs had been left standing for years, not 

 only taking every fish ascending or descending, but impeding naviga- 

 tion, &c. Every villager who liked might fix a weir where he wished, 

 and at each creek within high-water mark, these weirs were placed so 

 that fish passed over these bamboo fences to their best feeding-grounds 

 as the flood-tide made, but as it ebbed they were left floundering in the 

 mud due to this weir standing as an insuperable obstacle to their return- 

 ing to the river. The same process was permitted where large tracts of 

 lands were yearly inundated from the river ; fish passed into these places, 

 but weirs were fixed to prevent even the smallest fry ever obtaining 

 an exit into the river, the bamboo weir being too fine in its texture 



