CCXX111 



by the Burmese Government when fishing- is stopped.] Besides the 

 fishermen, " there are many who, in the parts of the district where the 

 fisheries are worked in the dry season, cultivate lands during* the rains/' 

 The Deputy Commissioner of Bassein reports, that " except the hilsa 

 breeding-fish are not destroyed ; [this is erroneous, as I have personally 

 witnessed it to a great extent] but young fish are captured to a consider- 

 able extent by traps in the paddy-fields, and in low-lying grounds 

 after the floods have subsided." The minimum sized mesh used is frds 

 of an inch, and the chief difficulty in regulating such is the small varieties 

 of fish which would thus escape, whilst a fine sized mesh is more expen- 

 sive than a large sized one. No objections exist to prohibiting the sale 

 of fry in the bazars. " It is very easy to say that it is objectionable to 

 have the young of fish destroyed, a matter which is universally admitted, 

 nor do the fishermen who have a permanent interest destroy the young 

 fish, for they are probably far better acquainted with the habits, breeding 

 season, and of the varieties of fish they catch than more scientific 

 observers, and are not so blind to their own interest as to commit 

 such suicidal acts." [As regards the foregoing, "scientific observers" 

 may not be more competent to give opinions than " Munnese fisher- 

 men," but surely they may be permitted to report upon what they see, 

 and how they think. Destroying fry is denounced by this official to 

 be a suicidal act in leased fisheries, but he would permit such unchecked 

 in paddy-fields and in his district by cultivators. Scientific enquirers 

 may have their doubts as to the practical wisdom of such a distinction, 

 and not be prepared to believe that destruction of fry wholesale in paddy- 

 fields does no injury, whilst killing the same in leased fisheries is a 

 suicidal act ! In fact, they may perceive a wasteful destruction, not 

 far removed from folly, and which perhaps has escaped the notice of 

 " non-scientific local observers".] " The young fish are, however, destroyed 

 by cultivators in their own paddy-fields, but it is questionable whether 

 the prohibition of this, with the exactions and prosecutions for the breach 

 of the prohibitions, would not entail greater evils than allowing it." 

 The Deputy Collector of Myanoung observes that " breeding-fish and very 

 young ones are captured in considerable numbers by means of weirs 

 and traps, the size of the mesh or intervals between the bamboos con- 

 stituting the trap being so small as to preclude the exit of any fishes 

 however minute :" " baby fish are destroyed in numbers along the 

 banks of the various streams, where they take refuge from the current." 

 In branches of main streams, which are filled only in the floods, all fishes 

 are totally destroyed on the waters falling ; but the proportion must be 

 but small to those that escape. £ Tradition, always to be received with 

 great caution, and the opinion of the oldest inhabitant, which is generally 

 more or less liable to errors of recollection, as with such "all times are 

 good when old," are adduced to prove the fact that the fisheries have not 

 diminished in productiveness] whilst "the Burmese themselves, on being 

 asked whether they considered the system hitherto in force in Burma had 

 the effect of diminishing to a serious extent the fish food of the province, 

 seemed quite surprised that such a question should be asked." [Doubtless 

 they would have been still more astonished had they been asked whether the 

 present slaughter of young fish in all imleased fisheries and irrigated 



