1 86 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. Xt, 



the year, aggravated by unseasonable and heavy rains in August, which 

 caused floods of muddy water to pour into the sea at a time when normally 

 the water should be clear. The quality of the shells is poor and of low 

 market value, hence it is difficult to give the divers a rate which will 

 adequately remunerate them. Only by running a beche-de-mer fishery in 

 conjunction, can their earnings be made enough to induce them to carry 

 on the chank fishery. Without the help of the subsidiary industry named 

 the men could not be prevented from abandoning the chank fishery in 

 favour of other work. 



t2. Chank fishery in Ceylon. — Partly to prevent the Tuticorin chank 

 divers from drifting away to other employment during the six months when 

 fishing cannot be carried on at Tuticorin (a danger more pressing nowadays 

 than formerly on account of the marked increase in the cost of living since 

 the war began), and partly to gain exact knowledge of the fishing stations 

 and general course of operations in the chank fishery in Ceylon, by sanction 

 of Government (G.O. No. 1435, Revenue, dated 21st May 1917) four crews 

 of divers were sent to participate in the Ceylon fishery during three months 

 ending October 191 7. 



13. Weather conditions were generally unfavourable and the total catch 

 of the 32 divers amounted to 29,432 full-sized shells only. The cost of 

 these including incidental charges was Rs. 3,029-5-5, the cost of supervi- 

 sion amounted to Rs. 263-13-5, and we add the crew's wages and the 

 upkeep of the launch " Sutherland " sent with the canoes for towage pur- 

 poses, the total expenditure totalled Rs. 3,926-6-1. The shells were 

 eventually sold by tender at the rate of Rs. 155 per 1,000, the total receipts 

 being Rs. 4,577-6-3. The net profit therefore was Rs. 651-0-2, but it 

 should be remembered that much of the expense charged against these 

 shells was not incurred specifically on this account ; the wages of the clerk 

 and peon, and the wages of the " Sutherland's " crew would have had to 

 be met from the department's budget whether this expedition had been 

 sent or not. Hence the real profit is considerably greater than the apparent 

 one. The prices to the divers were regulated by the rates current in 

 Ceylon during the fishery, and averaged one anna five pies per shell. 



Our divers were fairly well satisfied as they were able to support them- 

 selves and their families through a period when other earnings would have 

 been difficult to make. Had the weather been even moderately favourable, 

 they would have obtained much better results. 



X4. The quality and size of these Ceylon shells compare most unfavour- 

 bly with those from our Ramnad and Tinnevelly fisheries ; a very large 

 proportion are so small that if fished on the Madras coast they would be 

 confiscated without payment and as many as possible returned alive lo 

 the sea. 



