72 



MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN 



VOL. XI, 



considerable irregularity in the catch of any particular month, 

 from year to year, but what is short in one month in a particular 

 year is frequently made up wholly or in part in another month. 

 There are certainly years comparatively poor, but none can be 

 said to be years of absolute dearth ; curiously enough in the four 

 years" statistics here presented, very rich years alternated with 

 comparatively poor ones— in 1911-12 the catch was 269,000 lb. 

 against 185,000 lb. in the following year, succeeded by a splendid 

 total of 275,000 lb. in 1913 14 with the disappointing amount of 

 only 125,000 lb. in 1914-15. 



The following table gives month by month the catches made in 

 the four years named together with the average monthly catch in 

 pounds. 



Monthly catches in lb. of Valai (Chirocentrus dorab) during 



four years. 



Vdlai seasons. — Valai fishing proceeds throughout the whole 

 year, but except from January to July inclusive (with a break of 

 poor catches in March when the sea is particularly calm and the 

 water crystal clear) fishing is not of much importance; the two 

 periods {a) January and February and {b) April to July inclusive 

 constitute the true valai season. Particularly good is the trimester 

 May, June and July, when catches may range as high as 176,000 lb. 

 (nearly 80 tons) for a single month. Examination of the tables 

 shows great fluctuations in the catch during these three months ; 

 this is due largely, if not entirely, to variability in the weather 

 conditions dependent on the onset and character of the south-west 

 monsoon in different years. How the valai fishery overshadows 

 all the other fisheries is graphically depicted in Table IX. 



