140 MADRAS FISHERIES BULLETIN VOL. XI, 



SUMMARIZED RECAPITULATION. 



The beche-de-mer industry in India depends upon a single 

 species. Holotlmria scabra, called vcllai attai (white leech) in Tamil. 

 Two other species are abundant, the black and the prickly-green 

 (//. atra and Stichopus chloronotiis). The former is common on coral- 

 reef flats, but has little commercial value as it shrinks to very small 

 size and has little weight — less than half the weight of the poorest 

 quality of vellai attai — when cured. The prickly-green species is 

 too gelatinous to cure; and is found in fair quantities in Rames- 

 waram Bay only. 



The " white-fish " as we may call,//, scabra, is akin to the " sand- 

 fish " of Australian trade, where it is held in low esteem (Rs. 300 to 

 Rs. 450 per ton) owing to the presence of a thick chalky coat on the 

 exterior. In India this coating is removed by an ingenious and 

 simple device and in consequence the product has ready sale and 

 fetches good prices when well cured. No endeavour is made to 

 remove the chalky layer in Australia and the Malay Archipelago, 

 hence the introduction there of the Indian method should be of 

 considerable benefit to the trade. 



This industry in India is probably of considerable antiquity, 

 introduced, improved, and periodically revived by immigrant 

 Chinese curers. 



The Chinese were careful and conscientious workers ; they pro- 

 duced an excellent product and were prosperous till local men, 

 chiefly Kilakarai Labbais, ousted them by boycott. The local 

 curers invariably allowed their methods to deteriorate after a few 

 years, with the result that the market value of the produce became 

 unremunerative and the trade lanquished and died out until again 

 revived by the advent of another Chinese curer who reorganized 

 methods and re-established the reputation of the Indian product. 



The Customs statistics show that in the twelve years from 1898 

 to 1910 the average annual export of beche-de-mer was 12,175 lb. ; 

 during the ensuing six years the annual export fell to an average 

 of 2,991 lb. only. In 191 5 the industry had virtually died out. 

 The trade was in one of its periodical collapses in 1914-15 when 

 first investigated. 



Many abuses were found to have crept into the curing methods, 

 the chief being {a) faulty evisceration, (b) imperfect removal of the 

 chalky external coat, (c) careless and dirty sun-drying, (d) imperfect 



