49 



capital commands and labour obeys : in tlie simpler industries the co- 

 operation of workers, individually weak and poor, may easily succeed 

 by combining- funds and forces in associations, and this is, doubtless, 

 one of the main objects in making these associations practically compul- 

 sory and in providing that fishing licenses, at least of certain classes, 

 shaU only be granted to such associations and not to individuals. 

 Hence, though these associations may not, qua associations, themselves 

 carry on a fishery, they tend to keep the fishermen together and to 

 develop co-operative methods ; for these reasons the law fosters associ- 

 ations and giauts to them exclusive rights of fishing in particular areas. 

 For instance, there are certain kinds of fishing which can only be 

 carried on by obtaining the exclusive use of a certain area of water as 

 in the cultivation of no ri (Forphyra), oysters, etc.; section 4 of the 

 Fishery law lays down that such license will only be issued to a 

 Fishery Association existing on the shore bordering that area ; when 

 the Association has obtained the license it settles among its members 

 the rights grantable to each member. While the formation of such 

 associations is not compulsory yet, where such associations are formed, 

 it is expected, though apparently not obligatory, that all fishermen of 

 the locality shall become members. 



108. Again, it is obvious that the anthoritios can deal far more 

 easily with a group than with a number of individuals ; Government 

 can make suggestions or impart the results of Experimental Station 

 work and so forth, with far greater ease and chance of a successful 

 hearing than to a number of isolated units ; information, for instance, 

 about a new sort of net [e.g., the purse-seine), or about improved boats, 

 can be readily given to an association which will discuss the matter 

 and decide to try the experiment probably from the associatiou's funds. 

 Per contra such a group of men can far more readily report their 

 grievances or make thoughtful suggestions to the authorities or can 

 give well-considered replies to queries addressed to them. Finally 

 such a body can, by small individual contributions, create a fund not 

 only for experiment in new methods or implements but for the relief 

 of distressed members or their widows and orphans : the average 

 number of boats destroyed annually by storm, etc., is above 1,100 with 

 crews of probably five or six per boat (in a single storm a few weeks 

 ago V62 boats with above 800 men perished in a single locality), so 

 that relief is frequently needed on this score alone. 



109. The above are amongst the reasons for establishing this class 

 of association which in June 1906 numbered Q,242 ; the actual ex- 

 penditure as associations of 1232 in 1905 was Es. 2,15,347 or Rs. 174 

 apiece and the budget for 1906 of 2,607 was Rs. 5,24,?>25 or Rs. 201 

 apiece. Tlie number of members is not given except in one out of 41 

 sea-coast districts, which had 13,201 members; probably the greater 

 part of the 900,000 odd fishermen are members of associations. 



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