66 



enter the pound by a narrow entrance usually formed by two converging 

 walls of net or bamboo which project into the pound ; the tendency of 

 fisl) being to swim along an obstruction and not to turn backwards at 

 sharp angles, they simply swim round and round the ponnd which is 

 often of labyrinthine construction so arranged that the fish get more 

 and more deeply involved. In many traps of large size used for 

 catching shoals there is a watch tower from which a signal is given 

 when a shoal has entered, whereupon boats hurry up and close the 

 pound by a net which was lying along the bottom of the entrance. In 

 some traps the pound or part of it is netted along the bottom, the 

 walls and bottom forming one continuous net; when the fish are driven 

 into this area and the entrance closed, the net is lifted beginning at 

 the entrance so that the fish are brought gradually to the surface at 

 the further or closed end of the net. It is extremely difficult to de- 

 scribe or to understand from description the building and working of 

 these nets, but careful inspection of the plans with the lines and 

 arrows marked thereon will help. 



140. These constructions are common in parts of the East, in the 

 Mediterranean, and in the United States of Ainerica ; but do not seem 

 to be known in this Presidency : they have the advantage that, once 

 erected, they catch fish automatically; on the other hand, they are 

 costly to build and repair. When made of nets they are necessarily 

 secured by a number of powerful floats, e.g., closed tubs, bundles of 

 bamboo, etc., and keep at the level of the water, rising and falling 

 with the tide ; at foot they are well weighted, usually with large 

 stones. When made of bamboos, reeds, etc., they are so built as to 

 project out of water at high tide ; strong posts or piles are driven 

 deep into the ground at frequent intervals, and anchored by guy ropes 

 attached to anchors or heavy stones ; between these piles is a closed 

 lattice work of reed, bamboo, or straw. The guide or scare nets may 

 be of wider mesh than the pound itself as they serve simply to scare 

 the fish towards the pound. 



Of the catches of herring in the Hokkaido to which herring shoals 

 come in great abundance in spring, it is said that after the introduc- 

 tion, some 40 years ago, of the fixed trap net, the catches became so 

 enormous that they could no longer be utilized merely as food, and so 

 the fish guano and oil industries came into existence. One of the 

 matters for Madras consideration will be the expedience of intro- 

 ducing or permitting these fixed nets in suitable localities. 



As mentioned above, the positions of all such nets or weirs, as well 

 as of other classes of fisheries are carefully mapped and registered in 

 the county (taluk) offices for reference in case of disputes, etc. 



141. Numerous small traps known in French as " nasse "for 

 lobsters, prawns, etc., are also common ; they are usually coneshaped 

 aijd funnel mouthed ; the elastic reeds forming the funnel converge 



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