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most tliroo years of ago, (Ix; more luafure ones having heon 

 destroyed. And what is the result of tills mode of treating 

 fisheries, as regards the fisherman P Would ])rohii)iting the 

 wasteful destruetion of hreeding and young iish benefit or 

 ruin their oecupation ? 1 am compelled to enter rather 

 fully upon this question, as the Avell-worn epithet experience 

 is so often advanced, and that without any arguments to 

 hack it, that the fisheries should he let alone, the fisher- 

 meu being permitted to continue fishing as they always 

 have done, such having been in operation for centuries, and 

 still fish being present in the fresh-waters. It will, however, 

 be apparent that svich arguments entirely evade the points 

 at issue, as they assume that the fishermen continue fishing 

 as they have done from immemorial ages without any im- 

 provement in their means of capture : it also takes for grant- 

 ed that the captors of fish, the times employed in fishing, as 

 Avell as the fi«h-eating population, have remained stationary ; 

 and, lastly, that the fisheries are in an equally good condition 

 under the, sway of Europeans, who mostly do not notice the 

 fresh-Witter fish, as they were in times goue-by, when natives 

 ruled who esteemed thii article of food, and doubtless gave 

 protection to this legitiaiato source of revenue. The first 

 assumption being improbable, the second, doubtless, incor- 

 rect, and the last in w« ll-populated districts being directly 

 opposed to the result of recent investigations. Even the 

 exponents of the let-alune system have not attempted to 

 demonstrate that these waters, where small fish are being 

 so wastcfully destroyed, are insufficient to support a very 

 much larger number than they now contain. Every practi- 

 cal fisherman will assert they are, as a rule, insufficiently 

 stocked, and if such is the case, as I have no doubt it is, 

 and the fish were permitted fair play, a very much increased 

 supply would be the result. And what, it may be enquired, 

 would be the effect on the fisherman were restrictive rules 

 sanctioned, as regards his prospects ? Doubtless, many of 

 the women and children, who now destroy myriads of 

 fry and small fish, would have to cease such occupa- 

 tions, whilst agriculturists also would be unable to trap the 

 breeding-fish and fry in the paddy or irrigated fields. These, 

 however, would be temporary inconveniences, and would cease 

 with the season. One of the important results would, 

 however, be a vast increase in the non-migratory fishes, and 

 a considerable augmentation in this article of food, more 

 especially during the cold months. These rules being 



