IV 



7. As to wJwse the fisheries are? is, I conolucle, a question whicli, 



though raised by some iiersons, scarcely ad- 

 The fislieries the pi-opeily of „jits qI .i„ arg'umeiit. The residents, di)llbt- 

 Governineiit. How the Uiiiahs i i .1 i • • i ^ ji 



, , ,, ■• less, have the same ciauns in respect to Ihem 



let thorn. , 1111 i- 



as Ihey have to the laml, but no license gives 



a riglit. In the Paniab, under native ride, the lisheries are stated to 

 have been annually ht to a eniitiaclor, but whether be was bound to see 

 the lisheries were not imjioverishrd, there appear to be no records to show. 

 'The Deputy Commissioner of Kangra' observes, when ])roposiug- pro- 

 tective measures, that they must be partially a system of (ioveininent 

 preserves, such as was always in f jree in the time of the Rajahs, partly 

 by giving- licenses to monopolists to supply the markets, and ])artly 

 liy licenses for lishing with small nets for home consumption^ and not 

 for sale. 



8. The fishermen of this province do not appear to follow this 



occupation alone, but only as a supplement to 

 Pmijuh fishermen not depoiul- ^^\^^^ means of supiwrt, SO uoue have an 

 nnt upon this oi'euuntn)n ns n . . , . i i- i\ i^ 1 • i i 1 • 



sole means of suhsistenee. uitciest HI protecting the lislieries, but only m 



procuring- as much as they can, and whenever 

 they can, for themselves. Consequently, regulations would not iuterf'ere 

 with any sole means of subsistence ullecting a class. 



9. Are breeding Jish or fry destroyed? is a most important enquiry. 

 Are hreediiig fish or fry de- Previous to the introduction of the present 



strojed? licsnlt of regulating rules into the Panjab, of regulating the miui- 

 tho minimum si/e of the mesh m„in size ot' the mesh of the nets at \\ 

 of the nets. • \ \ t 1 1 ^ 1 1 ■■ 



inches be( ween caeli laiot, large numhcrs 01 



young- fish were sold as ' Chihvas.'' Since this time in many of the dis- 

 tricts this destruction has bi>en jiartially stopped ; in others the regulntions 

 have not as yet been carried out. 'The Ofliciatiug- Deputy Commissioner 

 of Ambala' observes, that the restriction as to the size of the mesh of 

 the net has only been held to apply to rivers, whilst in fields, tanks, 

 and hollows, the smallest meshes are used ; indeed, sheets are em|)loyod. 

 In a few tehsils the trapping of fish in irrigated or inundated liekis is 

 recorded. The regidation as to the minimum size of the mesh at 1^ 

 inclies between the knots a]i|iears a very good one, and does not entail 

 much dilhcuhy iu being- carried out. 



10. The modes of fishin , pursued are exceedingly diversified, and 



the wholesale ones may be first adverted to. 

 Mode of capturing fish whole- j,, Kangra the zemindars are stated to do a 



sale in canals in the lulls whieli iii p ■ \ ■ c • ,\ 1 ,r 



are cousirueted for working good deal ot miscliiet, in the^ early part ot 

 mills. Impediment to their the raiiis, by bringing the fish into side 

 entrance should ho imperative streams, then draining- off the water and leav- 

 on the miU-owJieis. • , , ° , 111 



iiig- Ihem on dry grountl ; young and old are 



caught in this manner. Mr. Carleton observes, that the g-raiu in the 

 Himalaj-as is ground by hundreds of mills moved by water jiower, canals 

 are constructed into which water is diverted to turn these mills, and into 

 these, numerous small fishes, esjiecially the young of the more valuable 

 sorts, find their way. B3' shutting off the water from these 'kools' or 

 canals, the fish Ijccome left on dry ground, and are thus captured. Person- 

 all)' I tried this mode of taking- lish between Kutla and Kangra : by stopping- 

 the fiow of water into this miniature canal, tish were seen strnggling- 



