XXXIU 



BOMBAY. 



57. Tlic folldwiiif^ are the Hctnnis of the lilinopeim and Native ofllcials 



respecting the ' fresli-water' fisheries of the 



Ficsli-wntcr fisheries of the Bombay Presidency, tliose of Sind having 



Hmnbay Presidency, excUuUng ],^.p„ „iveu separately (sce ante). Thushmited, 



(hese fisheries may, for the sake of convenience, 

 he sul)-divided into two fishery districts. Firs/, the inland ones, the rivers 

 in which, north of the city of Boml)ay, have mostly a westerly direction; 

 whilst those to the south, many of which arc tributaries of the Kristna, 

 take a more easterly course. Secondly, the coast ones, viz., those bordering 

 or near to the sea, which form a narrow strip from the Gulf of Cambay to 

 Bombay itself, and arc continued down the Concan and Canara, and might 

 ])roperly include those Madras districts which extend along the Malabar 

 Coast to Cape Comorin. 



58. Some Returns have l)een excluded from the following analysis, 



as not being direct answers to questions; 

 Some few Returns omitted. likewise those in which the odicial, although 



sending in a replj', aj)pcars not to have 

 made full investigations, considering it " premature to harass the fisher- 

 men by enquiries into the size of the mesh now used in their nets." 



59. The inland fisheries of ]?oml)ay, as above limited, do not possess 



such fine rivers as Northern and Eastern India; 



Tl.c rivers nnd inl.ind tanks gjj,, j„ ^ ,.,^,pg ^j^^g^ ^,,j^.,, ^^j^j. ^^.^ 



suitnblefor lisheries, . , ,, n i i i e ji ■ p r- i 



evulently well atla]nea tor tlie reanng ot tisli, 



and' partially supplying the local markets with this wholesome article of 



food. Its numerous tanks are also well suited for the same purpose. 



GO. The first consideration which arises must be, what proportion of 



the people eat fish ? In this enquiry, it is not 



^^^Proportion of people who cat ^j^^ proportion that now do so, but what it 



would be could they obtain it. Unfortunately 

 some answers specify the numlier of individuals in the talookas that do so, 

 whilst the total of the population is omitted, and some replies are too 

 vague to be of any service. It appears, however, that the pro|iortion of 

 fish-eaters to the remainder of the poj)ulation is, in the Colleetoratc of 

 Satara, from 25 to 90 per cent. ; in Puna the majority ; in Nasik, from 5 

 to GO, 75, or even 91 per cent. ; whilst in one district, inhabited by Bhils 

 and Kolis, all do so, except the Brahmins ; in Ahmednugger GO per cent. ; 

 iu Khandcish 75 jter cent.; in Sholapur 3-3 jier cent.; in Kaladgi 25 per 

 cent.; in Belgaum 2(1 j)er cent. In l)arwar the numbers of fish-eaters are 

 given inseven talookas at 205,000, whilst in an eighth talooka 20,000, or half 

 the total of the po[)ulation, consume fish. The foregoing figures appear 

 to show conclusively that the majority of the inhabitant's of the inland 

 districts of the Bombay Presidency are consumers of fish, when they can 

 procure it. 



Gl. Are the local markets sufficientli/ supplied with fresh fish to meet 



the local demands ? is the next (piestion for 

 Locnl inlmuj markets insnffi. investigation. Every ofiicial who has answered 

 cieutly suppUeu with fish. , ■ , ■ i i i i , 



tins question, except one mamlutdar, asserts 



