xxxvni 



72. Before passing on to the sceond set of fislievies of Bonilmy, 



I think the following must be mhnitted : — 

 Resume of couclusions res- ^^^ ^,,,^^ ^|,^ majority of the inluihituuts of 

 pectiug the lulaud fresh-water \ ' ■ , i i • t • i i i a i' i i i < i 



fisheries. the mliintl (Jibtriets would eat tish eoukl they 



obtain itj (2) that the markets are not 

 BufRciently supplied to meet the local demands ; (3) that the fish in the 

 rivers and tanks have geuerally decreased of late years; (I) that the 

 fisheries are Government property; (5) that every one fishes how he likes 

 and where he jdeases ; ((5) that breeding fish are extensively trapi)ed ; 

 (7) that fry are killed whenever they can be obtained; (8) that nets with 

 very minute meshes, and even cloths are used, wherewith to capture the 

 immature fish ; (9) that traps are also employed, made of wicker work 

 of such fine textui-e that the most minute fish are killed ; (10) that 

 streams and tanks are dammed and eveiy fish destroyed; (11) that 

 poisoning whole pieces of water in order to obtain the fish is practised in 

 many of these inland CoUectorates. Whether it is or is not worth while 

 to do anything to mitigate this evil, is a question I proj)ose considering 

 further on. 



73. The coast fisheries, viz., those bordering on or near to the sea, 



must not be considered as consisting entirely 

 Coast fresli-water fisheries of of gea-coast and marine or estuary fishes, 

 less eonseciuouce thau the in- ^^ ^^^^^^ ^j j Collcctorates extend Some 



hind oucs. -ii i-- iii- 



distance inland ; and it is in sucii localities 



that distinct fiesh-water fisheries exist. But, as a rule, the value of such 

 is not of much conseijuence, when there is a well-stocked and regularly 

 fished sea-board within easy distance. These fresh-water fisheries on 

 the coast may be briefly examined in the same manner as the inland 

 ones have been. 



7-1'. As to the proportion of persons tvho consume fish to the yencral 



population ? It is set down in Broach at 



Majority of peoi.le eat fish. j^.^^^^ one-third to one-fourth ; in Kaira at 



one-sixth ; whilst in four talookas in Colaba it is given thus, in one at 

 seven-eighths, in two at three-fourths, and in one at one-half. As a 

 rule, in the other CoUectorates the questions were not circulated to the 

 native officials; or at least the answers have not been received; consequently 

 some details aie not so full as they might have been. The Acting Collector 

 of Kaira, for instance, observes, " the majority of the poiiulution being 

 vegetarians," &e., but does not furnish the mamlutdars' answers. 

 However, it would seem from the reports that fish are not consumed so 

 largely by the population on the sea-coast as they are along the inland 

 districts of this Presidency. Some of the local markets appear to be fully 

 supplied with salted and dried sea-fish, in others the supply is less than the 

 demand, whilst from the majority of the talookas the returns are a blank. 

 76. Whether the fresh-water fish have increased, decreased, or re- 

 mained stationary, there are only eight an- 

 State of the fisheries. Bwers, which report a stationary state in six, 



and a decrease in two. 

 76. All these fisheries, with but very few exceptions, appear to be 

 Government property, but no right has been 

 Jljese fisheries Government exercised over them for a long period, owing 



to their being of little or no pecuniary value. 



