xli 



In Dliarwar it is ilimif^lit tliai it would be extremely dilRcult and iiii- 

 j)opular to reg'ulatc (lie iiiiiiimtim size of the meshes of nets employed 

 in tliose small tanks which dry up every hot season, because, as the water 

 sidisides, the fish are talccn in the raud even with the hands. In Khan- 

 deish it would be impossible to curtail the present privileges of the Bhils 

 by regulating' how the fisheries should be worked, because the forest rules 

 have dei)i-ived them of one source of livelihood, viz., the sale of timber 

 cut in the forest ; but that ]n-ohil)iting the poisoning of water-courses 

 for fishing piu'poses should bo the only first step taken. Thus the general 

 objections appear to be that the fisheries are of little, if any, economic 

 value at jtrescnt, and no benefit would accrue from trying to improve them, 

 whilst any regulations respecting the nets would be diflicult to carry out. 

 The local objections against regulations are, that it would be impolitic as 

 in Khandeish ; in Dharwar that such should not extend to tanks that 

 3'early dry up; whilst in Ahmenabad that they would be used as a means 

 of extt)rtion by the lower grades of Government servants. 



86. On the other hand, the following opinions have been advanced, 



by thoKc who tvonld do somcildng to improve 



Proposals to interfere ami (Jicse fislieries and render t/iem more economic- 



increase the imuortnuce ot tbe •' . /-i 11 i c -nt ii 



fisheries. ''■'''!/ nsejul. The Acting Collector ot JNortli 



Canara oliserves that the fish arc the public 

 properly, the public being represented by Government. Were tlicso 

 fisheries an unlimited fund of wealth or inexhaustible, it would be better 

 to leave the right of using them unlimited ; but as they arc not inex- 

 haustilde, but are deteriorating, restrictions have become necessary. The 

 Acting First Assistant Collector of Ahmcdnnggur considers that legisla- 

 tion will l)e the only ettoctual stop to the ])reseut mode of depopulating 

 the fisheries, but that a general Act would be unworkable, therefore it 

 would be better to have one which could be applied when considered 

 necessary to particular rivers and localities favourable for fish breeding. 

 The Second Assistant observes that a prohibitive measure regulating the 

 size of the mesh of the nets would not be unpopular. In Satara that 

 no difficulties exist against regulating the size of the meshes of the 

 nets, except the want of some legal provision by which offenders might 

 be punished. In Broach that there would be no objection in regulating 

 the minimum size of the meshes of the nets to be henceforth used, 

 beyond the prejudices of the fishermen. The Collector of Ahmednuggur 

 considers that, if an Act were passed, one or two years' notice would be 

 necessary, as the nets with smaller meshes would become useless. In 

 Kaladgi and llutnaghari the only oljjrctions appear to be the difliculty of 

 detecting infringements of any regulations that may be decided upon. 

 In Belgaum that there would be no trouble, but ]nawn and 'moree' nets 

 should be exempted j the Assistant Collector likewise sees no difficulty 

 in regulating the size of the meshes of the nets to be used at different 

 seasons. Tlie Acting Collector of Dharwar considers that there would 

 l)e difliculties, but in no degree insuperable ones, to regulating the mini- 

 mum size of the meshes of nets used in the rivers and in the large 

 tanks that do not dry up. Thus some legislative interference to slop 

 the jueSent mode of dejiopulating the fisheries njipcars to lie consider- 

 ed necessarv bv the majority of the ICiirojiean eivil odicials who have 

 H'ivcu their (Miiuioiis, and rcgnlaliiig (he niiniiiuini si/.c oi' (he meshes 



