xliii 



iiore stringent laws appear to be necessary before it can be j)nt a 

 (op to. 



90. The Chief Secretary to the Government of Bomhni/, in forward- 



„ , r, Jnf? the returns from which tlie following 



Opinion of tlio Bombay (jov- 'ill ii i I'jii ■ 



' , •' were eomniled, observes that very httle is 



known regarding the rresli-watcr (ishenes or 



I his Presidency, or the practicaliility of increasing and developing this 



unirce of food siip(dy ; whilst it is clear that a great deal of wasteful 



lestruction takes place. 



91. The Ojjieiatinr; Beuetnie Cotn miss! oner, Northern Division (Oc- 

 ,, „ „ tober 1st, 1808) stated : — " I believe a large 



Opimona of the Kevenue Com. ill' i ii r c i i r 11 • 



inissioners destniction, both of fish and of small game, is 



caused more or less throughout India hy net- 

 ling during the spawning and breeding season, and it is a question whe- 

 ther protective laws of moderate stringency would not be very advisable. 

 * * The subject is not without importance, and I think it would be 

 advisable to prohibit netting, both fish and game, during the spawning 

 :ind breeding season." The Artiiiff Revenue Commissioner, Southern Divi- 

 sion (October 9th, 18G8) observed: — "I consider that it would be almost 

 impracticable to enforce laws for the preservation of fish throughout 

 India ; but that if certain localities were selected for preserves, and guard- 

 ed under a legal enactment for the purpose, considerable light might be 

 thrown upon the question, and the advisability of extending such opera- 

 tions to other places, or not doing so, would be more clearly established 

 than at present." 



92. The Actitiff Collector of Alnncdnhad reported (June 10th, 1871) 

 ,„ „, . , th.-ft. fish exist in the Saburmuttee,thcMeshwa, 



Opniiong of Kurononn oflicitils i ii i^i • i • ii t> i i i 



in the Ahn.cdabnd Collcctornte. «»<! tlie Kharce rivcrs, also in the Bokh and 



in all the larger tanks. In the livers and in 

 the Bokh they are often of a large size, but in the tanks their average 

 weight is half a pound, although large fish are also caught there. 

 There are no private rights in the fishing. The Actinfj Collector (Febru- 

 ary 20th, 1872) merely observed that tliere are no fisheries proper in his 

 district, and that he deprecates any attempt to regulate, as suggested, the 

 capture of fish, considering that it is better that sonic fry be dostroj^cd 

 than that further opportunities should be afforded to the lower grades of 

 Government servants, and to liigotted Hindus, to turn the iiitentious of 

 Government to their own profit. 



0;3. The Acting Collector of Branch reported (May 2Gth, 1871) 

 „ „ _ , , that there are fresh-water fishcncs in the 



Opinions of European omcmls -xt i ii ji -uri i *i t-ii i i t 



in the Broach Collectoratc Ncibudda, the Mhye, and the Dhadur, but no 



special rights are enjoyed by any class of 

 people or the Government, the fisheries being ojion to all persons wishing 

 to make use of them. The Acting Collector (March 8th, 1872) observed 

 that as the fisheries of the district .are open to all persons wishing to 

 make use of them, and every sort of net is used, there is reason to believe 

 that breeding and very young fish are dcstro3-ed to a considerable extent. 

 This destruction occurs chiefiy in the Nerbudda during the rains, and 

 within about five or six miles of Broach both up and down stream ; it 

 also takes place at Hansotc on the same river. The smallest size of the 

 mesh of the nets used is one-sixth of an inch in diameter, but there 



