xlv 



is one quarter of an inch. The First Ansistani Gollecfor reported that all 

 lish are taken indiscriminately in nets, bnt owinj; to the proximity to tlie 

 sea, I'resh-walcr tisli are not ninch sotii)lit after; those ca])|iue(l in tlio 

 rivers and tanks are mostly taken dnrinp; the monsoon and autumn 

 months. The minimnm size of the mesh of the nets is onc-fotirth of an 

 inch in diameter; it. woidd l>e difiicnlt t(i rci^nl:ite such, owinjr to tiie close 

 •supervision (if the lisliinf^- classes which would he entailed, hut one inch 

 lictwcen knot and knot of the meshes is considered to ho a fair size. Pro- 

 hibiting the sale of the try of iisli in the hazars " would he an arbitrary 

 interference with trade, such as could not be enforced save by a penal 

 statute of an obnoxious character ; no such restrictions arc enforced any- 

 where in Europe that I am aware of" (see para. 88). The Assist an t 

 Gotli'ctnr ol)served that in these districts there seems to be a very small 

 I rade in fish exccjit at Mandvi ; the fishermen generally using all they 

 latch for home consumption. The chief ])laccs for fishing in Hardoli are 

 upon the Mindhola, which runs past Kamalchool and Bardoli Kasba. In 

 \Valod fish are caught at Bvdiari, Walod, and Banjipura or Kamalchool; 

 in Mandvi only in the Tapti. In Bardoli the fry appear in July, but are 

 let alone until the end of September or beginning of October, and are 

 I hen taken. In Walod there are more fishermen than in Bardoli, and the 

 ilcstruction of young fry is very great. The nets used are extremely tine- 

 meshed, some containing four meshes within the space of three quarters 

 of an inch. The people chiefly eat all they ca[)ture, lint send any largo 

 ones to Gundcvi. However, they sny they cannot catch mature ones, so 

 Iheygcttho fry. In Mandvi and Bodhon tliey catch fish down to the 

 smallest fry, and theref(nc use the very finest meshes. There must be 

 laige fish in the Taj)ti, but the jicople say thej' cannot get hold of them, 

 :itid therefore destroy the fry. The latter come up in May and Septem- 

 ber, and are caught indiscriminately. These people live entirely by fish- 

 ing, and could not be willingly induced to allow the fish a chance of 

 stocking the waters before they are killed. 



9G. The Collector of K/umdcis/i reported (April 22nd, 1871) that 



there are no fresh-water fisheries in the dis- 

 i„uSr/ci^cKofr" t-f- '-^t t'-t fish exist in all the river.s, 



and are cauglit i)y tiie JUnIs and low castes, 

 forming an important article in their foo(l, but that thej' are not of snlR- 

 lient importance to be called fisheries, and Government has never exercised 

 .■iny control over them. On April 22nd, 1872, he reported that breeding 

 and very young fish are destroyed wherever the^' can be obtainal, in the 

 lew rivers and streams that yield fish, liy means of nets, baskets, weirs, 

 I raps, cloths, poison, and in fact anyhow. As regards what is the mini- 

 ouim size of the mesh of nets, this rpiestion may perhajts best be answer- 

 ed by stating that when small-meshed nets are not available, the Bhils 

 use their sheets, saris, and dhotars for the purpose of taking fish. This 

 may be said to be no mesh at all. Respecting what difficulty exists 

 against regulating the size of the meshes of nets, the Collector forwards 

 I he following opinion of Major Troljyv , in whidi he fully concurs : — " The 

 objection to interference at present is, that the fish caught by the Hhils, 

 in all but the large rivers, forms a great jiortion of their food, esjiecially 

 ill a bad season when grain is scarce and dear, and it is the more neces- 

 sary to avoid curtailing their privileges in this matter, because our forest 



