Ixxviii 



<i-ro\v foi' a slioiL Liine, and if tlicy avo not cangliL bd'orc tlio water is 

 oxliaustt;il they must iiei'itjli, unlustj tlicy bury tliumsclvcs. It is conso- 

 (juontly ]noiioscd that two iuclios slioulil bo tlie minimum size of tlie 

 mesh of the nets. The vilhige odicers should be made responsible for 

 earrying' this rule into force, under the general supervision of" the Poliee 

 and TalooUa oflicials, and punishment in cases of breach of the rule 

 brought to notice would unsure its being generally observed in a short 

 time. Fishing- in tanks of drinking-water should be forbidden. The 

 destruction of small lish and fry is more likely to be carried on if the 

 fisheries arc let by the year, than if tliey were for a longer term : in the 

 hitler case they will not be destroj'cd every year, as the contractor 

 knows that the benelits to bo reaped from preserving them would be his ; 

 but in the fm-mer case he would never feel sure of getting the lishery 

 next year, and would therefore do his best to get all the fish he could, 

 whilst he had the opportunity. Besides, contractors prefer renting for 

 more than one year, as it is more diilicult to settle with sub-renters 

 or tishermeu every year iu good time. The Bezwada weir on the Kistna 

 lias proved itself to be a great bar to the sea-fisli going up the river 

 for breeding, and those above this construction have decreased. Besides 

 small-meshed nets, baskets are used which have the smallest interstices. 

 Fish, when very young, are undoubtedly destroyed to a great extent. 

 There would be no difliculty in regulating the minimum size of the mesh 

 of nets iu all llsheries that are rented out, but it should be done gradual- 

 ly, and one year's notice will be sullicient ; two inches in circumference is 

 proposed ; no objection exists to prohibiting netting within 100 yards of 

 weirs. Ou April iJOth, 1871, a list of the llsheries which it was proposed 

 to let out was sent to the Iteveuue Board, who direct " that special pro- 

 vision may be made for ensuring that villagers shall, as far as possible, be 

 allowed to retain the fishery rights of all waters within the limits of 

 their villages." 



153. The Jclhiff Collector of Nclliir (October 2Cth, 1869) reported 

 that the right of Government to let the 

 Opinions of Kmopenn officials jiyiienyg ju this district has not been fully 

 ill llio Nollur Collcctonile. . , , , , , ii i • 



cxerciseil as yet, and has not been called m 

 (luestion in the few cases in which it has ; some fishermen will consider 

 having to pay rents a grievance, while the revenue would be insignilicant, 

 and press hardly on an already impoverished class. There is an irriga- 

 tion weir on the Peunair in Ncllur, and it is supposed that fish have 

 decreased in consequence ; they have also diminished above the anient, 

 and their ascent is arrested by it. No particular care is taken not to 

 destroy the fry. There would be groat difliculty in regulating the size 

 of the mesh of nets ; a year's notice should be given. Major CLiy, Assist- 

 ant Engineer (October 17th, 1807) mentions a case in which " a small 

 •'■unta was jjoisoncd by some Mussulmen with a view of taking the fish. 

 No fish have been seen iu the jjooI since, and the elfect of the jioison on 

 the water seems, in the opinion of the natives, to be such, as still to pre- 

 vent them using the water ;" and this was two years subsequently. 



151. The Collector of Bellarij (July 17th, 1869) states, he is 



not of opinion that the introduction of any 

 . Ol'''»;'<>'«'>fK''',"17^''«n'"^''^ measures, such as those proposed, is either 



ueeessaiy or advisalile. the mily localities 



