Ixxxiv 



wliutliur tliey are breoiliiifj or young ones. Tlio sniallost-sizcil mosli of ilio 

 nets is ono-l'ourlh ol' an incli. As Uio lish are small, roj^ulatinj^ the niini- 

 imim size would prove a failure to the pursuits of the lisiieiinen, hut half 

 an inch between the knots of the meshes is eonsidcred an advisalile restric- 

 tion, and as it is desirable to prevent the destruction of very small fish, the 

 sale of the fry in the bazars maj' be prohibited. The Bepaly Cvllectur 

 of Ktinial reports (April 16th, 1872) that breeding fish and very young 

 ones are destroyed to a great extent, prineipally between April and June, 

 as the water in the larger tanks fails. Nets of various sizes and traps of 

 wicker work arc used during December and January ; weirs are set up 

 across the streams and the (ish captured. Sometimes earthen dams are 

 raised across streams, and the water baled out to catch fish. The 

 smallest sized mesh employed is three-eighths of an inch between each 

 knot : of the ' Oodulu' or traps of wicker work, the interstices are of 

 infinitely smaller dimensions; five-eighths of an inch between the knot 

 of each mesh is proposed as a fair size ; as the fishes from the hilly dis- 

 tricts are mostly small, it is suggested that prohibiting the sale of fry 

 might cause the poorer classes to suffer. 



159. The Aclinij Collector of Madras {3\m(i 23rd, 1870) observes 



that the fresh-water rivers in his district are 

 M.fdn.'s'"" °^ "'" *^''"'''"'' "•" <l'y, except during seasons of inundation. 



The fisheries in the smaller tanks are enjoyed 

 by the village communities, subject to the payment of a nominal rent ; 

 whilst those in the larger tanks, or tanks irrigating several villages, are 

 put up to public auction, whenever the right of fishing in them is 

 considered worth being let. The smallest meshes employed are three- 

 fourths of an inch in circumference or even less ; there is no objection 

 prescribing in each lease the size to be employed, of which one year's 

 notice would be sufiicient, and two inches in circumference as a uiiniuuun 

 size would be a good limit. 



160. The Actiuff Collector of C/iiii//lej3ia (Aprill 8th, 1872) reports 



that all tanks and rivers in the district are 

 Opinion of the Collector of y^^^^^^y J,y j,^ tjie hot weather, with the 



exception oi the larger tanks, and these occa- 

 sionally dry up. rishes of all sizes and in every state, if good for food, 

 are caught whenever possible. In the hot months, as the water becomes 

 low, all the fish are caught, the district being dependant yearly on those 

 brought down in the annual floods or on ova or other vitality remaining 

 dormant in the mud of tanks. No restriction as to size of mesh of nets 

 is necessary. Fence mouths in hilly districts would be advisable where 

 useful fish exist. 



161. ^riie Collector of Salem (November 5th, 1869) considers 



leasing fisheries for five years and ui)wards, a.s 



Opinion of the Collector j^^.i^nihle to annual auctions, and would let as 



such all tanks that have an ayacut ol not less 



than 25 acres. "I agree with the suggestion of my Sub-Collector that 



in such tanks as yield the chief supply of water for drinking jiurpose.s 



to large towns or villages, the fishing should be prohibited, as tending to 



preserve the purity of the water." Objects to a 4-inched mesh being 



the minimum size, as too large. 



