Ixxxvi 



maiinei'." Considers that tlie shad do not get up the river as tliey used 

 to do before the irrigation weirs spanned thcni, sinee wliieh peiicid fisli 

 have decreased in tlie rivers above these constructions. When lisli 

 can neither ascend on acco\uit of the weirs, or return to the sea on 

 account of the shallowness of the river, they are generally caught in 

 the pools. It is all lisli that comes to the iisherman's net. lie would 

 consider it a most luiwise jjrocecding' to return the small fry ou which 

 he makes a good and immediate profit. The size of the mesh employed 

 is very small, but regulating' it would cause g'reat dissatisfaction. The 

 Collector (March 27th, 1872) reported, "small iish are caught iu baskets-: 

 and screens at the rapids below waste weirs and sluices, and larger 

 jish are caught with the liook. In the small rivers, chauuels, and 

 tanks, the water left iu the pools iu the dry season is baled out and 

 the fish caught.'' 



165. The Collector of Madura (dated December ISth, IBGiJ) 



observes that the tanks and rivers are dry foi 

 Opinions of officials iu tho ^j,g .^ ^ . .j. ^j. j^,,^ pj^,^ ^^.^ ,,,,.^,. 



Miuluiu Cullectoialo. .,,^ , ' , , '' ; -.i i 



Without regard to age ; nets with meshes ol 

 all sizes arc used. Were the minimum size regulated, one year's iiotici 

 would be necessary. The Acting Collector (May 17th, 1872) reporU 

 that breeding fish and very young- ones are destroj'cd to a great extent ; 

 all are caught that can be caught, iu nets with meshes of all sizes aiul 

 l)y placing- baskets iu streams. No regard is had to season or age 

 The ordinary mesh is rarely below lialf an inch in circumference, but basket.' 

 and other arrangements for capturing the smallest fry are freel\ 

 employed. In fisheries rented out, the size of mesh of the nets mighl 

 be fixed ; in other places legislation would be necessary, but in t;inks ami 

 channels that are dry during the greater part of the year the destruc- 

 tion of the fish could not be prevented. Proposes the size of the mesh 

 to be one inch between knot and knot. 3Tr. Nelson observes " that tlu 

 repair of tanks, or, at all events, the more important ones, seem to havi 

 been executed by Government, and to have been paid for out of th( 

 jMOceeds of the fishery of the tanks when drying up. A letter dated 

 1713 states that the fishing' of a single taidc produced occasionally 2,001 

 crowns, and that sums so realised were invariably applied to the cxecutioi. 

 of repairs." 



166. The Jetiiiff Collector of Coimlalore (JNIay 7th, 1809) state.i 



a considerable destruction of small fry, chielh 

 , ^P'"!?"^ of European officials f ^, Qg^^i.^i Barhus, takes place ; poisoniuL' 



in the Coimbatore CoUectoiate. .'.' „ ^ ''..^ 



the water is carried on ; try are caught u 

 •wicker-work traps, and by the erection of dams across shallow waters 

 Owing to the constant netting-, fish are driven from their natural feedinj.' 

 grounds to seek shelter in deep holes to obtain pnjtectiuu fiom tin 

 ravages of (he net. " The erection of dams and jjoisoning of tl^ 

 streams should be peremptorily forbidden, tiie size of the meshes shoul. 

 be regulated, and an aiuiual close time allowed." Subsequently, the A ctiih 

 Collector (December 20th, 1870) reported that the fish have inereasci 

 since the construction of irrigation weirs across the rivers, which an 

 believed by the fishermen to have multiidied the fish flliis is cvidenll\ 

 a misapprehension ; doubtless tho llsli are cheeked iu aseeiuliug' aih 

 descending', so that at such places, owing' to the existence of an obstrui 



