Ixxxvii 



lion, movo ni'o oong'rpg'atod (lian was former]}' llic cnso], wliicli, when 

 young', arc deslro^'ed to a g'reat extent, the smallest mesh used being' one- 

 lourtli of au inch in circumrercncc. There would be a dillieulty in regulat- 

 ing the size of the meshes of nets to be used, as a preventive service 

 would be necessary ; but wore they regulated, a six months' notice 

 should be given. One inch in diameter is quite Large enough, G" 

 circumference=l'91 fonc inch in diameter or lictwecu knot and knot 

 inul(i|ilied by the four Kid('s= 1' inches in circumference] Considers it 

 w<udd be a great hardship to jn'oliibit fisliing near irrigation weirs, &c. 

 On February Itli, 1S71, he observed, " that (he Collectors, out of con- 

 sideration for the poorer classes, have refrained from renting out tanks and 

 streams, except in such places where the right of (isliing has always 

 been leased out. ■* * I would add that I do not think Dr. Day has suc- 

 ceeded in showing that there has been any sensible diminution of the fish- 

 supply in fresh waters." QSee jiara. 128, atite'.] The GuUedor (July 9th, 

 1S72) replied, fish of all sizes of and ages are caught and eaten when and 

 wherever they can be ; the smallest mesh used is one-eighth of an inch. 

 Mr. Giauf, a former Collcclor, a\)(niblHGi, intimated lo the Government 

 the necessity of protecting the fish in the waters of this Collcctorate 

 from the indiscriminate destruction to which he considered tliey were 

 subjected. 2'Ae Collector (May 7th, 1869), observed, " the means of 

 destruction consist of nets, casting and seine, and [)oisoning. Small fry 

 are caught in wicker-work baskets, very much like an eel trap cut in two ; 

 and are also destrovcd by the erection of dams across shallow water." 



107. The Acting Collector of Mnlaiar (February 12tli, 1809) 

 stated, " many of tlie nets used are so small 



Opinions of European olTicials • n i i. i ii 



in M'il'il)'ir '" '''° ™'-'s'' ^^^ ^o spare none, however small. 



Baskets are placed in small streams in such a 

 way as to secure every fish in them. In these ways, no doubt, myriads 

 of fish are uselessly dcstroj'ed, that is, destroyed in the form of ova, and 

 before they have attained to anything like maturity." The rivers are 

 occasionally ])oisoued, and on these occasions, no doubt, large numbers of 

 fish and possibly vast quantities of ova are destroyed. " I conclude the 

 poisoning of rivers may be dealt with under the Penal Code, but I do 

 not see how we can interfere with baskets and small meshes without 

 special legislation." T//e Officintii/ff Collector (November 5th, 1869), 

 ol)served, "before it is decided to lease the fisheries, the expediency of the 

 step must be shown. In districts where the practice has obtained from 

 i.inie ininicniorial, there can be no possible objection to its continuance; 

 In this district the right has never been exercised since our acquisition of 

 the country, we have derived no revenue from fisheries, and I have not 

 l)een able to find from the records any precedent for the introduction of 

 the system. A moturpha tax was formerly levied from fishermen, both 

 by our Government and by tliat of the native rulers of the country, but 

 this tax is far difiercnt in its nature to the measure now proposed" of 

 renting the fisheries, f-' Renting them (fisheries) out will certainly 

 result in the re-imposition on the fishing classes of the abolished motur- 

 piia, though in another shape." Collector of the Godaveri District.'!, para. 

 1.01. — " Fisheries have always formed one of the items of moturpha reve- 

 nue." Be.piitij Collector of Nandial.] Under a moturpha, every fisher- 



