CXI 



3.'5 1. Tlio Ihpn!;/ Comjiiisxionor nf (he Alola Bisfr/cf observes, llic evils 



„ , ^ „ alluded (o hy Dr. Day exist, in liiis distiict 



Oiiinioii of the Dc'putv Com- n -.'i ., ' . r t t mi 



missioucofAkoln. equally Willi other ,.ai-ts of India. There 



beiii<4', however, no lavg'e lakes or rivers, tlio 

 amount of harm done is proiiortionately less. JJrecdiiifj; fish and very 

 young- ones are destroyed so far as it ean be made to re|iay the trouble 

 expended, but not lieiiig' plentiful, what is not worth catcliiiijif elsewhere 

 is worth something' here; thus beings a luxury, and not a stajjle article of 

 food, it fetehes a hiirli prieo. They are destroyed in every way, at all 

 ]ilaecs and in all seasons, and eonsiderino' the great drought of the last and 

 those of preceding years, which must have had a direct elfeet in diminish- 

 ing the ([uantity of fish in these rivers and stream?, and the numbers 

 yearly caught by snares, nets, poisoning, &c., the only wonder is how any 

 fish have survived. There are no orders respecting the size of the mesh 

 of nets, and they are used as small as one-eleventh of an inch, but there 

 could be no difficulty in regulating their size. As it would be difficult to 

 discriminate fry of fish, he would rather its sale were not prohil'ited, 

 l)ut that the size of tlio mesh of nets were regulated. Poisoning fish he 

 ]iroposcs should be unlawful, and fishing should bo stop|»ed in certain 

 months. " To carry out these two methods no establishment would bo 

 necessary, but it remains an o|ien question whetlier it is worth the trouble 

 to introduce legislation on these points in a country like Herar where 

 fish is so scarce. '' As regards the question whether there are any objec- 

 tions against prohibiting the capture of fish in the hilly districts for the 

 first two months of the monsoon season when they are breeding, he 

 replies, " Not that I know of, except that this is the best fishing season 

 in this district." 



333. The Bepuiii Qommunioner of ilie Buhlana District reports that 



breeding and young fish are not destroyed to 

 Oiiiiiu>ii of Uin nrniilv Com- , , , rm ,i , • r ii 



miJioucr of Uulctm,,: any great extent. Ihe smallest size of the 



mesh of the nets employed is one-third of an 

 inch ; there are no difficulties against regulating it authoiitativcly, and 

 there ought to be 1^ inches between knot and knot. As regards prohibit- 

 ing the sale of the fry of fish in the bazars, he continues that such might bo 

 a little unpo|iulnr amongst fishermen and fish-eaters, but the advantages 

 of this restriction would soon make tliemp<'lve.s apparent to all. Also as 

 to taking lireediiig fish in hilly districts dm ing the first two months of 

 the monsoon, he remarks it would cause the temporaiy loss of employ- 

 ment to those who fish at this .season, but they would soon learn to regard 

 the restriction as a wise one and become reconciled to it. 



233. The Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Bassim. District 



, . , observes that owing to the great want of rain. 

 Opinion of the Assistnut n .1 . i /• -i t j ■ i i 1 • i 



Commissioner, I3«ssim. ''''• tfie tanks of the district have dried up ; 



many of them were full of large fish, all of 

 which have been entirelj'' destroyed. Such a drought has not been 

 known in the memory of man. Cart-loads of fish have been carried 

 away, and it will take years to re-stock the tanks. These remarks also 

 apply more or less to the rivers. Most of the tanks arc but small, but 

 tlicre are the remains of very large ones in the district which might be 

 re]iaired and restored at a small expense, affording irrigation to a consider- 

 balc quantil}' of land, atiJ couscquentiy would be very remuuerativo if 



