CXXl 



••iiul ono iiicli in (li;unet("r would lio iulvisnhlo. 'J'licre is no ohjection (o 

 pidliiljifciiii:^ (tie s;ilo of llic fry of /ish in the l)a7.nrs, or fixitig- a close 

 l.iinc in Uin lilily districts. Tlie Collector of Nni:ihip/ij)n.r oliscrvcs, lliafc 

 brocdini^ and young' fish are destroyed in considerable nund)ers. The 

 breeding' fish are taken by weirs thrown across the larg'c rivers, and in 

 the narrows of them, before the monsoons, nothing' can pass, whilst 

 tra])s are also set up in shallow places. Waters are poisoned in the 

 smaller streams during the two first months of the monsoon, whilst the 

 lish are spawning. Not only are the fry taken in every conceivable 

 way for food, but the}' are also wantonly and uselessly destroyed by 

 village children. These causes have impoverished the fisheries, and de- 

 crea-scd the supply. The smallest mesh of nets in use is one-eighth of au 

 inch; there would bo but little difficulty in regulating the minimum size, 

 which it is suggested should be 1^ inches between each knot. Close 

 months in hilly districts, it is suggested, could not be enforced, instead 

 " regulating the size of the mesh of nets to protect the fr}', and pro- 

 hibiting the snaring offish altogether in the breeding season, or the 

 ju'ohibition of weirs and traps on any river or stream during the breed- 

 ing season, unless sufiicient openings were given to enable a }>roj)ortioii 

 of the breeding fish to reach suitable places to deposit their eggs, would 

 1)0 sufficient to improve the fisheries, rendering them more valuable to 

 the fishermen, and more productive of food ;'' would prohibit the sale 

 of fry in the bazars as " beneficial to all districts ; fish eaten at such 

 seasons are the reputed originators of disease, with what truth I am 

 unable to say." The Collector of Nimar replies, no distinction is ever 

 made as to whether the fish is breeding or young ; they are destroyed in 

 pools, tanks, streams, and rivers; in fact in every place where they can bo 

 got and in all seasons, except during vciy heavy rains, when fishing is 

 improfitablo; the smallest mesh employed is one-eighth of an inch. No 

 difficulties exist in regulating the size of the mesh of nets, except that 

 such might reduce the supply, whilst the only objection against prohibiting 

 the sale of fry is, that such would reduce the sales one-half. A fence 

 season of two mouths in hilly districts could be easily carried out, whilst 

 the peojile would understand the reason. 



ZGl. Ckhattisgarh Division. — T/ie Collector of Raiptir reports, that 



breeding and young fish arc indiscriminately 



ui<:;.';":"S.i;ee'o,^:""™- ""■'■ taken, the latter to a greater extent than the 



• former. Ihe capture takes place a month 

 or two previous, also during the rains, in nallas, tanks, and small pools, 

 by nets, traps, cross-bow bolts, fouling the water of pools, and angling. 

 The smallest-sized mesh of the nets employed is one-fourth of an inch ; 

 the difficulty in regulating the minimum size would 1)0 in its evasion, as 

 the majority of the people would sympathise with the fishermen, render- 

 ing a large protective establishment necessary : but the minimum size 

 should not be less than one inch. Prohibiting the sale of the fry would 

 " deprive the poorer classes of the enjoyment of this kind of animal food, 

 which has hitherto been procurable with ease by fishermen, ami is 

 cheaply placed within the reach of the buyer's means: but the case would 

 be dill'erent when the largo fish alone are to be caught." T/ie Collector of 

 Samlxilpnr considers that breeding fish and very young ones are not 

 destroyed to any great extent, as during the rains the rivers cannot be 



