clxxx 



limiting; the supply." This answer is composed of two distinct state- 

 ments : — (1) the hitter part of which gives the siippl}' as limited, and as a 

 cause, fishermen combiiiin<j to do so to keep up the market price. Here 

 the fact of limited supply may be accepted but not " the cause," for how 

 would it be possible in a single division, possessing 3,000 fishermen, for 

 all these people to combine 'ogether, doubtless the supply is unequal 

 to the demand, due to deficieiicy of fish; i2) that to the markets being 

 " fairly supplied" may be addi J " occasionally." Certainly throughout 

 Orissa, except at such seasoi s as sea-fish are obtainable, whether from 

 the coast or due to their migrating up rivers, the supply in localities I 

 visited was stated to be unequal to the demand. The only observation 

 from Assam (see para. 3G0) gives a scarcity of fish as existing. It 

 may be concluded that the fish-supply in the markets of Bengal, except 

 at certain seasons, is unequal to the demand, and when equal, is due to 

 the extensive capture of breeding and young fish. 



846. Have Jia/t increased, decreased, or remained stationary ? The 



Commissioner of the Uajshahye Division 

 Pish liavo decreased. considers the amount has fallen off to what 



it was 20 years ago. In Orissa, this was 

 the general complaint when I visited it. In the Burdwan Division, a 

 diversity of opinion exists amongst the native officials, some considering 

 it to be stationary, others that it has decreased ; it is also said to be 

 stationary in Ilooghly. In Assam, a decrease appears to exist. The 

 returns are manifestly most imperfect, but no one speaks of an increase, 

 several of a decrease — a complaint which I have found universal in 

 localities I have visited ; coiise(piently I believe that sueli is general. 



347. The fishermen, or people who fish, consist of three classes ; — 



(1) regular fishermen who are exclusively 

 Tbe fialiermen. employed as such ; (2) the wives of the men 



of some castes who fish whilst their husbands 

 pursue other occupations; (3) the general population. Thus in Buidwan, 

 out of 20,000 peoi)lc computed as capturersof fish, one-third are stated to be 

 pretty exclusively employed as such; in Ilooghly, there are considered 

 to be 3,000 fishermen by trade. 



348. Are breeding-Jlsh destroyed? In ]\Iidnapur, they are to a 



great extent; iu Burdwan, they are largely 

 Breeding-fish destroyed. taken, but not wastefuUy destroyed, the 



distinction drawn being because they are 

 eaten ; in Hooghly, to a considerable extent in paddy-fields, &e. 

 iu Darjeeling, to a great extent ; iu Julpigoree, not to such an extent as 

 to endanger supply ; iu Goalpara, that there is a wanton and ruthless 

 destruction of them, whilst certainly this occurs all through Orissa. 

 In short, every one who has answered this question agrees that breeding- 

 fish are destroyed to a greater or lesser extent. 



349. Are Ike fry of Jiih destroyed;' They are in Midnapur; 



oni/ taken in Burdwan; captured to a con- 

 Pry wnstefuUy destroyed. sid^rable extent in Hooghly ; the same at 



Da.jeeling, Goalpara, and through the Raj- 

 fihahye Division ; not to such ..n amount as to endanger supply at Julpi- 

 goree, whilst in Orissa such is most ruthless. The native officials of 

 Burd«-au state that during tne rains small fish are taken by traps and 



