clxxxii 



and tlic \v:itei' is liulud out, so Hint all the cuntaiiicil fish arc taken. The 

 amount of fry useil as stock-fish for ponds is utterly insignificant to the 

 quantity taken ; because, if too many are placed in a tank, unable to obtain 

 sufficient nourishment, they become lean and useless as food. One would 

 naturally wish to aj^ree with the Collector of Burdwan that " the fry of 

 large fish are not sold in the markets as an article of food ; self-interest 

 teaches the parties not to do so," but, unfortunately, facts are opposed to this 

 being correct as applied to the natives of India, except where some con- 

 tractor holds the fishing of a district, and prevents such destructive waste. 

 351. The modes of Jishlng pursued are various, as netting, trapping, 



,, , „ „ , . ,,. . damming, poisoning, &c. First, as regards 



Modes of nshniff. Minnnmn d' i o , ■ ■ ^ , 



sWe of uiL-sl. of ueta. Fixed »els, some are fixed, as in rivers or tanks ; 

 tnipn. Dammiujj aud poisouing others are not SO, whilst every possiljle device 

 "''''''''^- is employed ; therefore, it will be simply ne- 



cessary to advert to the smallest size of the mesh of the nets which are 

 used. To this seven answers from Europeans are given — one says they 

 are minute; one, ogth of an inch; one, glh of an inch; one, jth; one, 

 the size of a grain of mustard seed ; one, as a grain of rice, and one, as 

 mosquito curtain net. Of the two native replies — one gives it as the 

 size of a grain of mustard seed, the other as a small pea. These meshes 

 alone entirely disprove the comfortable theory that the fry are only being 

 used to stock ponds with, for what would be the value of fish whoso 

 bodies were the size of a mosquito curtain net or a grain of mustard 

 eeed for this purpose ? Next, are nets made of split bamboo (see page 

 clxxxix) ; such are very destructive, having the interstices between each 

 piece of wood of which it is formed j th of an inch or less. Then there 

 are fixed engines, as weirs which cross small streams and hill-water- 

 courses having a trap at the only opening and which takes every fish. 

 Also fixed traps are ])laced in every outlet of all irrigated fields 

 through which the water is strained, capturing breeding-fish and their 

 fry. Damming has been adverted to. Poisoning is likewise carried on 

 certainly through the Orissa hills, at Goalpara, and iu Assam. Other 

 jilans are recorded by the various reporting oflicers. 



'6b2. I think the following must be conceded : — (1) that the majov- 

 „ , . ity of the people are not prohibited by reli- 



gious scruples Irom eating iish ; (z) tliat tlie 

 supply in the local markets is unc<]ual to the demand; (3) that the 

 amount in the waters has decreased ; (4) that breeding-fish are univer- 

 sally captured; (5) and their fry destroyed wholesale; (G) that nets 

 with minute meshes are used ; (7) that weirs of a most destructive char- 

 acter are employed ; (8) that trapping fish in irrigated fields is univer- 

 sal ; and (9) poisoning waters locally carried on. 



353. The consideration now arises — what are the remedies proposed ? 

 These may generally be summed up under 



Uemidies nioposed. ., , ,■ i ,i • .n ,1 ■ 1 



tlie plan ot do-notnmg till things hccome 

 worse, and leave to others to remedy to-morrow the want of forethought 

 which is permitting such waste to-day. 



354'. In the Burdwan Division, the Gollector of Midnapur reports 

 „ , „. . . . , that bieedint'--fish and very younjj ones are 



Biiidniin I)ivi>iou. lleport ot ,, 1.'' . . . 11 i- 



Euiopeni, oflicmla. destroyed to a great extent, especially during 



tlie rains, as every rill Irom paddy-fields is 



