CCXXll 



BRITISH BURMAH. 



(Sujtplevicntary Report.) (1) 



402. Tbc Officinling Assistant, Secretary to the Chief Commissioner 



(October 12tli, 1872) observes "that the 

 Fiunl opinio., of tboCluef n^Qi-g tlie Chief Commissioner enquires into 

 Commissioner of UntisU liun.iii. ,• /< i i • ,i , 



the matter, the more satislied he is that any 



attempt to prohibit tbc capture of small fish would be as impolitic as it 

 is unnecessary" — [an oi)inion opposed to what be gave April 4tb, 1872 

 (see p. cci) and July I'JLh, 1872.)] 



403. The Commissioner of Pegu (September 25tb, 1872) forwards 



extracts from the o])inions of those serving- 

 Pegu Co.nmissioucrsl.ip: opi- ^^^j^^. j^j^^^ rj,,jg Deputii Commissioner of 



Jiangoon replies that " there is no doubt that 



in some ])art3 of the district large numbers of breeding-fisli are destroyed. 



This is done at the commencement of the rains, when they go up small 



streams, and where the water is clear and shallow, for the purpose of 



spawning : they are at this time easily caught and destroyed, so much so, 



that the instruments which many persons use are common sticks : very 



many young fish, too, arc no doubt caught where they can be, but this is 



done chiefly in the small streams which are not rented out, and in the 



small fisheries. It is the practice in this district in large fisheries to 



set apart a portion of the fishery for the young fish which may be caught 



or which pass through the screens, and some of the large fish which are 



caught arc also put into this for purposes of breeding." " I do not think 



there would be any great dillicaUy in regulating the size of the mesh. If 



once the order were given, people would be afraid to use nets with 



meshes smaller than the regulated size, as the fact could be so easily 



proved. I am not prepared to say what size of mesh would be advisable, 



nor am I much in lavor of regnilating- the size. I think that if such a 



reg'ulation were made, a large number of ])ersons who catch a few fisii for 



their own consumption, and do no harm, would be debarred from doing 



so." [It is most remarkable that poaching the fry of fish should be 



held to do no barm if people do not pay for the right, whilst this paragraph 



ends as follows, showing the loss that such acts must entail on fisheries :] — 



" I think that those who work them are quite aware of the advantages 



to be gained by not destroying the small fish, and would jirotect them 



lohere the fisheries are leased for a term of years." " As far as this district 



is concerned, I would certainly prohibit the capture of brecding-lish, A'ga- 



vil, as they are called : their haunts are well known, and l/te right to catch 



these only is rented out in some parts separate from thejishery itself, which 



is worked at a dilfercnt season." [How the fishermen must be astonished 



at such short-sighted policy. This is the period probably adverted to 



(1) Oi.ly i-ecoivc'il Octobci- 23i\l, 1873. licpliea to (jiieBtions ciiciilatuil ii. 18G0 uot yd 

 come to baud. 



