FISH 



Trade 



Trade in 

 Fish. 



Legislation. 



Fish-curing 

 Yards. 



Provision of 

 Salt. 



FISHERIES OF INDIA 



the ordinary method of preparation, the fish is boiled, and, after removal of the 

 bones, cut in thick slices, highly spiced and left to soak, packed in a jar. But 

 the following account of a new and improved process has been sent to me by 

 Mr. Sherman. " Fish of all sizes can be cured, but, for Colombo market, mackerel 

 are preferred. The fish are not slit open, but neatly gutted by extracting the 

 entrails through the gill-opening. They are then carefully washed and packed, 

 with alternate layers of salt, in big casks, which are procured locally and sold in 

 Colombo with the fish. To each maund of the fish about 7 Ibs. of tamarind fruit 

 (gooakapully) are used." " The casks are stored on end and filled to the full. 

 The fish is allowed to soak and pickle for four days, and the brine is then drawn 

 of! until it is about a foot from the bottom, and thus leaving enough brine to keep 

 the whole cask moist when closed. Under this new system 1,658 mds. 5 seers 

 of mackerel, with 375'7 mds. of salt are used, or 18 - 6 Ibs. per maund againstl2'5 Ibs. 

 vised in the usual west coast method of curing." 



TRADE IN FISH. It has often been urged that India is most neglectful 

 of her food resources in this direction. With a little care the rivers and 

 tanks might become very much more important sources of supply, and 

 indiscriminate and wasteful methods of fishing, both in fresh and sea 

 water, account largely for the backwardness of the trade. It has 

 accordingly been urged that both a Fisheries Department and Fisheries 

 Act are much needed. Repeated efforts have been made and voluminous 

 reports prepared with a view at least to secure for each province a 

 special Act to protect its fisheries (see p. 546). The multifarious vested 

 interests of a vast population of semi-educated people are the excuses 

 for existing defects. It has been said that when the people have come 

 to appreciate the value of measures to secure and protect their interests, 

 then will be the time for special legislation ; and further, that without a 

 proper Act a Fisheries Department would have little justification for its 

 existence. On the other hand, the claims of the fish-curing industries 

 have already been recognised by the organisation of Government fish- 

 curing yards where cheap salt may be supplied, under regulations that 

 ensure its being restricted to the purpose intended, and these have been 

 placed under the control of the Salt Department. But in the annual 

 publication Financial and Commercial Statistics of British India, no 

 factory or establishment that employs less than 25 persons permanently 

 is recognised, hence the bulk of the fish-curing yards are excluded. Fish- 

 curing in India, though important in the aggregate, is a domestic rather 

 than a public concern. Nevertheless, in the publication mentioned, there 

 were recorded 10 companies in 1901, 15 in 1903, and 13 in 1904, employing 

 on the average about 1,300 persons annually. These were entirely in the 

 Madras Presidency. In 1882 the prohibition against the use of natural 

 saline earth in the preservation of fish was issued. This of necessity led 

 to some provision to replace that material and method of fish-curing. 

 This was met by the Salt Department concerning themselves with the 

 provision of the fish-curing yards to which reference has been made. 

 The salt issued to the fish-curers was at first given at cost price, but 

 in consideration of the fact that the saline earths formerly employed 

 were procured for the cost of collection, the salt was reduced to 6 annas 

 8 pies per maund (say 6Jrf. for 80 lb.). It was found, however, that all 

 forms of salt were not equally serviceable for fish-curing ; accordingly 

 for some years complaints were general, and a decline in fish-curing having 

 occurred, this was pointed to as a direct result of the Government's efforts 

 at protecting its salt interests while at the same time raising the standard of 

 fish-curing in India. This subject will be found dealt with in some detail 

 by Tlmrston. [Bull Mad. Mus., 1900, No. 2, 147-52.] 



548 



