XXXI 



during the inundation season ; for like reason the fry escapes. Minute 

 meshed nets are not employed,, so far as I could ascertain, by the inhabit- 

 ants of Upper and Central Sind, as it is found more profitable to permit 

 the young 1 fish to attain a fair size before capturing them. As the waters 

 in the tanks subside and food begins to decrease, then netting is carried 

 on. Owing to the peculiar character of the fisheries of this province and 

 the smallness of the population, remedial measures do not appear at present 

 called for (see Report on fisheries of Sind, March 18th, 1872). 



52. The Commissioner of Sind (September 9th, 1868) reported, "the 



pulla [Clupea palasah, Cuv. & Val.l is the 

 ^ Eeport by the Commissioner ^ description o figh caught in the riyer< 



Their appearance is restricted to a particular 



season, from March until September ; they are not local, but come up 

 from the sea to spawn, and are secured in nets capable of catching not 

 more than one, two, or three at a time. Owing to the dangerous charac- 

 ter of the river at all times, but especially during the inundations, 

 when there are strong contending currents, fishing of any other descrip- 

 tion is never resorted to. In the f dhands j and hollows, considerable 

 quantities of fish are caught in drag-nets ; these are consumed by the 

 inhabitants in adjacent towns and villages, and the residue is salted and 

 sold in remote localities ; but during the inundations these receptacles be- 

 come very deep and extensive, when the use of nets is abandoned, and 

 the supply of fish becomes renewed. Some loss of small fish is no doubt 

 occasioned when the hollows dry up after the inundation has subsided ; 

 this, however, is unavoidable in consequence of the isolation of many 

 places from their main feeder (the Indus), and cannot therefore be con- 

 sidered as a wanton destruction of fish/' 



53. The Acting Collector of Shikarpur reported (1871), that the 



fisheries in the Collectorate are of two kinds, 

 Collectorate ' its those on the Indus and those in the 'dhands' 



or depressions which are supplied with water 

 every year from the overflow of the Indus or the larger canals. All 

 fisheries, with the exception of a few included in some jaghirs, and those in 

 the territory of His Highness Meer Ali Morad, Chief of Khypur, are the 

 property of Government, and the farm of Government fisheries is sold 

 yearly to the highest bidder. The revenue from this source varies but 

 little from year to year ; in 1869 it was Us. 32,023-7-6 for the whole 

 Collectorate. In the Indus the fishing is restricted to that for the pulla, 

 which annually ascends from the sea to breed, appearing about the end 

 of February; it returns to the sea in September. The fishermen or 

 Mahanas now resort to the dhands to ply their occupation. Many of 

 these dhands dry up before the annual rise of the river replenishes the 

 supply of water in them, others again are sufficiently deep to retain water 

 all the year round. With the yearly inundations are brought a number 

 of fish which are sufficient for the year's supply, so no system of pre- 

 serving these fisheries seems necessary. 



54. The Collector of Kurachi observed (March 15th, 1872), that 



the rights of private parties in the fisheries 

 have never been accurately defined, but that 

 such rights exist by immemorial custom is 

 well known. The Government right is to levy one-third of the fish 



