Ixxxv 



162. The Collector of North Arcot (October 26th, 1869) observes 



that there are no perennial rivers in his district, 



f North Arcot and the tanks ' even the lar g est > are eith er dry or 



so low at intervals of two and three years that 



every fish in them, great and small, is caught. He continues, " I 

 have collected materials with a view of submitting my views on 

 the whole subject at an early date" [not forwarded.] The Acting 

 Collector (June 6th, 1872) reports, "that there are no perennial 

 rivers in this district, and that the tanks are either dry or so low at 

 intervals that nearly every fish in them, great and small, is caught. 

 It has, however, been ascertained that there is no wanton destruction of 

 fish in this district/' 



163. The Collector of South Arcot (January 6th, 1870) replies 



that as the streams for the greater part 



Sout P hArcot? f ' of the F ear are almost entirel J dr y, he does 



not see any actual need for establishing fishing 



monopolies. In this district tanks are leased permanently at a fixed 

 annual rent, and the villages, where such leases exist, enjoy a common 

 fishery puttah in recognition of this right. There are seven irrigation 

 weirs in the district, but is not aware whether, as a rule, fish have or 

 have not decreased above them. , Fish are caught and disposed of 

 indiscriminately, and those of small size are never let go. Doubtless, 

 the proportion of small fish caught to large ones is great by comparison. 

 The average size of the meshes of nets employed is about one inch square, 

 and it would be practicable to make the size of the mesh of the net a 

 condition in all leased fisheries ; one year's clear notice should be given. 

 There would be no difficulty in prohibiting fishing within 100 yards of 

 all weirs, and no doubt it would prevent the wholesale destruction of 

 fish where such now takes place periodically. The Sufi-Collector 

 (November 16th, 1867) observes that the only sea-fish which ascend the 

 Coleroon in any numbers are the shad and the mullet, termed madavai, 

 the former arriving from May until August, and, being arrested by the 

 lower weir, are captured there; the madavai (mullets) spawn from 

 October to December, and ascend the Coleroon from September to 

 'April. 



16i. The Acting Collector of Tinnevelli (February 22nd, 1870) 

 replied that, as far as protection of fish in 

 tanks, rivers, and estuaries is required, he 

 would institute a close season, to vary in 

 'different districts, of two months in each year, during which all fishing 

 should be prohibited ; and in his Collectorate June and July are proposed 

 ;for rivers and back- waters, and from the 15th of October to the 15th of 

 December for tanks. The indiscriminate and unfair way of taking 

 fish at the various irrigation weirs when the water becomes low, it is 

 proposed, should be entirely prohibited, and no net fishing be permitted 

 within 200 yards of them, whilst fish ladders should be constructed. 

 The meshes of the nets employed varies from two to four inches in circum- 

 ference. If close months were adopted, regulating the minimum size 

 of the rnesh of the casting nets, it is considered, would be unnecessary. 

 ' ' What I would put doivn entirely is the use of baskets and traps, whereby 

 large numbers of fish are taken in a most unfair and destructive 



