CIV 



mosquito curtains ; there would be no difficulty in regulating it ; but he 

 considers it would not be of much use, as the little fish would get into 

 the fields and die, or be eaten by birds, but the smallest size he proposes 

 for tank-fishing is half an inch. If selling the fry of fish is prohibited, 

 it is surmised the catchers would eat them themselves, to the loss of the 

 fish-eating community of towns, whilst accustomed means of livelihood 

 and food-supply should not be lightly interfered with. 



204. Colonel Pickle, in a report to the Chief Commissioner (July 



Opinion of Colonel Puckle. IU \< ( . 18 , 69 '' <***$> respecting the fish 



market at Bangalur, that large-sized fish are 



often bought by the European community at a dearer rate per pound than 

 butcher's meat, and that the natives buy large numbers of small carps 

 for the merest trifle, amongst which are always a considerable quantity 

 of the immature fish of a large kind. That netting goes on all the year 

 round. Drag, wall, cast, and purse-nets of every size of mesh are used, 

 and in some of them it is so small as to resemble a coarse mosquito 

 curtain; whilst, owing to their indiscriminate use and other poaching 

 practices, the food-supply is out of all proportion to the natural fecundity 

 of the fish. 



205. In the Nagar Division, the Deputy Superintendent of the Shimoga 



District reports that breeding fish and very 

 7<8 e not destroyed to any great 

 extent. The minimum size of the mesh of 

 nets is so small that even spawn of fish is taken. There are no objections 

 against prohibiting the sale of the fry of fish in the bazars. The 

 Deputy Superintendent of the Chituldrug District observes that there are 

 not many tanks or reservoirs wherein large numbers of fish are to be 

 found, but of the few that are to be found, the fishermen as well as 

 other classes catch indiscriminately fish of all sizes, both for home con- 

 sumption and for sale. Most fish are taken during the hot season, when 

 the tanks and pools are becoming dry : damming and draining off the 

 water is employed for this purpose. The smallest size of the mesh of the 

 nets employed is one-eighth of an inch in diameter. No difficulties exist 

 in regulating the minimum legal size of the meshes to be employed, but 

 does not anticipate any benefit following such a course; neither are 

 there any objections against prohibiting the sale of the fry of fish in the 

 bazars. The Deputy Superintendent of the Kadoor District considers 

 that breeding fish and very young ones are destroyed to a great extent. 

 Dams are constructed across rivers and channels where the water collects, 

 and also in natural pools in the rivers. Fishing is carried on at all times 

 during the hot weather; also in irrigated fields fine wicker baskets are 

 placed at the outlets, so as to take the smallest fish. The nets generally 

 employed have a mesh of half an inch. There appears to be no diffi- 

 culty in regulating the minimum size of the mesh of nets to be employ- 

 ed in future, and one inch between the knots is proposed for this purpose. 

 No objection seerns to exist against prohibiting the sale of the fry of 

 fishes in the bazars, or forbidding the destruction of breeding fishes 

 during the first two months of the monsoon in the hilly ranges. 



206. The Deputy Superintendent of the Tumkur District says, a 



great number of fish are destroyed, but the 



i uantit y f breedin g , fish and . r s 



amongst these cannot be ascertained. When 



