CV111 



HAIDABABAD. 



213. In the Assigned Districts the rivers are not of any large size, 



whilst the constant droughts of the last few 



Fisheries in the Haidarabad y eSLTS are considered to have done much to 



impoverish such fisheries as exist in these 

 smaller rivers and tanks. 



214. The proportion of people who eat fish if they can obtain it is thus 



given by the various Tehsildars : in Bui- 

 - dana nine-tenths, in Bassim two-thirds, in 



Akola one-third, in Amraote and Mortizapur 

 one-quarter, and in Woon at seven per cent ; these figures clearly show- 

 ing that fish as food is esteemed by a very large proportion of the resi- 

 dents. 



215. As to how the markets are supplied with fish ? Seven native 



officials assert that they are insufficiently so ; 

 Markets insufficiently sup- ^ ^ ^ Tehgildar of Basgim that the 



ff weekly markets'''' are well supplied, but that 



probably more could be sold, conclusively demonstrating that the market 

 supplies do not equal the demands. 



216 Whether the fish have increased, decreased, or remained station- 

 Amount in the water decreas- ar y Tnere is onl J one opinion, which is that 

 ing. they have decreased. 



217. As regards whose these fisheries are ? In West Berar, it is 



stated that fishing rights do not exist, for 



Fisheries Government pro- , -H n i 



p er ty. under a ryotvvari settlement all fisheries are 



common property, indeed belong to Govern- 

 ment, and there do not appear to be any village tanks where the right of 

 reserved fishing could be claimed. 



218. The fishermen, or the class who mostly indulge in it, are the 



Bhoees and sub-divisions of that caste, num- 



Fishermen have, as a rule, r *i i j m i -ij i-- coon 

 other occupations. bermg in the eight Tehsildarships 8,289 per- 



sons, most of whom, however, pursue other 

 occupations. 



219. Respecting whether breeding fish and fry are destroyed but one 



opinion appears to prevail, namely, that they 



Breeding fish and fry de- MI I.LI i 



stroyedtoagreat extent. a y e j ! n ever 7 possible way, although in some 



districts trapping is reported not to exist, 



and fry only to be taken in small quantities ; but as from the same dis- 

 tricts it is stated that stopping the sale of fry would be a little unpo- 

 pular amongst fishermen and fish-eaters, it seems very evident that the 

 amount captured cannot be very small. 



220. If we examine the various minimum sizes of the meshes of the 

 Smallest meshes of nets used. ne . ts employed, we find the six Deputy Com- 



missioners report as iollows : In two they are 



too small to be measured,in one one-eleventh of an inch,in one three -eighths, 

 in one one-eighth, in one one-third of an inch between knot and knot of 

 the meshes. 



