ex 



well ; (6) that mature breeding fish and the immature ones are destroyed 

 at all seasons of the year and in every possible way ; (7) that nets with 

 very minute meshes are employed ; (8) that fish are trapped in some 

 districts and snared in all ; (9) that waters are dammed, laded out, and 

 even poisoned in order to take the fish ; (10) that there would be no 

 difficulty in prohibiting the sale of the fry of fish in the bazars; (11) 

 that some protection to the fish is called for; (12) that such would not 

 affect the fishermen to any appreciable extent unless fence-months were 

 instituted; (13) but that these appear to be necessary in the hilly districts 

 during- the first two months of the monsoon ; (14) that the minimum 

 size of the meshes of the nets should be one inch between knot and knot; 

 (15) that the poisoning of waters to obtain fish should be prohibited. 



227. The necessity of fence-months in the rivers of the hilly dis- 

 tricts during the commencement of the 

 monsoons when large fish ascend for breeding 



purposes appears to be apparent. " This is," one Deputy Commissioner 

 observes, " the best fishing season," the breeding fish in fact at this period 

 easily falling victims to the most clumsy contrivances. 



228. Poisoning waters to obtain the 

 Poisoning waters condemned. ^ . g universally condemne d. 



229. The Second Assistant Resident, Haidarabad, remarks that 



the class chiefly devoted to fishing in this 

 P art of India are the Bhoees, who do not, 

 however, confine themselves to this occupation 

 only, but seek their living also as domestic servants, and monopolize what 

 remains in this part of India of the work of palkee-bearing. Through- 

 out the Assigned Districts fishing is pursued free from any restrictions, and 

 all sorts of fish are indiscriminately captured in all possible ways. 



230. The Officiating Commissioner, West Berar, reports that as 



fishing is quite unrestricted, every sort of fish 

 ^ptured in every possible manner, and 

 those too small for use are thrown away. The 

 class chiefly concerned in fishing are the Bhoees, but the trade is incon- 

 siderable, and they pursue other occupations. Moreover, other classes 

 also engage in it when the fish are sufficiently plentiful to attract them. 

 It follows, that whatever restrictions may be imposed, no class of people 

 will be so affected as to interfere with their means of livelihood, nor does 

 any portion of the community depend on fish as an article of food, there- 

 fore any remedial measures found necessary will not even be hard or dis- 

 tressing to any class of people. Further, fishing rights do not exist, for 

 under a ryotwari settlement all fisheries are common property, indeed 

 belong properly to Government, and there does not appear to be any village 

 tanks where the right of reserved fishing could be claimed. Hence there 

 is nothing to prevent the imposition of rules for the preservation of the 

 immature or breeding fish, and some of a general kind are called for 

 under the state of things exhibited in these reports. The rules proposed 

 are, (1) the prohibition of fishing during July and August, and if need 

 be also September; (2) the interdiction of the use of nets with the knots 

 of the meshes nearer together than one inch ; (3) declaring it illegal to 

 poison the water with the object of killing the fish. 



