CXI 



231. The Deputy Commissioner of the Alcola District observes, the evils 



alluded to by Dr. Day exist in this district 



Opinion of the Deputy Com- n -,V ., * T ,. 



missLerofAkola. e q% with other parts of India. There 



being, however, no large lakes or rivers, the 



amount of harm done is proportionately less. Breeding fish and very 

 young ones are destroyed so far as it can be made to repay the trouble 

 expended, but not being plentiful, what is not worth catching elsewhere 

 is worth something here; thus being a luxury, and not a staple article of 

 food, it fetches a high price. They are destroyed in every way, at all 

 places and in all seasons, and considering the great drought of the last and 

 those of preceding years, which must have had a direct effect in diminish- 

 ing the quantity of fish in these rivers and streams, and the numbers 

 yearly caught by snares, nets, poisoning, &c., the only wonder is how any 

 fish have survived. There are no orders respecting the size of the mesh 

 of nets, and they are used as small as one-eleventh of an inch, but there 

 could be no difficulty in regulating their size. As it would be difficult to 

 discriminate fry of fish, he would rather its sale were not prohibited, 

 but that the size of the mesh of nets were regulated. Poisoning fish he 

 proposes should be unlawful, and fishing should be stopped in certain 

 months. " To carry out these two methods no establishment would be 

 necessary, but it remains an open question whether it is worth the trouble 

 to introduce legislation on these points in a country like Berar where 

 fish is so scarce/' As regards the question whether there are any objec- 

 tions against prohibiting the capture of fish in the hilly districts for the 

 first two months of the monsoon season when they are breeding, he 

 replies, " Not that I know of, except that this is the best fishing season 

 in this district/"' 



232. The Deputy Commissioner of the Buldana District reports that 



breeding and young fish are not destroyed to 



Opinion or the Deputy Com- . , mi n j n \ i 



missioner of Buldana. anv g" rea t extent. The smallest size of the 



mesh of the nets employed is one-third of an 



inch ; there are no difficulties against regulating it authoritatively, and 

 there ought to be 1 J inches between knot and knot. As regards prohibit- 

 ing the sale of the fry of fish in the bazars, he continues that such might be 

 a little unpopular amongst fishermen and fish-eaters, but the advantages 

 of this restriction would soon make themselves apparent to all. Also as 

 to taking breeding fish in hilly districts during the first two months of 

 the monsoon, he remarks it would cause the temporary loss of employ- 

 ment to those who fish at this season, but they would soon learn to regard 

 the restriction as a wise one and become reconciled to it. 



233. The Assistant Commissioner in charge of the Bassim District 



observes that owing to the great want of rain, 

 all the tanks of the district have dried up ; 

 many of them were full of large fish, all of 

 which have been entirely destroyed. Such a drought has not been 

 known in the memory of man. Cart-loads of fish have been carried 

 away, and it will take years to re-stock the tanks. These remarks also 

 apply more or less to the rivers. Most of the tanks are but small, but 

 there are the remains of very large ones in the district which might be 

 repaired and restored at a small expense, affording irrigation to a consider- 

 bale quantity of laud, and consequently would be very remunerative if 



