cxv 



CENTRAL PROVINCES. 



245. It appears from the following reports, that in the 19 tehsils 

 The majority of the people in from which answers have been received, in 



the Central Provinces may eat four 50 per cent, of the people eat fish, in 



eight from 50 to 75 per cent., in three from 

 80 to 90 per cent., and in four upwards of 90 per cent. 



246. Whether the markets are sufficiently supplied? is thus answered 



by 20 tehsildars, as sufficiently so in 8, in- 

 , how supplied. sufficiently in 12. 



247. Respecting whether the amount of fish in the waters has in- 



creased, decreased, or remained stationary ? 

 s ?n consider it to be stationary, in two 

 it appears doubtful, whilst nine report a 

 decrease. 



248. Respecting the, number of fishermen? they are given at 80,928, 



but the women and children belonging to 

 le> ^ their families are included by some of tbe 



tehsildars ; one evidently adds m those who 

 used to be fishermen, as he remarks that <f many have ceased to 

 follow their original occupation, owing to the demand for well-paid labor 

 developed by the railway." Out of these persons, all are said to follow 

 other occupations, with the exception of 200 persons in the Upper Godave- 

 ri district. 



249. The opinion appears to be unanimous, that breeding fish are 



destroyed to a large extent by fixed nets, by 

 ding fish how destroyed. weirs spannmg , W i 10 ] e rivers, arresting them 



whilst they are ascending to breedj especially at a little prior to the 

 commencement of the monsoon, and likewise stopping their downward 

 progress as they return to the larger rivers ; by traps in irrigated fields, 

 capturing them as they try to reach good spawning grounds ; by netting 

 in every possible way the pools in the rivers in the dry season, and by 

 poisoning the waters. Various forms of traps, nets, &c., are also employed. 



250. Fry appear to be destroyed to a great extent when just 



moving about, and in every possible way. 

 Fry destroyed wholesale. Qne tehgildar com p ut es the destruction in 



his district alone at 25,000 maunds (2 millions of pounds), and the 

 tehsildar of Nursingpur says, that " it is to this wholesale destruction 

 of the small fish that the fish have decreased." Traps of fine split 

 bamboos appear to be placed at every outlet in irrigated fields, and 

 netting is carried on universally, as well as the use of dams, weirs, and 

 poison. 



