CXX1 



and one inch in diameter would be advisable. There is no objection to 

 prohibiting- the sale of the fry of fish in the bazars, or fixing a close 

 time in the hilly districts. The Collector of Narsinghpur observes, that 

 breeding 1 and young fish are destroyed in considerable numbers. The 

 breeding fish are taken by weirs thrown across the large rivers, and in 

 the narrows of them, before the monsoons, nothing can pass, whilst 

 traps are also set up in shallow places. Waters are poisoned in the 

 smaller streams during the two first months of the monsoon, whilst the 

 fish are spawning. Not only are the fry taken in every conceivable 

 way for food, but they are also wantonly and uselessly destroyed by 

 village children. These causes have impoverished the fisheries, and de- 

 creased the supply. The smallest mesh of nets in use is one-eighth of an 

 inch ; there would be but little difficulty in regulating the minimum size, 

 which it is suggested should be 1J inches between each knot. Close 

 months in hilly districts, it is suggested, could not be enforced, instead 

 " regulating the size of the mesh of nets to protect the fry, and pro* 

 hibiting the snaring of fish altogether in the breeding season, or the 

 prohibition of weirs and traps on any river or stream during the breed- 

 ing season, unless sufficient openings were given to enable a proportion 

 of the breeding fish to reach suitable places to deposit their eggs, would 

 be sufficient to improve the fisheries, rendering them more valuable to 

 the fishermen, and more productive of food ;" would prohibit the sale 

 of fry in the bazars as " beneficial to all districts ; fish eaten at such 

 seasons are the reputed originators of disease, with what truth I am 

 unable to say.''' The Collector of Nimar replies, no distinction is ever 

 made as to whether the fish is breeding or young ; they are destroyed in 

 pools, tanks, streams, and rivers ; in fact in every place where they can be 

 got and in all seasons, except during very heavy rains, when fishing is 

 unprofitable; the smallest mesh employed is one-eighth of an inch. No 

 difficulties exist in regulating the size of the mesh of nets, except that 

 such might reduce the supply, whilst the only objection against prohibiting 

 the sale of fry is, that such would reduce the sales one-half. A fence 

 season of two mouths in hilly districts could be easily carried out, whilst 

 the people would understand the reason. 



261. Chhattisgarh Division. The Collector of Eaipur reports, that 

 breeding and young fish are indiscriminately 



Pi " taken > the ktter to a reater extent than the 

 former. The capture takes place a month 



or two previous, also during the rains, in nallas, tanks, and small pools, 

 by nets, traps, cross-bow bolts, fouling the water of pools, and angling. 

 The smallest-sized mesh of the nets employed is one-fourth of an inch ; 

 the difficulty in regulating the minimum size would be in its evasion, as 

 the majority of the people would sympathise with the fishermen, render- 

 ing a large protective establishment necessary : but the minimum size 

 should not be less than one inch. Prohibiting the sale of the fry would 

 "deprive the poorer classes of the enjoyment of this kind of animal food, 

 which has hitherto been procurable with ease by fishermen, and is 

 cheaply placed within the reach of the buyer's means : but the case would 

 be different when the large fish alone are to be caught/'' The Collector of 

 tiambalpur considers that breeding fish and very young ones are not 

 destroyed to any great extent, as during the rains the rivers cannot be 



