CXX11 



netted, whilst the country contiguous to them is covered with dense 

 jungle, and but sparsely populated. Numbers of small fish are captured 

 during the monsoon months in the rice-fields, and sometimes in 

 creeks filled by the back-waters of the rivers in flood ; in the rice-fields 

 wicker baskets are placed at the drainage openings of the fields, and those 

 in the creeks and estuaries are taken by a net which is lowered into the 

 water and raised after an interval of a few seconds by means of a long 

 bamboo pole. The smallest-sized mesh of the nets is one-eighth of an 

 inch ; regulating it would require " an immense and expensive establish- 

 ment, which would probably prove a greater evil than that which it is in- 

 tended to provide against." If a minimum were fixed, it should be one 

 inch between knot and knot. It would be impossible to prevent the sale 

 of fry, as " they are chiefly hawked about by the boatmen from house to 

 house, or purchased by the people at the river side, as the boats pass up." 

 No objections exist to a fence season in hilly regions during the first two 

 months of the monsoon, provided such could be enforced, which appears 

 to be impossible. The Collector of Bilaspur states, that breeding and 

 young fish are wantonly and indiscriminately destroyed, in all rivers, pools, 

 streams, and tanks, throughout the district, also in rice-fields ; in the latter, 

 they are caught at the outlets when the water is no longer required in 

 the fields. Wholesale destruction takes place at the close of the rains 

 when the waters are subsiding. In shallow streams, traps of various 

 devices baskets, bamboo weirs, and funnel-shaped nets whose meshes are 

 as close as those of coarse muslin are used. It is impossible for the 

 smallest fish to get out of some of the traps. Waters are also poisoned. 

 The smallest-meshed nets in use would just admit of a fly crawling 

 through. No difficulties exist in regulating the minimum size of the 

 mesh of nets, which he would place at one-fourth of an inch. Objections 

 might arise in prohibiting the sale of fry, as advantage could be taken of 

 such an order for the purpose of oppression. 



262. In the Nagpur Division, the five Tehsildars report 35,377 



fishermen, but in two tehsils the families 



Nagpur Division. Opinion of included; all of them likewise carry 



Native officials. , . m . , 



on other occupations. The fishermen castes 



are Palwar, Kahar if Pardasis, Bendura, Bhanara, Mashide, Telang, 

 Kevat, Dhimar or Bhogis, Binjawars. Respecting the supply of fish in 

 the markets, the Tehsildar of Nagpur reports that it is sufficient in 

 two markets, and insufficient in two others. In Bhandara, Chanda, and 

 Balaghat, that it is sufficient ; and in Wardha, that it is not so during 

 the hot season. The comparative cost of mutton and fish cannot be 

 ascertained from the replies received. As to the proportion of the 

 population who eat fish, it is given in Nagpur and Chanda at 75 per 

 cent., in Bhandara at 92 per cent., in Wardha at 86 per cent., and in 

 Balaghat at 80 per cent. The amount of fish in the waters is said to 

 have remained stationary in two tehsils, and to have decreased in three. 

 Large quantities of fish are said not to be taken in one tehsil during 

 the rains, but to be so in the remaining four. The smallest-meshed 

 nets are given by three at one-fourth of an inch, by one at one-fifth, and 

 the remainder at one-sixth. In four tehsils fish are said to be trapped 

 during the rains, in the fifth not to be so. The following are stated to be 

 the modes of fishing employed : nets termed ' Jale' or ' Bhoi Jale/ 



