CXXV11 



OUDH. 



269. In Oud/t the Officiating Chief Commissioner gives his 



opinion, that fish have neither increased nor 



Opinions of Officiating Chief ] j AT. ^,-1-1 



Commissioner. decreased in the province ; that legislative 



interference is unnecessary, and in fact can 



only be justifiable when it is demonstrated that, unless the Legisla- 

 ture steps in, the existence of that important article of diet will cease 

 altogether, an entirely contrary opinion to that of the Chief Commis- 

 sioner in 1868. But it is likewise observed that there would be no diffi- 

 culties in regulating the size of the meshes of the fishing nets, if desirable, 

 or prohibiting the sale of little fish in the bazar, but the last, it is 

 stated, would be obnoxious to both buyers and sellers, besides being 

 uncalled for. 



270. Amongst the replies forwarded from this province are those 



of 25 Tehsildars and Native officials, &c. ; all 



but the one at Sita P ur Answering the ques- 

 tion as to " what proportion of t/ie people 

 eat fish ?" Whilst the numbers at Unas and Suffipur are computed at 

 85,000 in either place, the amount of the general population is not 

 recorded. At Kantha, Bangermore, Putti, and Pratabgarh, the fish-eaters 

 are given as half the people ; at Purwah, Mohan, Faizabad, Baraich, 

 Gondah, Hurdui, and Kai Bareiliat two-thirds; at Sundeela and Sultan- 

 pur at three-fourths ; at Bilgram, Shahabad, and Behar at from^ 80 to 

 97^ per cent., and at Lucknow all; whilst at Nawabgunge, Fathipur, 

 Sanalughat, and Hyderghur, it is asserted a large proportion of the 

 people eat fish, and more would do so could they obtain them. The 

 foregoing shows that a fish-diet is most important to, and is in fact not a 

 luxury, but a necessity, amongst, the people of Oudh, and that more 

 would be fish-eaters were the supply equal to the demand. 



271. The next consideration is, whether the supply is really unequal 



to the demand ? Whether the fish inhabit- 



demand * ^ ^^ ^ iO in g t? 16 waters have increased, decreased, or 



remained stationary, appears to be a disputed 



point, but it ought to be easily demonstrable whether the supplies in the 

 bazars are equal to the demands of purchasers. Rather contradictory 

 accounts are given from four. In one the bazar is said to be fairly 

 supplied ; in one well supplied, but only during the rains ; in two to be 

 fully supplied, and in eighteen to be insufficiently so. Thus, three- 

 fourths of the markets are stated to have a larger demand than supply, 

 apparently demonstrating that, were the quantity of fish brought to 

 market more considerable, it would be to the advantage of the people 

 at large. 



272. As the fish-eating population is very considerable, and the 



bazars are not fully supplied, we arrive at the 



rains 7 ^ * Iai ' gely during the q estion as to "fatAer very small fishes are 



taken in any quantities during the rains ? In 

 twenty localities it is asserted that very small fish are so captured in large 



