cxxx 



to state " that the Chief Commissioner concurs in the opinion expressed 

 by the Commissioner of Sitapur that there is great destruction 

 from ignorance, not from wantonness, and that the measures of 

 protection required are, the publication of the breeding seasons for the 

 various kinds of river and tank fish, the institution of close seasons, and 

 the prohibition of fishing during those seasons.-" 



278. The' Commissioner of the Faizabad Division, in forwarding the 



replies from the Deputy Commissioners of 



*^ bad ' B*, and Go^ah in letter 

 No. 1202 of April 1872, considers there is 

 no reason to anticipate a rapid increase either in the number of fishermen 

 or of the fish-consuming population, that the fishermen carry on their 

 occupations as they have done from time immemorial, and that 

 their operations have not led to a sensible decrease in the supply ; con- 

 sequently no special legislation appears to be called for at present, and 

 that such would be unpopular ; but he thinks " that the question is a very 

 important one, and that it should not be lost sight of, bu4 that periodical 

 enquiries should be made, with the view of ascertaining beyond a doubt 

 whether the fish supply is increasing, decreasing, or stationary." He 

 observes that <f if we are to have legislative interference, I concur in the 

 opinion of the Deputy Commissioner of Faizabad, that it should be; 

 confined to the control of perennial lakes and second class rivers and 

 streams, as it is not worth while to legislate for jhils and pools which 

 dry up, and in such rivers as the Ganges and the Ghogra the capture of 

 fish cannot perceptibly affect the supply." The remedies he points out 

 as " likely to be most efficacious and feasible in this 'province are the 

 regulation of the size of the mesh of nets for use in minor streams and 

 perennial lakes, and the prohibition of capture of fish during the breeding 

 months and of the sale of fry in the bazars." 



279. Colonel Reid, the Commissioner of Faizabad, also observes 



that the replies of the Collectors are of a 

 g^eral nature. All breeding fish or frjr are 

 indiscriminately netted; there is no restriction 

 in the size of the mesh employed, which is about one-third of an inch. 

 It is considered difficulties would arise in regulating the mesh of nets owing 

 to difference in the size of the various mature fish inhabiting the same 

 localities ; that it would not answer to prescribe different sizes of meshes 

 for netting small, middle-sized, and large fish, but at the same time the 

 present minimum is smaller than is required to catch the most minute 

 fish, and that it might be increased to half or three-fourths of an inch at least. 

 It is observed that prohibiting the sale of the fry of fish in the bazars might 

 occasion loss to the owners of waters which would reduce the fishermen's 

 gains, and prevent the present purchasers of fry obtaining their accustomed 

 food, as full-grown fish are considerably dearer. On the other hand, it is 

 observed these objections might be only temporary, and an augmentation 

 of food and decrease of price be the result after two or three years. 

 " Very small fishes are caught during the rains, principally by nets ; in 

 Gondah it is estimated that the weight of small fishes so caught 

 annually is about 8,000 maunds, of which 500 maunds are dried and 

 sold to the Nepalese after the rains." " Fish are trapped in 

 fields when streams and tanks overflow, and the water from them 



