cli 



off the portion below, and then taking- out the larger fish, while the smaller 

 are left to perish. I do not think the establishment of a close season would 

 meet with any opposition. At the spawning season fish are considered 

 impure and scarcely fit for food, and it is only the very poorest part of the 

 population that makes use of fish at that season. There would be little 

 difficulty in the introduction of a fixed close season, and this would greatly 

 protect the fishing interests.* * I think a close season from 15th June to 

 1st November would give a fair time for spawning, and the growth of the 

 young fry. The mesh I would recommend should be one inch and a half 

 from knot to knot, or perhaps even two inches. * * Small rewards for 

 crocodiles' eggs would aid in the extermination of those reptiles, and this 

 could be easily arranged for.''' The Assistant Collector of Heerut reported 

 that " as little fishing is carried on in the rains, the destruction of breed- 

 ing-fish and fry is not very great. No doubt, there is considerable destruc- 

 tion, for all fish, breeding or not, are, when caught, killed without distinc- 

 tion/' Difficulties would exist in regulating the minimum size of the mesh 

 of nets, and is "opposed to Government doing anything, especially as regards 

 fry, because the subordinate native officers and the police being high-caste 

 men amongst the Hindu population, it would rest with persons, quite 

 unacquainted with distinctions in classes of fish, to decide as to what is 

 fry and what was not, while we may be sure that considerable oppression 

 would be exercised/ 1 ' The Collector of Mozuffnrnuggur (March 29th, 

 1872) reported (1) that there is no limit to the size of mesh employed, but 

 that nets having very small meshes are used mainly for fishing jhils and 

 ponds, and nets with larger meshes for river-fishing; (2) that nature practi- 

 cally provides a close season for fish during the monsoon ; (3) that the con- 

 sumption of fish in the district is not excessive, and consequently, the 

 destruction of small fry does not appear to take place systematically. 

 " Except occasionally, when fields are flooded in the rains, there does not 

 seem anywhere, or at any time, to be any wholesale destruction of small 

 fry " sees no practical difficulty in regulating the minimum size of the 

 meshes of nets, or prescribing a close season, but does not consider such 

 necessary in his district. 



329. The Officiating Commissioner of Rohilcund observes, " I 



regret it is a subject to which I have never 



Opinions of European Officials t m d attention, and that my own views 

 in Kohilcund. J . '. . , ,v ., , 



would be worth perhaps but little, but I 



must state that whatever small degree of evil there may be existing 

 from the present mode of catching fish, it is infinitesimal as compared 

 with the greater evil of instituting at present any remedial measures. 

 Any legal enactments prohibiting fishing at certain seasons, or the use 

 of nets with meshes under a certain size, and the measures and means by 

 which the law would have to be enforced, would be most annoying, 

 irritating, and dangerous. The size and areas of water in the main 

 streams of India are so great, that the amount offish taken out is 

 nothing as compared with the stock remaining, and they need no protec- 

 tion. The inland streams and nallas, drainage lines, and tanks are 

 generally liable to be dried up in the hot season; and unless we believe 

 in the popular idea, that during such seasons the fish hide themselves 

 deep in the mud, the catching and eating of the small fish, or ( fry, ' 

 as it is called, is only bringing to use an article of food otherwise to be 



