clxxxii 



and the water is laded out, so that all the contained fish are taken. The 

 amount of fry used as stock-fish for ponds is utterly insignificant to the 

 quantity taken ; because, if too many are placed in a tank, unable to obtain 

 sufficient nourishment, they become lean and useless as food. One would 

 naturally wish to agree with the Collector of Burdwan that " the fry of 

 large fish are not sold in the markets as an article of food ; self-interest 

 teaches the parties not to do so/' but, unfortunately, facts are opposed to this 

 being correct as applied to the natives of India, except where some con- 

 tractor holds the fishing of a district, and prevents such destructive waste. 



351 . The modes of fishing pursued are various, as netting, trapping, 

 Modes of fishing. Minimum damming, poisoning, &c. First, as regards 



size of mesh of nets. Fixed nets, some are nxed, as m rivers or tanks ; 

 traps. Damming and poisoning others are not so, whilst every possible device 

 waters * is employed ; therefore, it will be simply ne- 



cessary to advert to the smallest size of the mesh of the nets which are 

 used. To this seven answers from Europeans are given one says they 

 are minute ; one, ^th of an inch ; one, ^th of an inch ; one, ^th ; one, 

 the size of a grain of mustard seed ; one, as a grain of rice, and one, as 

 mosquito curtain net. Of the two native replies one gives it as the 

 size of a grain of mustard seed, the other as a small pea. These meshes 

 alone entirely disprove the comfortable theory that the fry are only being 

 used to stock ponds with, for what would be the value of fish whose 

 bodies were the size of a mosquito curtain net or a grain of mustard 

 seed for this purpose ? Next, are nets made of split bamboo (see page 

 clxxxix) ; such are very destructive, having the interstices between each 

 piece of wood of which it is formed J-th of an inch or less. Then there 

 are fixed engines, as weirs which cross small streams and hill-water- 

 courses having a trap at the only opening and which takes every fish. 

 Also fixed traps are placed in every outlet of all irrigated fields 

 through which the water is strained, capturing breeding-fish and their 

 fry. Damming has been adverted to. Poisoning is likewise carried on 

 certainly through the Orissa hills, at Goalpara, and in Assam. Other 

 plans are recorded by the various reporting officers. 



352. I think the following must be conceded : (1) that the major- 

 c . ity of the people are not prohibited by reli- 

 gious scruples from eating fish ; (2) that the 



supply in the local markets is unequal to the demand; (3) that the 

 amount in the waters has decreased ; (4) that breeding-fish are univer- 

 sally captured; (5) and their fry destroyed wholesale; (6) that nets 

 with minute meshes are used ; (7) that weirs of a most destructive char- 

 acter are employed ; (8) that trapping fish in irrigated fields is univer- 

 sal; and (9) poisoning waters locally carried on. 



353. The consideration now arises what are the remedies proposed ? 



These may generally be summed up under 



Remedies proposed. , J P n /, . , .,, ,, . r , 



the plan or do-nothing till things become 



worse, and leave to others to remedy to-morrow the want of forethought 

 which is permitting such waste to-day. 



354. In the Burdwan Uivision, the Collector of Midnapur reports 



that breeding-fish and verv young- ones are 

 Burdwan Division. Eeport of , , IT 



European Officials. destroyed to a great extent, especially during 



the rains, as every rill from paddy-fields is 



