CCXX11 



BRITISH BURMAH. 



(Supplementary Report.) (1) 



402. The Officiating Assistant Secretary to the Chief Commissioner 



(October 12th, 1872) observes "that the 

 * the Chief Commissioner enquires into 

 the matter, the more satisfied he is that any 

 attempt to prohibit the capture of small fish would be as impolitic as it 

 is unnecessary" [an opinion opposed to what he gave April 4th, 1872 

 (see p. cci) and July 19th, 1872.)] 



403. The Commissioner of Pegu (September 25th, 1872) forwards 



extracts from the opinions of those serving 



Pegu i Commissionership: opi- under him> Th p t Commissioner of 

 mons of European Officials. , . * * 



Rangoon replies that " there is no doubt that 



in some parts of the district large numbers of breeding-fish are destroyed. 

 This is done at the commencement of the rains, when they go up small 

 streams, and where the water is clear and shallow, for the purpose of 

 spawning : they are at this time easily caught and destroyed, so much so, 

 that the instruments which many persons use are common sticks : very 

 many young fish, too, are no doubt caught where they can be, but this is 

 done chiefly in the small streams which are not rented out, and in the 

 small fisheries. It is the practice in this district in large fisheries to 

 set apart a portion of the fishery for the young fish which may be caught 

 or which pass through the screens, and some of the large fish which are 

 caught are also put into this for purposes of breeding." " I do not think 

 there would be any great difficulty in regulating the size of the mesh. If 

 once the order were given, people would be afraid to use nets with 

 meshes smaller than the regulated size, as the fact could be so easily 

 proved. I am not prepared to say what size of mesh would be advisable, 

 nor am I much in favor of regulating the size. I think that if such a 

 regulation were made, a large number of persons who catch a few fish for 

 their own consumption, and do no harm, would be debarred from doing 

 so." [It is most remarkable that poaching the fry of fish should be 

 held to do no harm if people do not pay for the right, whilst this paragraph 

 ends as follows, showing the loss that such acts must entail on fisheries :] 

 <f I think that those who work them are quite aware of the advantages 

 to be gained by not destroying the small fish, and would protect them 

 where the fisheries are leased for a term of years." " As far as this district 

 is concerned, I would certainly prohibit the capture of breeding-fish, Nga- 

 vit, as they are called : their haunts are well known, and the right to catch 

 these only is rented out in some parts separate from the fishery itself, which 

 is worked at a different season/'' [How the fishermen must be astonished 

 at such short-sighted policy. This is the period probably adverted to 



(1) Only received October 23rd, 1872. Replies to questions circulated in 1869 not yet 

 come to hand. 



