India. 



preparation of fish as in accordance with a legal decision the natives were free to collect this 

 salt-earth for their own consumption. Previously three maunds of fish required 4s. worth of 

 monopoly salt for its cure, but 4c?. worth of salt-earth was found sufficient for this purpose. 

 The article produced was inferior, but it was brought within the reach of the poor. It was 

 proposed to impose a tax of a little more than 3s. 6d. a maund (E. 1 13 annas) on this salt- 

 earth. 



The salt tax in Madras in 1858-59 stood at 2s. a maund, but has been raised as follows : 

 1859-60 to 2s. Qd., 1860-61 to 3s., 1864-65 to 3s. 4Jd, 1869-70 to 4s. 1875 to 6s., but it is now 

 again reduced to 4s. But in Madras some facilities are now being given to the salting of fish. 



Fresh-water fisheries differ in many material respects from marine ones, and wherever any 

 quantity of water is present in the East there we are almost certain to find fishes, and this from 

 a sea-level to nearly the summit of the highest mountains. As a natural consequence fishing 

 is carried on in rivers, irrigation canals, tanks, ditches, inundated fields and swamps. The 

 fishermen of the fresh waters are divisible into two main classes ; first such as follow this 

 calling as their sole means of livelihood, and secondly such as engage in it only occasionally 

 and as a subsidiary occupation. Of the first class, even within the limits of a single or at least 

 of a few generations, great innovations have crept in, for in the time of native rule fishing was 

 in the hands of distinct castes, but now it is only here and there that one comes across some 

 remnant of these people, who still restrict their means of livelihood to this industry. Britisli 

 rule in most places has given up taxes on fishermen, and in many districts fishing rents as well 

 consequently there are few large contractors who are lessees for lengthened periods of such 

 properties, and it is no one's business to prevent undue depletion of fisheries. In some districts 

 the fisheries, or a portion of them, are declared free, but a licence tax is imposed on fishermen. 

 Or the general public may take fish for home consumption, but not for sale. Or liberty is given 

 for everyone to help himself as he likes, where he likes, and when he pleases. 



At first the public, pleased at the remission of rents and the removal of restrictions, 

 employ redoubled energy, and thus augment their immediate profits, the markets become 

 glutted, but soon the price declines. After two or three years fish become scarcer, fishing is no 

 longer remunerative, and the misapplied energy eventuates in nothing but small fish remaining 



Among the artificial causes deleteriously affecting fisheries in many districts are irrigation 

 works, which are formed by throwing a weir across a river and diverting a large amount of 

 water down a main irrigation canal. Fish migrating down rivers pass into these canals 

 where considerable falls exist, but they can never reascend to the river. Thus these canals 

 become enormous fish-traps, wherein all the finny tribes are destroyed whenever the canals 

 are run dry in order to see what annual repairs are required. Similarly all fish passing into 

 the side channels, which are generally flooded every alternate week, become killed, as no refuge 

 tanks are in connection with these canals. Sometimes irrigation is carried on by means of 

 diverting entire rivers into paddy fields, in which case all the fry they contain perish. 



As soon as young fish are moving about, or shortly after the monsoons have set in, men, 

 women and children obtain myriads of fry from paddy fields and every sheltered spot to which 

 they have retired for shelter and security. Nets which will not permit a mosquito to pass are 

 employed ; the sides of rivers are denuded of fish so far as human agency can contrive it. 

 The agricultural population construct wickerwork traps, baskets and nets, first placed so as to 

 entrap the breeding fishes ascending to their spawning grounds, and subsequently reversed to 

 take them descending to the river. Streams are absolutely strained to capture the fry, and 

 every irrigation channel has its wickerwork trap. These devices are too numerous to describe. 



The minimum size of the mesh of the nets employed in fresh waters is exhibited in the 

 following return : 



