[19] THE FISHERIES OF INDIA. 401 



that, owiug to the absence of precautiouary measures ami reasonable 

 restrictions, the existing supply is' diminishing." 



Before concladiug this portion of my i^aper, I must refer to an experi- 

 ment which has been made in India for the purpose of protecting fish- 

 eries. If no destructive waste was existing prior to the commencement 

 of protective measures, no augmentation of the fish would have become 

 apparent ; if, however, very beneficial results have ensued, there does 

 not appear any reason why such should not be extended elsewhere. In 

 South Canara, Mr. H. S. Thomas observed that it may be doubted 

 whether the poisoning of rivers or the wholesale destruction of fry is most 

 injurious to fisheries; while the effect of prohibiting the finer and closely- 

 woven bamboo cruives has been that the most ignorant, and therefore 

 the most obstinate, opponents hav^ been convinced by the testimony of 

 their own senses, and have exclaimed, to use their own words, "Truly 

 the river is everywhere bubbling with fry;" and, w^hat is still more to 

 the point, their practice has not belied their words, for they have taken 

 to fishing on grounds that were before considered profitless. Two years' 

 discouragement of poisoning, and one year's discouragement of fine 

 cruives, have worked such a change that it has been demonstrated, be- 

 yond cavil even of the ignorant and of the most interestedly opposing, 

 that marked advantage can be reaj)ed from the adoption of these two 

 simple measures alone. 



What measures liave been instituted in order to mitigate the con- 

 dition of the fisheries I have been unable to ascertain. Sir Eichard 

 Temple says, "!Jso result worthy of note." An act (YII of 1875), how- 

 ever, has been passed for Burma, for the protection of the fisheries ; 

 while Mr. Buckland, member of the revenue board in Calcutta, re- 

 marked (November, 1879) that the following figures show the progress 

 which is being gradually made at Goalunda, at the confluence of the 

 Gauges, and Brahmapootra, where hilsa fish abound: Fish cured 1875, 

 1,362 maunds; 1876,4,835; 1877,10,800; 1878,* 14,000. He concludes 

 that " there is, therefore, some reason to hope that Dr. Day's proposal 

 may bring some good fruit after awhile." 



3. — Consumers of fish. 



Before passing on to the sea-fisheries, I propose considering what 

 proportion of tile people of India and Burma use fish as food, or rather 

 can do so without infringing caste prejudices. 



In the Panjab, comparatively few of the inhabitants are prohib- 

 ited by their rebgion from consuming fish, but there are many Hin- 

 dus who reject it, as well as the rural population of some districts. 

 t ?5ut of those residing in towns, and in hilly ranges, it appears that, if the 

 IPrahmans are excepted, the consumption of fish is limited only by the 



; * This shows an increase of 1,043,215 pouuds of lish iu a year in one locality, where 

 I iu the lirst of the four years nearly 112,073 pounds were i>repared. 

 H. Mis. G7 L'(i 



