INDIAN FISH AND FISHING. 



One great purpose which many persons have anticipated 

 from the International Fisheries Exhibition is a full investi- 

 gation into the condition of fisheries in general ; the causes 

 which have conduced to their prosperity or deterioration, 

 with the suggestion of rules for their future administration. 

 At present British fish economists are divided into two 

 schools, which may be thus defined : — 



I. That Government should permit our marine fisheries 

 to be untrammelled by legislative restrictions, everyone 

 should be permitted to help himself to fish as he pleases 

 under the belief that the stock in the sea is inexhaustible. 



II. That Government regulations in the working of sea 

 fisheries is advisable in order to prevent undue destruction 

 of the spawn and young fish, on the supposition that our 

 inshore fisheries, as well as those of some trawled forms, are 

 being unduly depleted. 



The following pages on the " Fisheries of India," mainly 

 relate to the condition they were in a few years since as 

 ascertained by personal investigations. Some of the 

 obstacles under which they laboured have been removed, 

 while others, it is hoped, are shortly to be remedied ; but 

 the result of the incidence of the salt-tax on marine fisheries, 

 and the want of restrictions on fresh-water ones, are well 



demonstrated. 



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The length of the sea-board of India and Burmah has been 



B 



