MALAYAN FISHES. 



9 



" Tlie iDigration is not merely insliore and olTsbore, but is 

 at tlie same time in a definite direction with respect to the 

 coast, 



" Thus the life of the fiah 1=; gpent iiiitit in from three U> 

 ■ six vfars t\t tlie most, the call of maturity wimes. In response 

 thereto a migration takes place which appears to be visually 

 be,yond tlie limits of the seasonnl niigrations of the school"^ 



A few moments' c«n si deration will enable one to realise that the 

 life habits of every species of tij^h are siibjetit to L-ertiiin lixcd laws, 

 It is only a matter of systematic or^^anised research to diaoover 

 those laws ajid to apply tiie knowJeclgc to the developnient of 

 Malayan Fisheries. 



We can kam what ha-s been done in Canada, Greait Britain and 

 tile United States^ but this ijeneral learning must be supplemented 

 by detailed local research. We must work out our o^ti local tahlesJ 



Tliere Are, probably, no less than 2000 specie^ of flah in 

 Malayan wa-ters. There are certainly not less than 500 speeies of 

 eeononiio importance, and if we take 25t> species as being valuable 

 Marine food fishea, eome idea may be formed of the amount of 

 reacsarch riequired before we shall be in a po&ition to state definitely 

 where a ecrtain iap<*cifri may be found in full roe, where its spawning- 

 grounds are^ where the rceniiting grounds of ita young are and 

 when and "where it travels during its seasons! migrations. 



Information of this kind will cnaldc our fishermen to catch fish 

 in the best condition find in the ^rreatest quantities and this is the 

 information wliith the Fisliery Depart nientj* of Canada and AxDeriat 

 give the fishermen, even to the extent of using aeroplanes, fitted 

 with wireless, to locate shoals and disseminate information. 



There is a tfreat deal of knowledge, of whieh no use is being 

 made, in tlie poiriscsivjon of many illiterati' MaUy fishermen, spread 

 over wide areas, all alon^ the eqaats of Malaya. This knowledge 

 should be eoUectcd and tabulated. 



The De]mrtment^ of Fisheries in Ceylon, Australia, India, 

 the Netherlands Indies and the Philippines liave publiahed records 

 dealinjj with the fishes which also inhabit our seas and, in con- 

 sequencej die Fishery OiTicers and soienti.sts have the benefit of a 

 vast amount of scientifie research work on which to build up local 

 data. 



Though the question of damag? to onr marine fisheries ha» 

 evoked some attention during: the past two years, it is doubtful 

 whether eerions thought hm i>een given to the terrible damage done 

 to the fresh water fislieries by mining silt. Engineers have fought 

 for tlvL'ir roads and railways against the invading silt, but, to judg^o 

 from otHcial reports, no one has fought for the fisheries and the 

 need for protection of the riverine rights of the people would appear 

 to have passed unnoticed. 



^ Meek, Migrations of Fish. 



