Page:Gazetteer of the province of Oudh ... (IA cu31924073057352).pdf/107

 PAR 99 Fish-The rivers and reservoirs, both natural and artificial, abound with fish. In the former are principally caught the "rohu” the “ anwari" (Indian mullet), the “chhalhwa," the sahri," the “ saur," the "hunga," the " tengrá," the " singhi,” the " belgagra," the “ marguri," the darhi," the “ bám," and the “ parhni.' The fresh water prawn called " jhinguá" is also very plentiful. With the exception of the anwári," all the above- mentioned fish may be seen in the "jhils" and tanks of the district. In these the fishing season commences with the irrigation in November, and continues till May and June. In the rivers the season is much the same, with this difference, that during the continuance of the first fall of the rains, or in other words, when the river is in flood for the first time in the year, larger quantities of fish are often caught in one week than have been taken during the course of several weeks previously. Kahárs are the principal fishermen, and engage in the pursuit as a trade; although at the same time other castes at times adopt the calling, Nets of various shapes and sizes of mesh are used in the different locali- tios; while spearing with the " pachki" or tri-furcated spear is also largely resorted to, wherever the water is sufficiently shallow and clear to admit of it. The statistics concerning fish, which are given in Dr. Day's report, as derived from the Partabgarh authorities, are as follows —The fish-eating population amonnts to 97-78 per cent of the whole (Bibár). About 40,000 maunds of fish are caught annually (Patti). The net meshes are so small that a grain of barley cannot pass through, the fry is therefore destroyed in large quantities. The markets are not fully supplied; prices of large fish reach two annas per ser, but small fish are sold at one anna per ser; mutton being two annas. The fish are caught in the fields when the water retires from the inundation in September, and in April when the ponds dry up. ones are destroyed indiscriminately and to a very great extent from April to the end of June and from September to October, wherever they can be captured, in rivers, jhils, tanks, and nálas, by means of nets, traps, or by hand. The minimum size of the mesh of nets will admit of a corn of barley passing through it, and nothing larger. There is no difficulty in regulating the size of the mesh of nets except the unwillingness of the people to let even the smallest fish escape ther, and he proposes at first, as an experiment, to double the size now in use. There can be no objection to prohibiting the sale of the fry of fish in the bazars, or any other reasonable measures being adopted to arrest the senseless destruction of breeding fish and of the very young ones now going on. Some restriction also should be put on the capturing of fish in the breeding season.”—Para 287, “ Francis Day's Freshwater Fish and Fisheries of India and Burma." The Tahsildar of Partabgarh observes that fishermen are generally Kahárs, but some are Lonias. The markets are not fully supplied with fish, the price of larger sorts is seven pie, smaller sorts four pie, and mutton About half the population are stated to eat fish. The two aanas & ser.
 * The Collector of Partabgarb reports that breeding fish and very young