the Cheval and Modragam will yield wilhin the next five years one hundred millions of oysters, and at least £200,000;
and I entertain the opinion that if these banks are judiciously fished,
they will be yearly replenished by the mature oysters, and the present
series may be continued (with intervals of one and two years only)
without the long lapses which have hitherto occurred.
The
present brood of oysters are no doubt the produce of the mature oysters
of 1855 and 1857, as at the fishery of 1857 the coir cable of the guard
vessel at anchor outside the then fishing ground was found to be
covered with very young oysters. Seeing this future promise, I required
the boats to be strictly kept to the actual fishing ground, to be most
careful in their proceedings, taking only mature oysters, and throwing
back all young ones, and subjected boats disobeying orders, and
bringing on shore young oysters, to loss of their day's fish and future
employment; and in 1859 I only used 50 boats per day and occupied 11
days in fishing the remnant left on the bank. 100 or 150 boats would
have swept the ground clear in four or five days, but such a number of
boats being less under control, would necessarily have trespassed
beyond the narrow limits of the real fishing ground, and disturbed,
perhaps destroyed, young oysters.
Fish,
snakes, and chanks destroy an enormous number of young oysters. Current
and drifts of sand carry away into deep water or cover beds of oysters,
but in my opinion the frequent lapse of fisheries may be mainly
attributed to the system under which, years ago, the banks were fished,
namely the renting to one or two persons the right of fishing
with from 100 to 300 boats daily, with no control over the proceedings
of the renter and divers, but that of restriction to certain limits and
the hours of fishery. So large a number of boats were of course beyond
control, and not only may they have fished beyond the proper limits of
the bank, but there was no means of knowing either the quantity or
quality of the oysters fished, matters that should be carefully watched
and recorded as a possible means of regulating and ensuring more
continuous fisheries. 100 boats a day should, in my opinion, be the
maximum of any fishery, as the control of all proceedings connected
with this number can be maintained. Of course, circumstances may arise
in connection with a special bank that might necessitate the occasional
increase of this number: but as a general rule, I consider the fishing
with any larger number of boats unadvisable.
The
renting of fisheries had, besides the special one to which I have
alluded, many other disadvantages in the character of its monopoly, its
interference with the fair legitimate earnings of the divers and
boatmen, the constant disputes with the officers, the assertion of
losses, the claims for remission, and the impossibility of ever
satisfactorily determining them. These, and the inability of
ascertaining correct, I may say, any data of the results of fisheries
so conducted, induce me to express th,.- hope, that however large a sum
may be offered for the renting of a fishery, Government will not accept
it. The sum offered may exceed all expectations, and possibly what may
be actually realized by two or three fisheries; but I am certain the
results would be detrimental to future fisheries. I may also quote the
opinion expressed in 1854 by Mr. Dyke, in reporting upon an offer to
rent the fishery of 1855 :—
"
My opinion remains unchanged. It seems to me that Government could not
ever derive any peculiar advantage from the plan of renting; that it
must frequently lose much by it; that the proceedings of 1835, 1836,
and 1837, [1855 to i860 may now be added] have established that
fisheries can be successfully conducted without having recourse to
renting, and that by the sale of the oysters, the fair value of a
fishery is realized in a straightforward manner, devoid of all mystery,
deception, and concealment, as purchasers have to a great extent the
means of ascertaining the real value."
The
renting system is the much desired object of the rich chetties, who, I
believe, would now make a large pecuniary sacrifice for its
re-introduction ;
