"The migration is not merely inshore and offshore, but is at the same time in a definite direction with respect to the coast.
"Thus the life of the fish is spent until in from three to six years at the most, the call of maturity comes. In response thereto a migration takes place which appears to be usually beyond the limits of the seasonal migrations of the school."[1]
A few moments' consideration will enable one to realise that the life habits of every species of fish are subject to certain fixed laws. It is only a matter of systematic organised research to discover those laws and to apply the knowledge to the development of Malayan Fisheries.
We can learn what has been done in Canada, Great Britain and the United States, but this general learning must be supplemented by detailed local research. We must work out our own local tables.
There are, probably, no less than 2000 species of fish in Malayan waters. There are certainly not less than 500 species of economic importance, and if we take 250 species as being valuable Marine food fishes, some idea may be formed of the amount of research required before we shall be in a position to state definitely where a certain species may be found in full roe, where its spawning grounds are, where the recruiting grounds of its young are and when and where it travels during its seasonal migrations.
Information of this kind will enable our fishermen to catch fish in the best condition and in the greatest quantities and this is the information which the Fishery Departments of Canada and America give the fishermen, even to the extent of using aeroplanes, fitted with wireless, to locate shoals and disseminate information.
There is a great deal of knowledge, of which no use is being made, in the possession of many illiterate Malay fishermen, spread over wide areas, all along the coasts of Malaya. This knowledge should be collected and tabulated.
The Departments of Fisheries in Ceylon, Australia, India, the Netherlands Indies and the Philippines have published records dealing with the fishes which also inhabit our seas and, in consequence, the Fishery Officers and scientists have the benefit of a vast amount of scientific research work on which to build up local data.
Though the question of damage to our marine fisheries has evoked some attention during the past two years, it is doubtful whether serious thought has been given to the terrible damage done to the fresh water fisheries by mining silt. Engineers have fought for their roads and railways against the invading silt, but, to judge from official 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.
