One of Cochin’s sights are it’s so called Chinese fishing nets. They are named this way, because for long it was thought that these contraptions were brought to Coching 700 years ago by the Chinese explorer Zheng He.
Recently however, it was discovered that they were brought there by the Portuguese, which makes sense, since they ruled over Kerala for 500 years.
These Chinese fishing nets are fixed land installations for an unusual form of fishing: shore-operated lift nets.
Recently however, it was discovered that they were brought there by the Portuguese, which makes sense, since they ruled over Kerala for 500 years.
These Chinese fishing nets are fixed land installations for an unusual form of fishing: shore-operated lift nets.
The nets are let down in the sea for a short while, maybe just minutes. The lifting up and down is done by men and counterweights. The catch, small batches each time, is ready to be sold (and cooked) minutes after it’s brought up in the net.
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| The installations are huge! |
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| The nets are especially photogenic at sunset. |
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| Here we see the net down, in the sea. |
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| This man is getting the net up again. |
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| The catch is sold a couple of meters further, in a simple open air fish market. |
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| Several baby sharks for sale. |
Ten metres further were some small food stalls where you could have the fish you just bought prepared for you.
We just had our breakfast, so we were not up for fried fish at that moment. Frits otherwise might have tried it.
For me, not such a big fish lover to start with, the smell of the fish and the many flies roaming freely over the merchandise, would have put me of anyway.
Yes, I admit, I am no adventurous eater AT ALL!!!
Ah well, so be it;-). I have other qualities….hahaha…
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