Cormorant fishing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained cormorants to fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place in Japan, China and Macedonia, as well as other places throughout the world.
To control the birds, the fishermen tie a snare near the base of the bird's throat. Though this prevents the birds from swallowing larger fish, which are held in their throat, the birds are still able to swallow smaller fish. When a cormorant has caught a fish in its throat, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and has the bird spit the fish back up. Though cormorant fishing used to be a successful fishing industry, its primary use today is to serve the tourism industry.
The types of cormorants used differ based on the location. In Gifu, Japan, the Japanese Cormorant (P. capillatus) is used; Chinese fishermen often employ Great Cormorants (P. carbo).[1]
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[edit] Locations
[edit] Japan
Cormorant fishing, called ukai (鵜飼) in Japanese, takes place in 13 cities in Japan. The most famous location is Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, home to Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara River, which has continued uninterrupted for the past 1,300 years.[2] Cormorant fishing in Seki also takes place on the Nagara River, but it is called "Oze Cormorant Fishing" (小瀬鵜飼 Oze Ukai). Only the cormorant fishing masters in Gifu and Seki are employed by the emperor and called Imperial Fishermen of the Royal Household Agency.
- Fuefuki, Yamanashi Prefecture (Fuefuki River)
- Gifu, Gifu Prefecture (Nagara River)
- Seki, Gifu Prefecture (Nagara River)
- Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture (Kiso River)
- Uji, Kyoto Prefecture (Uji River)
- Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture (Ōi River)
- Arida, Wakayama Prefecture (Arida River)
- Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture (Basen River)
- Masuda, Shimane Prefecture (Takatsu River)
- Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture (Nishiki River)
- Ōzu, Ehime Prefecture (Hiji River)
- Hita, Ōita Prefecture (Mikuma River)
- Asakura, Fukuoka Prefecture (Chikugo River)
[edit] China
In Guilin, China, cormorant birds are famous for fishing on the shallow Lijiang River.
[edit] Europe
Cormorant fishing took place in Europe briefly from the 16th to 17th centuries, primarily in England and France. Though the fishing method was similar to those used in Japan and China, the European method was developed independently and was closely related to falconry.
[edit] Peru
There are records of a form of cormorant fishing taking place in Peru back in the 5th century, outdating Japan's cormorant fishing by an entire century.
[edit] References
- ^ Cormorant Fishing "UKAI". May 2001 version. Retrieved 2008-JAN-30.
- ^ Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara River. Gifu City Cormorant Fishing Viewing Boat Office, 2007.
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