Day 13 Cormorant Fishing

We had dinner at the hotel, and then David, our local guide, arranged an evening tour to see the Cormorants fishing. We went out on a boat with a fishing raft on each side. The fisherman had four birds each which caught a number of fish in the half hour we were out. It was very interesting to watch the birds hold the fish in their throats for several minutes, waiting for the farmer retreive it from him.

David explained that the Cormorant eggs were brooded by ducks and that in many cases, the fisherman was the first living thing the baby birds saw after birth. As a result, they bond with the fisherman as a mother figure. It takes about six months to train a bird to fish and the bird develops a complete trust in the fisherman for his care. They are taught to fish for the fisherman by having a string tied around their necks, so that they can catch a fish, but not swallow it. The birds only need one or two fish a day, so the fisherman allows them to eat after the catch is in. They only fish as night, with a light to attract the fish. We were told that fishing in this manner isn't profitable enough for the fishermen to make a living, so there are fewer and fewer doing this work.