Aboard the Chinese Fishing Net at Fort Cochin

“YES – pulling – like that pulling – come! come!” cries the fisherman. It is an invitation to the tourists to hop aboard the Chinese Fishing Net that he toils on. And experience the process. Seldom is he turned down.

And once on the platform:

“This is Chinese technology fishing net – the framework weighs eight hundred kilos – pulling then net comes up – release it then goes back down in the water – it is hard work: and at this time of the year, very little fish…”

Almost all of the fishermen that toil on the dozen odd Chinese Fishing Nets (that are) installed along the shores of Fort Cochin are Catholic and speak English. The state of Kerala boasts of cent percent literacy wherein every adult and juvenile can read and write in the state language, Malayalam if not in English.

“It costs about five lakh rupees to build. And thirty percent of our profits go to the owner. And the other seventy percent must feed five to six other families. And we don’t catch a lot of fish at this time of the year. So please give us a donation!”

The principle is simple — like that of a seesaw: but it is hard work under the beaming hot sun.

All of ‘em fishermen came across as humble and decent individuals. And yes, the catch wasn’t substantial. So I gave them a decent ‘donation’.

  _  BE HAPPY!