Sri Lanka - Stilt fishermen at Weligama

A Nimkish fishing boat is returning to the harbor at Alert Bay early in the morning. The downriggers for nets and lines are in a vertical position.

Bella Bella has been the main village of the Heiltsuk Kwakiutl for more than 100 years. It can only be reached by boat or plane. In contrast to most other Indian communities in Canada, the Bella Bella First Nation permits the sale of alcoholic beverages in its own liquor store.

Fishing is still an important industry for Northwest Coast Indians today. Because their fishing rights are not respected by the governments of Alaska or British Columbia, the Indians are forced to engage in expensive legal battles, which have even reached international proportions.

The fishing harbor of Port Albion on Ucluelet Inland, where the Ucluelet Nootka have a small reservation. Originally they also lived on Long Beach, which is now a part of Pacific Rim National Park.

At the confluence of the Harrison and Fraser rivers, the Coqualeet'za (or Scowlitz), a subgroup of the Stalo Halkomelem, are fishing for sockeye salmon, which make their way to their spawning streams in July. They will catch 20 to 25 fish per hour with the net.

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Pêcheur Shipibo des rives de l'Ucayali (principal affluent du fleuve Amazone) en train de réparer son filet. - Paococha près Pucallpa (département d’Ucayali). - 1969

The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Le littoral péruvien est d'une extrême richesse en poissons. La pêche se pratique au moyen de grands filets. - 1969

In Fezzan, in the Edeyen of Oubari, a strange people lives near the lakes surrounded by high dunes. They are the Daouda. The word Daouda comes from "doud", which means worm in Arabic. In fact, the Daouda eat "worms", which they fish in the lakes fed by underground springs. Only the women are authorised to devote themselves to this task. Their net resembles the plankton net used by biologists. The worms - in reality crustaceans - are dried and then buried for several months before being eaten. - Libya - 1964

Kayar is a small coastal town in Senegal, north of Dakar. Artisanal fishing is the most important industry in Kayar. Every evening, hundreds of pirogues unload tons of fish on the beach. - Senegal - 1969

Rosso is a border community between Senegal and Mauritania, on the banks of the Senegal River. - Senegal - 1969

In Rosso, on the Senegal River on the border between Mauritania and the Senegalese state, the camel, the "desert ship", and the pirogue, the river boat, meet. - Senegal - 1969

Sunset over the Niger River near Kabara, Mali. A 13-kilometre-long artificial canal connected Kabara with Timbuktu since the 17th century. The canal was used by pirogues and sailing ships. It served to transport people and goods and connected Timbuktu with the Niger. This canal dried up again and again in modern times and is now silted up and only visible as a ditch in some places. - Mali - 1969

A fisherman with his pirogue on the Niger River in the Mopti area. - Mali - 1969

The pirogue is the most popular means of transport on the Chari River - Chad - 1967

Fishermen sell their catch on the banks of the Chari - Chad - 1967

The fishermen on Lake Chad are experts at driving pirogues- Chad - 1967

There are waterholes that dry up only a few weeks before each rainy season. And yet ... after a sharp bend in the track, a river appears, a real river with much deep water, which nothing has foreseen: The Chari is barely indicated by the vegetation of its banks ... - Chad - 1967

Fishermen bring their catch to the fish market in Ujung Padang (Makassar) – Sulawesi – 1990

Fishing boats between Ujung Pandang (Makassar) and Bantaeng – Sulawesi – 1990

Two fishermen carry their boat into the water. Fishing boats on Sulawesi are characterised by traditional wooden outrigger canoes (jukung), which are used for daily fishing. These boats are essential for the coastal economy and transport. – Near Ujung Pandang (Makassar) – 1990

This is probably the view that the Spice Islands offered the first European sailors... – Latuhalat Beach – Ambon – Moluccas – 1990

This is probably the view that the Spice Islands offered the first European sailors... – Waitomu – Ambon – Moluccas – 1990

A fisherman returns from fishing in Ambon Bay. In the background, the fishing village on stilts. – Ambon – Moluccas – 1990

Fishing village in Ambon Bay. The houses stand on stilts in the water. – Ambon – Moluccas – 1990

Walkway to a fishing village on the island of Tidore – Moluccas – 1990

On the island of Ternate in the North Moluccas, a fisherman pulls his boat onto Sulamadaha beach. This island is historically known as one of the most important ‘spice islands’ and was once the world's only centre for clove cultivation. – 1990

On the Banda Islands, fishermen and their traditional boats are a common sight. While the islands were historically famous as the ‘spice islands’ for nutmeg, fishing is now one of the most important sources of livelihood for the locals, alongside tourism. – Moluccas – 1990

A fisherman sits on a wooden structure, known as a ‘petta’, which is anchored to the seabed. He waits patiently there for hours on his stilts until the fish bite. – 1990

A group of fishermen on the coast of Galle, in southern Sri Lanka, who traditionally work together to pull a large net out of the water that has been set out at sea from a boat. This form of small-scale fishing has been practised for generations and is often an important part of the local identity and economy in coastal villages. – 1990

A fisherman from the Negombo area on the west coast of Sri Lanka – 1990

Traditional Sri Lankan dugout sailing boats known as oruwa. These iconic boats can be found on the beach at Negombo, a town on the west coast of Sri Lanka. An oruwa is essentially a seaworthy dugout boat with a distinctive outrigger that provides stability. Traditionally, these boats are used by local fishermen for catching fish and crabs in the lagoons (such as Negombo Lagoon) as well as on the open sea. – 1990

On Negombo beach, thirty kilometres north of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, fishermen are launching one of their outrigger boats with its characteristic rectangular sail. Early in the morning, they set out in droves for the fishing grounds in the open sea. Fish plays an important role in Ceylonese cuisine. Yet despite the abundance of tropical nature, life in these fishing villages is austere. – 1990

Traditional fishermen casting a cast net in the backwaters of Kerala, in south-west India. The scene captures a typical means of livelihood in this water-rich region, which is known for its extensive network of lakes, rivers and canals. The fishermen use handmade nets and traditional wooden boats, often known locally as valloms. For thousands of people in the villages across much of Kerala, fishing is the primary means of livelihood. – Kollam (Quilon) – 1990

Along the coasts and inland waterways of Kerala, such as here around Kollam, one finds the famous Chinese fishing nets (known locally as Cheena vala) in the backwaters of Kerala, India. These distinctive, permanently installed dip nets are an iconic symbol of the region. They are mechanical devices made of wooden or bamboo poles that lower a horizontal net into the water and raise it again using counterweights (often stones). It is believed that this fishing technique was originally brought to Kerala by Chinese traders in the 14th century. - Kollam (Quilon) - Journey towards Allepey - 1990

The famous Chinese fishing nets (known locally as Cheena vala) in Fort Kochi (Cochin), a historic coastal town in the Indian state of Kerala. These unique structures are stationary lift nets that are permanently installed on land. They are considered a landmark of the region and are a defining feature of the Malabar Coast. It is believed that the nets were introduced to the coast by Chinese merchants in the 13th or 14th century. The nets are attached to large wooden or bamboo structures. To operate them, four or more fishermen are often required to lower the net into the water and pull it back up using counterweights (often stones or sandbags). – 1990

In the backwaters of Kerala, fishermen use very narrow, traditional wooden boats (known as vallams) and often steer them through lagoons and canals whilst standing, using long poles, as seen here on the Poothotta River near Cochin – 1990

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