Man with Fish head
Today large fish are primarily for sale on the commercial market. A fishmonger would arrive from town to purchase the fish and take them to the various urban markets in town.
Modern views of ancient Indus Valley sites.
Boy with inshore gill net
Other fish are used for commercial sale, but these inshore fisheries provide the bulk of food for the household. Here a younger member of a local household is pulling up his inshore fixed gill net.
Fisherman with net
The main fish protein source focuses on smaller fish that are caught in the inshore area. One of the main methods used to catch these is a casting net.
Knitting Net
Mornings are usually spent fishing while afternoons are spent repairing nets. Although most nets are now commercially manufactured, repair work is down by the owners or their sons. Fishermen work in groups, either helping each other are larger nets.
Crabs in Basket
Crabs and other crustaceans are caught and used as a minor food item. These animals are considered extremely "hot" and are eaten for the treatment of ailments such as the flu or colds.
Sting Ray
While not usually used for food, sting-rays, sharks, and skates are important to the fishing industry itself. The livers are harvested by specialists in the village who boil them down to make a thick, malodorous oil.
Sua Fish
Seasonal variation in fish occurs and is important to document these changes in order to understand seasonal fishing patterns in the present as well as the past.
Sting Ray being pulled aboard
Fish, like this large sting ray, are pulled on board and then removed from the nets. Prior to removing the sting rays, the stinger had to be snapped off. Otherwise, the flailing tail could impale unlucky fishermen.
Drawing nets
Nets are drawn up by hand along the side of the boat. It is very strenuous and tiring work that can take up to 60 to 90 minutes per net.
Young fisherman
Fishing usually begins early in the morning. Fisherfolk often leave well before the sun rises and return in the early afternoon.
