Traditional Craft and Gears in Assam and Different Fishing Methods

TRADITIONAL CRAFT AND GEARS IN ASSAM AND DIFFERENT FISHING METHODS

Fishing Craft

1. Banana Raft (Kolorbhur) – It is the cheapest and easily made craft used by poor fishers. Banana trees are cultivated by most households of the Northeast. For constructing this raft, 4-5 matured banana tree trunks are joined together (keeping all bigger ends of the trunks towards the stern side) by hammering 2-3 split bamboo strips (Khila) through the trunk along the transverse axis. The front of the raft is made pointed by cutting the sides to reduce resistance of water while moving through it. Commonly used banana rafts are 1.5-2.5 m long and 1.0-1.2 m wide. These rafts have the advantage of never sinking in water. However, these are quite heavy to push through water (done with the help of bamboo poles) and have a very short life span (3-4 weeks). These are used for operating cast net, gill nets, and line fishing mainly in shallow, still water (Bhattacharjya et al., 2004).
2. Bamboo Raft (Bahorbhur) – About 20-50 light weight variety bamboos are tied together (keeping all the bigger ends of the trunks towards the stern side) with coir/jute ropes for constructing the raft. These rafts are usually 12m long and their width is variable (1.5-5.0 m depending on the water current and number of bamboos used). These rafts are also heavy to push through water (done with the help of bamboo poles) and have a moderate life span (1-2 years). They are usually used in sluggish rivers and floodplain lakes (Bhattacharjya et al., 2004).
3. Dug-out canoe (Tulunganao/Donga) – These are small wooden canoes dug-out from a single log of tree. Naturally, there is a limitation on the overall length (3-4m) and width/depth (0.5-0.6m) of these boats. Trunks of palm trees are also occasionally used to make smaller canoes. Construction of these canoes requires good craftsmanship and suitable (long and straight) wooden logs. Because of their small size, these canoes can acoomodate only 1 or 2 fishers. Also, because of their narrow width, there is a lot of rolling movements (hence the name tulunganao) requiring skills to maneuver them. Consequently, these are usually used in shallow floodplain lakes and other wetlands to carry and set fish traps, gill nets and lines. The canoes have the advantage of being leak-proof (since these are curved oout of a single tree log and have no joints). However, they are now becoming rare because of spiraling prices of suitable tree logs (eg. mango) and labour (Bhattacharjya et al., 2004).
4. Plank-built Boat (Nao) – The spindle shaped boats are constructed by joining together planks of good quality timber (e.g.sal, urium, sam, etc.) with iron nails. The boat is painted with coal tar to make the joints leak-proof and also to increase their life. These boats vary widely in size and shape depending on where they are used and the type of fishing to be carried out. Small sized plank -built boats (4-6 m long and 0.8-1.0 m wide) are commonly used for fishing in smaller floodplain wetlands and tanks. On the other hand, bigger fishing boats used for operating shore seines (borjal) and bagents in large rivers and large floodplain wetlands (Sone beel in Assam) can be as big as 7-8 m long and 1.2-1.8 m wide and are usually covered with roof made of bamboo, plastic sheets etc. At present, the fishing boats are manually propelled. Big mechanized boats are used for transporting people and materials including fishes in large rivers. Boat-making has by and large remained a small-scale enterprise in the hands of traditional artisans (Bhattacharjya et al., 2004).

Fishing Gear

1. Hooks and Lines – Fish are enticed by edible or artificial bait or lure which simulates the appearance and movement of the natural prey, and are finally held by the hook concealed in the bait or lure. The hook is connected to a line or snood. The fish is also held by the piercing action of hooks or jigs passing nearby (Hameed &Boopendranath, 2000). Locally known Hooks and lines are -

   a. Lar Barshi

   b. KupaBarshi

2. Seine Nets – Seine net is a long wall of netting with or without a bag, supported by floats and sinkers, which are operated by surrounding areas of water with potential catch. The net is operated by ropes attached to the end of wings which are used for hauling and for herding the fish. They are usually operated in the coastal or shallow waters where bottom and/or surface act as natural barriers (Hameed &Boopendranath, 2000). Seine nets found in assam are -

   a. Matta jal

   b. Basta jal

   c. Pan jal

3. Surrounding Nets – Surrounding nets are roughly rectangular walls of netting rigged with floats and sinkers which after detection of the presence of fish are cast to encircle the fish school (Hameed &Boopendranath, 2000). Example -

   a. Catamarajal

4. Gill nets – Gill nets are rectangular walls of netting kept erect by means of floats and sinkers and positioned in the swimming layer of the target fish, which catch the fish by holding them in the mesh by gilling (Hameed &Boopendranath, 2000). Gill nets are one of the predominantly used fishing gears of Assam in the rivers and flood plain wet lands (beels). Gill nets locally known as -

   a. Fesijaal (Drift gill net)

   b. Bhetaphasi (Bottom set gill net)

   c. Goroilangijaal (Encircling gill)

5. Traps – Traps are passive fishing gears with enclosures to which the fish are lured or guided and from which escape is made difficult by means of labyrinths or retarding devices like funnels or constrictions (Hameed &Boopendranath, 2000). Locally bamboo fabricated traps found in assam are -

   a. Dori

   b. Polo

6. Dip or Lift nets – Lift net consists of horizontal netting panel or a cone-shaped bag with the mouth facing upwards, which are submerged and lifted either manually or mechanically to filter the fish in the overlying water column. Some of the locally known Dip nets used in assam are -

   a. Dorarjal

   b. Dhekijal

   c. Khorajal

   d. Pahjal

   e. Polongijal / Thonyjal

7. Cast or Falling nets – The manner of capture is to cover the fish with a gear from above. These are mostly operated in shallow waters and with difficulty in deeper waters (Sreekrishna& Shenoy, 2001). Locally known cast nets found in assam are -

   a. Khewali / Asra/ Reghajal

   b. Jhakijal (Ural jal)

   c. Rekhjal

   d. Utarjal