Fish
Amongst a developed seaport in India is a piece of history well know by the well travelled. China valas, or Chinese fishing nets, faces the Arabian Sea located on the Southwest coast area of Fort Kochi. They were introduced by Chinese explorer Zheng He, from the court of Kubla Khan, and established along the shores of Kochi between 1350 and 1450 A.D. Due to Kochi’s historical ties with the Portuguese, some reports mention that the nets were set up by the Portuguese from Macau, who ruled Fort Kochi for over a century until the commercial hub was captured by the Dutch in 1663.
The unique structure of the fishing nets are the signature of Fort Kochi, and a significant symbol of the rich exchange of culture and ideas that existed in the Indian subcontinent at that time.
Known locally as China valas, they are shore lift nets operated in tune with the rise and ebb of the tide. Each installation is operated by a team of up to six fisherman. Traditionally made of teak wood and bamboo poles, the nets work on the principle of balance. Each structure is fixed on the beach and has a cantilever with an attached net that is spread over an area of about 20 meters. Counterweights tied to ropes of different lengths, facilitate the working of the nets. It is made in such a way that the weight of a man walking on the main plank is enough to cause the equipment to be pulled down into the sea.
Just like other sectors of fishing, instead of wages the catch is shared in proportion of 2 to 1 between the workers of the net and the owner. However, nowadays the catch are tourists that frequent this area rather than fish.
Declining fish stocks are a concern well beyond Fort Kochi. Climate change, industrial pollution and declining mangrove along the Indian coastline are the main causes of declining catch. There are fishing trawlers that help locate waters ripe for fishing. However, this adds pressure to the fish stocks and does not help the stationary Chinese nets.
There is also a Metro jetty being built for commuters right where the fishing nets are. Of the 17 Cheena valas that dotted the harbor a few decades ago, the remaining eight is being cut down to four, changing the landscape.
The unique structure of the fishing nets are the signature of Fort Kochi, and a significant symbol of the rich exchange of culture and ideas that existed in the Indian subcontinent at that time.
Known locally as China valas, they are shore lift nets operated in tune with the rise and ebb of the tide. Each installation is operated by a team of up to six fisherman. Traditionally made of teak wood and bamboo poles, the nets work on the principle of balance. Each structure is fixed on the beach and has a cantilever with an attached net that is spread over an area of about 20 meters. Counterweights tied to ropes of different lengths, facilitate the working of the nets. It is made in such a way that the weight of a man walking on the main plank is enough to cause the equipment to be pulled down into the sea.
Just like other sectors of fishing, instead of wages the catch is shared in proportion of 2 to 1 between the workers of the net and the owner. However, nowadays the catch are tourists that frequent this area rather than fish.
Declining fish stocks are a concern well beyond Fort Kochi. Climate change, industrial pollution and declining mangrove along the Indian coastline are the main causes of declining catch. There are fishing trawlers that help locate waters ripe for fishing. However, this adds pressure to the fish stocks and does not help the stationary Chinese nets.
There is also a Metro jetty being built for commuters right where the fishing nets are. Of the 17 Cheena valas that dotted the harbor a few decades ago, the remaining eight is being cut down to four, changing the landscape.
