Fort Kochi - Chinese Fishing Nets

The Chinese fishing nets are a very popular tourist attraction in Kochi. Operated from the shore, the nets are set-up on bamboo and teak poles and held horizontally by huge mechanisms which lower them into the sea. The look somewhat like hammocks and are counter-weighed by large stones tied to ropes.

The entire structure of the fishing nets is about 10 meters in height. Each fishing net spreads to about 20 meters over the water and is operated by a team of six fishermen. Each net has a limited operating depth. Due to this, and individual net cannot be repeatedly operated in tidal waters. There are different fishing nets for operation depending on the state of the tide. The weight of a man walking along the beam is sufficient to cause the net to descend into the sea. The net is left in the water for a couple of minutes before it is raised by tugging the ropes. The catch is usually pretty modest -- and is often sold right away to people passing by.

Legend has it that the nets are Chinese in origin and were introduced by the Chinese explorer Zheng He.