Fishing in the Backwaters

Fishing is part of life here. A sight you may see nowhere else is that of women catching pearl spot fish, or karimeen, with their bare hands. Unique to Kerala’s backwaters, karimeen are a delicacy to Indians and foreigners alike. Searching for the fish, the women wade through the backwaters with their pots floating behind them. Seeing the women approaching, the fish dive down and bury their heads in the mud. Not to be outsmarted, the women feel around in the mud with their sensitive feet and locate the fish. Then, ducking quickly under the water, they grab the unsuspecting prize with their bare hands and transfer their wriggling catch to the floating pots. When they have caught a sufficient number, they wade to the shore, where eager buyers are waiting. The bigger and more expensive fish go to five-star hotels, where they delight the rich, while the smaller ones become a tasty meal for those of more modest means.

[Picture on page 23]

Women catching fish bare-handed