The Last Catch

Very early I was taken by my guide to a secluded section of the Li river. We met this fine gentleman on his bamboo boat together with his cormorant partners all smiles and eager to do our arranged shoot. I have learned that these fishermen have resorted to posing for photography tours because of the ban on fishing in the river because of overfishing. Cormorant fishing is also banned now in China so these folks are now making a living by re-enacting this vanishing tradition for photography tourism. I felt for these guys as they had to adapt to the changing times and there are only a few of them who does this now. If not for them I wouldn’t have the chance to document the dying art of cormorant fishing through my photograph for the next generations to see.

Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing method in which fishermen use trained cormorants to fish in rivers.

This image has won Honorable Mention in the 2020 International Photography Awards & at the 2020 Moscow Int. Foto Awards.