Chinese fishing nets (Hindī: Cheena vala) are a type of stationary lift net in India. While such nets are used throughout coastal southern China, in India they are mostly found in Kerala, where they have become a tourist attraction.
Each structure is at least 10 m high and comprises a cantilever with an outstretched net suspended over the sea and large stones suspended from ropes as counterweights at the other end. Each installation is operated by a team of up to six fishermen.
The nets may have been introduced by the Chinese explorer Zheng He (Chinese: 鄭和) who landed there in the 14th century, but some historians said that it might be introduced by Portuguese.
The net is left for just a few minutes, perhaps the seawater is polluted, there are only a few fishes in the net.
Amongst the catches there is a funny looking fish, nicknamed ‘Helicopter fish’, it is said that the meat of such fish is good for curing pulmonary disease.
The fishermen will sing while they are pulling the net, the song sounds good but a bit sad, probably it demands a lot of manual labor, Choumeizai gives them 200 rupees for tips.
There are several seafood shops around the Chinese fishing nets, while the catches can be purchased and cooked here, but they only have barbecue and curry, not Choumeizai’s cup of tea.
