It’s quite exciting to be off the sand and in the water, especially in the morning, with two fishermen telling stories about the sea, and explaining the kind of work that goes into getting the daily catch.
We requested Gajanan Mangela and his son Manohar to let us accompany them on their morning trip that would venture into water at least 20-30 feet deep, and a hundred and fifty bucks convinced them.
The father-son duo told us how fishermen monopolize the sea and the Government does nothing about it. The Government, according to the Mangelas, no longer has time to even accept bribes. They bitched some more about corrupt politicians, as do most Indians, and the boat stopped near a flag.
Every fishing team has special flags which mark their territories for the day. Flags help the fishermen know whose net is where.
Some use fishing nets that catch even the tiniest of fish, and the practice of using such nets is wrong, according to Gajanan. Netting small fish is a harmful practice; they should be allowed to grow big enough to breed. The Mangelas (and many other fisherman) throw the smaller fish that are caught in nets back into the sea.
Two of the 10 crabs that were caught in the Mangelas’ nets. I wonder what these crustaceans think of butter, garlic and pepper.
Caught making love in the shadows! These horny crabs continued their morning romp even after getting stuck in the net.
A decent catch that made the fishermen smile for a few seconds. Sharks need water that’s free of pollutants, and that’s why big sharks stay away from our seas and there are no shark attacks.
I felt this fish’s life leave as I held it. I held it for a few seconds even after I was certain it was no longer alive.
Different forms of life inhabit different shells. Not usually eaten, these creatures grow in size with the shells they dwell in.
This is what they call ‘lice of the sea’. This insect sucks the blood of fish and that’s all it ever does.
And it’s back to the shore after more than an hour of being on the boat. Sea life has greatly decreased and the number of fishermen has gone up, moans the senior Mangela, despite having caught lots of fish, shrimps, prawns and crabs. No lobsters, he complains.
But they want us to join them on the fishing expedition on Holi on their 10-horsepower boat, which is bigger than this 2hp motorboat. And it’s also the season for the dolphins to visit us, they tell us as we shake hands and thank them.
Mehta Kya Kehta? 