Fishery culture of Gin Ethnic Group

Overview of Traditional Fishery Types and Tools

Fishery is the oldest and most fundamental traditional industry of the Gin people. Relying on superior coastal geographical resources, local residents have long been engaged in shallow-sea fishing activities. Their main fishing modes include large-scale net dragging fishery and diversified miscellaneous shallow-sea fishery.
The Gin people have developed a complete set of professional and categorized fishing gear suitable for different marine environments and seafood varieties. Conventional fishing tools cover drawing nets, Sai nets, Yu Bo, and gill nets. In addition, they adopt specialized targeted hunting nets for specific marine creatures, including shark nets, south shrimp nets, jellyfish nets, and horseshoe crab nets. Small-scale coastal operations such as digging sandworms, raking spiral shells, and catching crabs are also common supplementary fishing activities in their daily life.
Due to geographical differences among coastal settlements, local fishing methods vary from region to region. Wanwei residents mainly adopt drawing net fishing, Wutou villagers are adept at screen net fishing, while Shanxin locals primarily rely on tide blocking net fishing. The diverse fishing gears and refined operational division of labor jointly form the unique and profound traditional fishery culture of the Gin people.

Traditional Large-scale Fishing Techniques

Drawing Net Fishing

The drawing net is the most widely used large-scale fishing gear among the Gin people, divided into large and small specifications. The large drawing net is 3 meters in height and 400 meters in length, woven with six layers of silk mesh with fine and dense meshes to effectively trap various sizes of fish and shrimps. The small drawing net stretches 330 meters long, with a height of 2.3 meters at both ends and 3.3 meters in the middle, composed of four layers of silk mesh.
This group-based fishing operation requires abundant labor. A large drawing net needs 30 to 40 operators to work simultaneously, while a small one requires 20 to 30 people. The complete operational procedure follows fixed traditional norms. First, experienced fishermen survey the sea area, observe fish migration trends, and select optimal fishing spots. Second, workers row skiffs or bamboo rafts to the fish active waters and cast the net slowly, forming a half-moon-shaped encirclement stretching from the beach to the shallow sea. Third, two teams of operators hold the head ropes at both ends of the net and drag it gradually back toward the shore. Finally, the two teams draw close to each other continuously during the dragging process until the trapped fish and shrimps are fully exposed. As a typical large-scale fishery mode of the Gin people, drawing net fishing has no seasonal restrictions and allows participation of both men and women.

Sai Net Fishing

The Sai net (塞网), also known as Zha net (闸网), is classified into dense-mesh and sparse-mesh types. Its overall length and height are roughly equivalent to those of drawing nets, yet its operational mode and venue are completely different. Sai nets are fixedly set on tidal beaches rather than cast dynamically on the sea.
Operators are divided into three teams, with clear role divisions including stake positioning, stake inserting, net hanging, and sand bag filling for string bags. All nets are fixed in place before the tide rises. When the high tide comes, seawater carries various fish, shrimps and seafood into the enclosed net area. As the tide recedes, the marine creatures are completely trapped by the nets and sand barriers, making them easy to capture.
The core difference between Sai nets and drawing nets lies in their operational principles. Sai net fishing relies on fixed net installation and tide blocking, while drawing net fishing depends on manual dragging and encircling capture.

Yu Bo Fishing

Yu Bo (鱼箔) is a special funnel-shaped fishing gear uniquely designed for tidal waters. It is usually installed at water junctions with alternating tidal currents and rapid water flow. The installation process is standardized and elaborate. Workers first erect two rows of wooden stakes, each 2 meters tall with a diameter of over 10 centimeters. Thin bamboo strips are then woven into hedge-like fences to form a closed circular fish chamber, reaching a height of 3.5 meters. When the tide ebbs, fish, shrimps and crabs will swim along the stake passages into the fixed fish chamber and get trapped, realizing passive and efficient fishing.

Shark Net Fishing

The shark net is a professional deep-sea fishing gear specially used for shark hunting. Measuring 400 meters in length and 1.3 meters in height, it features large meshes suitable for catching large marine creatures. The complete gear consists of net threads, thick bamboo tube net floats, lead or stone net sinkers, and sturdy head ropes.
The shark hunting operation is professional and thrilling. Four experienced fishermen take rafts to the deep-sea waters where sharks frequently appear. They fix heavy stones to the two ends and middle part of the net to sink it steadily into the seawater. The net is deployed for several consecutive days to wait for prey. As a high-risk deep-sea fishery activity, shark hunting is extremely exciting and tests fishermen’s courage and experience.

Unique Fishery Customs and Etiquette

Open Sharing Custom of "Ji Lai"

In the traditional fishery life of the Gin people, there exists a simple and warm custom called "Ji Lai". According to this folk convention, any villager who wants to eat seafood can go to meet returning fully loaded fishing boats and take some catches casually. The boat owners never mind or refuse such behavior, embodying the Gin people’s traditional spirit of mutual help and shared harvest.

Marine Taboos and Sacrificial Rituals

After long-term engagement in marine fishing, the Gin people have formed a set of distinctive fishing etiquettes and taboos to pray for safe navigation and abundant harvests. For instance, people avoid saying the word "burnt" during meals, as its pronunciation is identical to the word for "reef" in local dialect. Fishermen regard it as an inauspicious omen that may trigger reef collisions and maritime dangers. In addition, fishermen refer to oil as "Hua Shui" on boats. The character "Hua" symbolizes smoothness and good luck, expressing sincere wishes for safe and smooth sailing.
Sea worship rituals are also indispensable. Every time male fishermen set off for sea fishing, the elderly, women and children of the village will gather on the beach to see them off and hold solemn traditional sea sacrificial ceremonies, praying for their smooth voyage, safe return and fruitful catches.

Accumulated Fishery Production Experience

Through generations of maritime production, the Gin people have accumulated rich and mature fishing experience. Local veteran fishermen are highly familiar with the migration patterns of various fish species. They can accurately judge the rising and ebbing rules of tides and predict changes in maritime weather. By mastering the natural laws of tidal fluctuations, they reasonably arrange fishing schedules and production activities, forming a scientific and time-honored marine production tradition that has been passed down to this day.