I’m sure there will be ‘learned’ papers on the practices of ’stake net’ fishing in Hong Kong.
The principle is based on lowering a large net into the water and assuming fish will congregate above it, after which the net assembly is raised, and any trapped fish gathered up. In different forms it is or was widespread in other countries in the region.
A proponent of this practice had stake nets and related lifting mechanisms on the beaches of Lung Kwu Tan in the north-west New Territories during the 1980s. No doubt they were used elsewhere in the colony, but I do not recall seeing any close-up.
The lifting-winding mechanism operated by hand or leg-power must have taken considerable time and ingenuity to create. These photographed appeared to be constructed of driftwood and beach detritus,
Comments
Lift net?
I think stake nets are the vertical walls of nets (https://www.seafish.org/responsible-sourcing/fishing-gear-database/gear…), so this one looks more like a lift net (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_net).
I haven't seen one of them in Hong Kong before, so I wonder if this was the last of a dying breed, or just a one-off?
Stake net terminology
The term ‘stake net ‘ in this Hong Kong context may have come from Dr Hugh Baker’s series of articles and books titled ‘Ancestral Images’ published by the SCMP, covering the wayside oddities seen in the territory, festivals, gods etc.
Unfortunately, my copies have been dispersed by my downsizing.
If I recall correctly...
"I haven't seen one of them in Hong Kong before, so I wonder if this was the last of a dying breed, or just a one-off?"
...there was still one in use around mid-1987.
-kpl.
Not a "One-Off"
I recall back in the 1980's, possibly into the 90's, there was one of these contraptions on the rocky west coast of Tai Tam Peninsula, can't remember exactly where. I never saw it in action but wondered how efficient it would be.