Cormorant fishing is a traditionalfishing technique in which fishermen use trainedcormorants tocatch fish in rivers. Historically, cormorant fishing has taken place inChina andJapan,^[1] as well asGreece,North Macedonia, and briefly,England andFrance. Sometimes known as "duck fishing," it was attested as a method used by theancient Japanese in theBook of Sui, the official history of theSui dynasty of China, completed in 636 CE. Though cormorant fishing was once a successful enterprise, its primary use today is for thetourism industry. Thisartisan fishing method is no longer used anywhere exceptsouthwestern China, where it is also under threat from competition from more modern methods.^[2][3][4]

To control the birds, the fishermen tie a loosesnare near the base of the bird's throat. The snare does not stop the bird from swallowing small fish, but prevents the bird from swallowing larger fish, which are held temporarily in theirgullet. When a cormorant has caught a fish in its throat, the fisherman brings the bird back to the boat and has it regurgitate the fish.

The types of cormorants used differ based on the location. Chinese fishermen typically employ thegreat cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo),^[5] while theJapanese cormorant (Phalacrocorax capillatus) is used inJapan and theneotropic cormorant (Nannopterum brasilianum) in Peru.Darters (birds in the genusAnhinga), which are relatives of cormorants, are also used for this fishing technique on occasion.

InGuilin,Guangxi, cormorants are famous for fishing on the shallowLijiang River.^[4] Elsewhere in southern China, theBai people have utilized cormorant fishing since the 9th century on the banks ofErhai Lake. Traditionally practised for sustenance, cormorant fishing is now primarily performed for tourists.^[6]

Cormorant fishing in Japan is calledukai (鵜飼) inJapanese. Originally, it was done as one of the main fishing methods forayu (sweetfish) fishing.^[7] However, since it is "unique" (as it uses birds and skillful techniques), viewing cormorant fishing, since theHeian period, has been used as amusement for aristocratic classes and warlords in Japan.^[7]

Oda Nobunaga started showing cormorant fishing for hospitality in Japan.^[8] In1568, Oda Nobunaga, welcoming a messenger fromTakeda Shingen, made a new boat and invited the messenger as a guest to show cormorant fishing.^[8] In addition, he choseayu (sweetfish) with his own eyes and sent it to the guest as a gift at a later date.^[8]Tokugawa Ieyasu, after the Summer Campaign (1615)Siege of Osaka, visited Gifu, where he enjoyed seeing cormorant fishing and eating ayu.^[8] Thus, masters of cormorant fishing began to offer ayu sushi to theShogun and were allowed to move freely over the river.^[8]

Cormorant fishing currently takes place in 13 cities in Japan. The most famous location is Gifu,Gifu Prefecture, home tocormorant fishing on the Nagara River, which has continued uninterrupted for the past 1,300 years.^[9] Cormorant fishing inSeki also takes place on theNagara River, but it is called 'Oze cormorant fishing' (小瀬鵜飼Oze Ukai). Only the cormorant fishing masters in Gifu and Seki are employed by the emperor and called Imperial Fishermen of theImperial Household Agency.

Cormorants are used for fishing onLake Titicaca by theUru people inPeru. There are claims cormorant fishing occurred in Peru during the 5th century, 100 years earlier than Japan.^[10]

Cormorant fishing is an old tradition inGreece andNorth Macedonia,^[11] especially onDoiran Lake which lies in the border of the two countries, and it is still practiced today by some traditional fishermen. In Western Europe, cormorant fishing took place from the 16th to 17th centuries, primarily inEngland andFrance.^[12] In the 19th century,Francis Henry Salvin reintroduced the practice in England by putting on displays and bringing his birds to fisheries exhibitions.^[13] This "second phase" of English cormorant fishing lasted until about 1890.^[14]

• Otter fishing
• Cormorant fishing on the Nagara River
• Ukai (play)

Wikimedia Commons has media related toCormorant fishing.

• Fishing techniques and methods
• Cormorants
• Working birds
• Fishing in Asia

• CS1 Japanese-language sources (ja)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Articles containing Japanese-language text
• Commons category link is on Wikidata