Fishing |
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For the coastal communities such as Ras Al Khaimah, fishing has always been an important economic activity. Sea provided food for majority of people in this region for already thousands of years. Fish was hardly ever consumed fresh. Instead, it was dried or treated with salt, in order to preserve it for a longer period. Small fish were also used as food for the livestock and as fertilizer for the palm groves.
Various ways were devised to catch fish. The people used fishhooks or circular nets weighted with stones to catch smaller fish. One of the most common fish traps was the hadra type. This trap was made by a number of sticks embedded in the sand to create a V-shape and then covered with a net. During the low tide, the fish followed the sticks to finally enter into a small enclosure where they were caught. The garghour domed trap was woven from the palm leafs ribs and dropped into the seabed. Once the fish entered the trap, it could not escape through a narrow entrance. Both these methods continue to be used today, although the materials used to make these traps have changed. Nowadays, the fishermen use nylon fishnets or metal traps, and they operate from motor boats. |
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