Thursday, May 1, 2014

Construction of a Fishery on Suncheon Bay

Any person who has taken the time to get to know me, an arduous task I do admit, will come to understand that I do like being in, on, under, and around water, the ocean, and the sea.  I am fortunate to live in the peninsular country of South Korea, because the seas are not all that far away from just about any location in the country.  I feel even more fortunate that I live so very close to Suncheon Bay, because while it is peaceful and serene, it is simultaneously a dynamic and energetic place.  Suncheon Bay is an important and essential habitat for many different species of animals, and it is also an important fishery.

I witnessed on several occasions this spring the dynamic nature of the bay.  While visiting the village of Waon, which is located on the eastern pincer of Suncheon Bay (appropriate since the bay is very well known for its crab population), I saw the construction of some fisheries.  Some were constructed very close to the main dock at Waon, while the others were a distance from the shore.

As part of my longitudinal study of the people of the mud,  I wrote this at my website about my experiences and observations:

"On makeshift factories atop barges that are moored to shore, the women quickly built the fences made of bamboo and nets. Meanwhile, the men sledded to the locations of the new fisheries to erect those fences made by the women."

 공장
© Mark Eaton

Constructing a Fishery
© Mark Eaton

Various species of seafood will be trapped and harvested at these fisheries.  To see more of my photographic study of this construction, please visit my website:  The People of the Mud.





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