View source for Chinese Fisherman Uses Flock Of Birds To Haul In His Catch Of The Day

This is the spectacular moment a fisherman with a close bond to cormorants used a flock of birds to catch big fish in a centuries old ritual in southern .<br>Photographer Julia Wimmerlin, 42, snapped the aquatic birds perching on a bamboo raft before swooping into the calm water to grasp hold of prey at the Li River in Guilin, China.<br>Cormorants have thick, hooked bills perfect for firmly seizing fish and help fishermen catch bigger finds than their nets usually can. <br>         Photographer Julia Wimmerlin, 42, captured the spectacular moment a fisherman used a flock of Cormorants to capture big fish at the Li River in Guilin, China.<br><br>The 437km stretch of river cuts through southern China with ancient villages lining the waterside and water buffalos roaming the fields<br>         Julia's photograph series shows the tropical bird struggling to hold the wriggling fish tight in its mouth and spraying water as the eager fisherman watches on<br>         The fisherman is pictured deep in thought while perching on a bamboo among the towering mountains.<br><br>It is thought that boxes of Cormorants are piled on to boats for [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-trung-quoc-huu-nghi-quan-nam-ninh-que-lam-4-ngay.html tour du lịch quế lâm] guides taking holidaymakers on fishing trips<br>Julia put her camera in a waterproof case before dipping it slightly in the water to snap the cormorant plunging into the river as the fisherman looks on.<br>The fisherman is also seen flinging a large net into the air when he wants to catch smaller fish swimming close to the water's surface.   <br>Julia, of Kiev, Ukraine, said: 'Seeing this whole process and the beautiful setting where it takes place just takes your breath away.<br>         Julia put her camera in a waterproof case before dipping it slightly in the water to snap a Cormorant swooping down into the river to grasp a small fish in its mouth<br>         Cormorant fishing is an ancient ritual dating back to to 960 AD and is thought to require a close relationship between the fisherman and bird.<br><br>Here they are photographed sharing a tender moment as the local man appears to be telling the Cormorant, perched on the net, something while holding his hand mid-air<br>   RELATED ARTICLES               <br><br><br><br>Share this article<br>Share<br><br><br>The fisherman, who is surrounded by mountainous scenery, flings a large net in to the air as a sign he wants to catch smaller fish which are swimming close to the water's surface<br>'In fact, it was so beautiful it felt surreal.'<br>While the ancient practice of Cormorant fishing dates back to 960 AD and is thought to be dying art, it has been brought back to life for tourists.<br>Many fishermen have imperial licenses and pitch up on the side of the river as they anticipate eager holidaymakers. <br>Boatmen carry boxes of the aquatic fish to their rafts and and snares are sometimes attached to the Cormorants necks to prevent them from swallowing the fish.<br>         He angles a wooden pole, holding one of the aquatic birds, to the sky as they anticipate the arrival of fish.<br><br>The photographer, of Ukraine, said witnessing the moment was 'so beautiful it felt surreal'<br>         Sun light breaks through the mountainous terrain as the fisherman makes a successful catch.<br><br>He clutches the pole where the Cormorant grips a wiggling fish in its mouth<br>         Julia revealed 'most fisherman who still know how to use the birds are in their 80s and the youngest are in their 60s' suggesting the unique skill of the fishing method<br>         The local fisherman gently floats aboard his makeshift boat and could potentially be one of the last [http://www.channel4.com/news/remaining remaining] people with the centuries old skills, according to the photographer.<br><br>It once was a successful industry but has been taken over by tourism where locals get murial licenses to take holidaymakers on day trips<br>Fishermen must have a close bond with the cormorants and when the birds grasp hold of a fish, the fishermen pull them back to the boat so it can release the prey.<br>Mrs Wimmerlin, who now lives in Hong Kong after moving to China this year, added: 'Though cormorant fishing once was a successful industry, its primary use today is to serve the tourism industry.<br>'The skills of training the cormorants are passed from generation to generation but in modern China nobody uses cormorants anymore so the skills will be lost with the last remaining fishermen.<br>'Most fisherman who still know how to use the birds are in their 80s and  [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/tour-trung-quoc-huu-nghi-quan-nam-ninh-que-lam-4-ngay.html kynghidongduong.vn] the youngest are in their 60s.'<br> <br>