Fisherman

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I N D E X
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A Long Island fisherman cleans his nets
A Long Island fisherman cleans his nets

A fisherman or fisher is someone who gathers fish, shellfish, or other animals from a body of water.[1] Although the term usually addresses people who fish commercially or as a means of subsistence, it can also be used to identify recreational fishermen. It may be used to describe both men and women.

Contents

[edit] Commercial fishing

According to the FAO, there were 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers in 2002, more than treble the number in 1970. Of this total, 74% worked in capture fisheries and 26% in aquaculture. The total fishery production of 133 million tonnes equated to an average productivity of 3.5 tonnes per person.[2]

Most of this growth took place in Asian countries, where four-fifths of world fishers and fish farmers dwell.[2]

Most fishermen are men involved in offshore and deep-sea fisheries. Women fish in some regions inshore from small boats or collect shellfish and seaweed. In many artisanal fishing communities, women are responsible for making and repairing nets, post-harvest processing and marketing.[2]

[edit] Recreational fishing

"Angler" can be a unisex term for someone who practices "angling", which is essentially fishing with a hook. Commonly, this involves a rod, reel and line. Today it's usually practiced for pleasure.

[edit] History

Traditional fisherman, Bolungavík, Iceland
Traditional fisherman, Bolungavík, Iceland
Main article: History of fishing

Fishing has existed as a means of obtaining food since the Mesolithic period.[3] By the time of the Ancient Egyptians, fishermen provided the majority of food for Egyptians. Fishing had become a major means of survival as well as a business venture.[4] Fishing and the fisherman had also influenced Ancient Egyptian religion; mullets were worshiped as a sign of the arriving flood season.[4] Bastet was often manifested in the form of a catfish.[4] The method Amun, in ancient Egyptian literature, created the world, is associated with the Tilapia's method of mouth-brooding.

[edit] Fishing communities

For some communities, fishing provides not only a source of food and work but also community and cultural identity.[5]

In the New Testament, Jesus is reported to have said to his disciples: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.[6].


[edit] See also

[edit] Images

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

  • Fields, Leslie Leyland (editor) (2002) Out On The Deep Blue: Women, Men, and the Oceans They Fish. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 978-0312277260
  • Jones, Stephen (2001) Working Thin Waters: Conversations with Captain * Lawrence H. Malloy, Jr. University Press of New England. ISBN 978-1584651031

[edit] External links

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