Fresh catch

Fishermen use new methods to net sardines

New methods to catch sardines with the use of large nets with very small holes have been introduced by Ras Al Khaimah fishermen, as this type of fish is a favourite with the local populace.

Ahmed Saud, an experienced fisherman, said that the traditional way of catching sardines is called Daghwat Al Omah, with the fishermen using their fishing nets to catch as much as possible.

He added that the UAE nationals use very large quantities of this fish and that they store more quantities of it all year. He pointed out that the UAE waters are very rich in sardine, which is useful in many ways.

The sardines are usually put in large baskets called Al Qafir and taken from boat to shore. In Ras Al Khaimah, the fishermen spread them on the ground to dry. He said that the fishermen are usually helped by relatives and neighbours in this task, who are repaid for their help with generous quantities of the fish.

Once the sardines have been dried, they are packed in plastic packets and used by the national families as fertiliser or sent to the markets for sale.

He explained that traditionally, people used powdered sardine as food for their cattle or as fertiliser for farms. He recalled that in the past, the UAE used to produce large quantities of sardine and exported it to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and China.

Since it was available in abundance, he noted, this fish was cheap and readily available in the markets.

The national families used to make the fish powder themselves and store it in a separate room. Even those families which did not have fishermen bought fresh sardines which they dried themselves.

He stressed that catching this particular type of fish, drying it, and selling it in the market used to be a key source of income for many UAE nationals in the past, as also for the fishermen.