Flowing Home
Elsa, Ip Ka Weng
We, in Macao, are lucky to have fresh seafood everyday. Yet, when we are enjoying the delicious seafood from the sea, have you ever thought about how they are caught so that we can purchase them in markets? How is the fisherman’s life in Macao?
Leong, 60, has worked as a fisherman for over 35 years. Leong has witnessed the rises and declines of the fishing industry in Macao over the decades. He understood that the fishing industry is not attractive to the new blood anymore but fortunately his son has interests in it.
Leong, his son and his daughter-in-law all live and work on the boat, except his wife who stays at home on the land at night while works with them in the afternoon. They will stay on the boat unless they are sick, or they have to return to their home on the land during typhoon and fishing moratorium.
In order to catch seafood, he and his son usually set sail at 2 am every day from the inner harbor and reach the location called “Po Toi Island” in an hour, which is 80 km far away from Macao. They are then back to the harbor at 2 pm.
Because they start to fish at the daybreak, they sleep in the morning. They sleep on the simple and thin mattresses, which are placed on the floors at the middle part of the boat.
Besides the fishing time, they are not sluggish on the boat. They need to prepare for the next round of fishing, such as refilling the petrol tank, cobwebbing the fish net and cleaning some vessels of the boat. “I would not feel tired and contrarily I feel so relaxed on my boat. I like the feeling of working and living at the same space,” Leong explained.
But living on the boat is indeed not a simple matter. Electricity is a basic element to build up a home and this also applies to the life on the boat. Leong mentioned that there is a generator providing electricity to the lights, water heater and other electric appliances on the boat.
During the 12 hours of fishing, food is also needed to keep their energy up. Electronic cooking, rather than gas cooking, is preferred and cloddy fish becomes the main dish for them, as all the expensive and quality seafood are sold to the wholesalers. Dining table cannot be found on the boat and they need to have their meals on the floor. Leong said it is a kind of traditional fisherman’s culture in the area of southern China.
Leong lives at his apartment with his wife during fishing moratorium, but he still checks his boat everyday and ensures the performance of the engine. He does not spend much time living with his wife as he stays in the boat while his wife on the land most of the times. He feels caught between his two “homes”.
“If I have to choose one out of two, for sure I will choose my boat to be my home, the place where I have spent half of my life,” Leong said.
Life During Fishing Moratorium
Fishing moratorium lasts from May to August every year. During the moratorium, the fishermen are forbidden to fish so they usually use this time to get rest and prepare their fishing tools. For instance, they mend the net, and repair or replace new engines for the boats.
The Macao government also provide some working chances for the fishermen to maintain their incomes. The Macau Fisherman Association has once held a fishing boat visit for the local residents, aiming to promote the traditional culture of the local fishermen to them, and to provide a communication channel between the local fishermen and the visitors.