KOCHI: Chinese fishing nets or ‘Cheena Valas,’ that have been the symbol of Kochi from time immemorial, are now getting a facelift.A couple of these land-based fishing structures have become motorised. That is they are now being pulled by motors instead of the traditional method of being pulled by 4 to 6 men.Of the 25 or so Chinese nets that can be seen across the waterfront at Fort Kochi and Vypeen, two have been mechanised so far. “Usually, a Chinese fishing net requires around 4 to 6 men to operate it. The manpower required to lift these nets, which have a 20-metre span, is immense. Nowadays, it is very hard to find labourers to pull it. That is why I decided to motorise it although the maintenance cost is higher. I believe it will give good results in the long run,” said the owner of one of the motorized fishing nets.But not all are optimistic. “Mechanising these ancient structures is not quite good. When men pull these nets up, they can adjust the pulling power according to the wave’s strength. But the motor cannot adjust the pulling power. If the wave and the motor pull the supporting (poles of the net) in opposite directions, there is every possibility that the thing might snap,” said a fisherman in Vypeen. Whether it is a good decision or not, some Chinese fishing net owners think that motorising is the only hope to keep these installations working due to the dearth of labourers. As the name suggests, these nets and the fishing technique used by the fishermen have a Chinese origin.According to legend, this unusual fishing technique was brought to Kochi from the court of Chinese emperor Kublai Khan by a Chinese explorer, Zheng He. These structures have been in operation from the mid-fifteenth century.
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