Ukai Cormorant Fishing

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Ukai is a traditional fishing method using trained cormorants to catch river fish such as Ayu also known as sweetfish. Ukai cormorant fishing has been around for over 1300 years, most prominently along the Nagaragawa River in Gifu City, where in the past the master fishermen have official patronage from the emperor, today however all Ayu catch are sold to surrounding hotels and ryokan.

Ukai cormorant fishing includes one master fisherman, one helper and one person to steer the boat as well as around 12 cormorant birds swimming alongside the boat are catching fish attracted by the boat light.

The catch are kept in a special pouch in the cormorant’s throat and retrieved later. To prevent cormorant from swallowing their large catch, fisherman put a snare around the neck of the bird while still allowing the cormorant eat smaller fish.

Despite some common misunderstanding, cormorant are extremely well treated and valuable to fishermen, no arm to the cormorant is done at any time.