Share“When a person enters a world that is not their own, from land to water, they must face any problem with quick thinking and bravery and make decisions to save the situation — in this vast amount of water, in an environment that is not their natural habitat.” With these words, Hasan Mohammad, a local fisherman, gave Kuwait Times a brief glimpse into the world of fishing and fishermen.
Mohammad explained to Kuwait Times that Kuwaitis’ maritime love story is as old as the sea, and their association with the sea is a strong and essential bond. The sea represents the lungs, heart and arteries for Kuwaitis, as it is their source of livelihood and vital for individuals and society. Even after Kuwait was blessed with black gold (oil) and there was a change in income and livelihood sources, Kuwaitis did not forget their love for the sea. They remained loyal and devoted, passing this love onto the next generations.
According to Mohammad, the relationship with the sea has transformed into a hobby that requires investment, as it brings pleasure and enjoyment that can be felt and understood by those who practice it. Fishing provides endurance, patience, breadth of mind and willpower, as hours may pass in anticipation of the moment of catching a fish. It also enhances focus and mental clarity away from the noise of work and the city.
This includes mental focus on a specific thing, relieving the mind from thinking about other matters, as the mind is occupied with one thing only, which gives it rest and strength in concentration. Furthermore, other the beneficial aspects of this hobby is quick thinking, decision-making and bravery.
Language of fishing
Mohammad explained that fishing, known as “al hadaq” in the Kuwaiti dialect, is a hobby that has its own unique vocabulary in the language of fishermen. There are different types of fishermen: There is the beach fisherman, referred to as “seef”; there is the “daffar” fisherman, who enters the sea on foot until the waist, carrying a container or basket to hold fishing tools and the catch. There’s also the boat fisherman, who uses a boat to reach open waters and faraway distances. Then there is the spearfishing diver and other methods that enthusiasts excel at. Each part of the boat also has a specific name or term. Similarly, each fishing tool and its method have their own terminology. In fact, this applies to everything related to this hobby.
For example, the front of the boat is called “Al sadr”, while the back of the boat is called “al tafer”. There’s also the anchor that stabilizes the boat, which is called “al malmas”, commonly used in muddy bottoms, and another type called “al sin”, usually used in rocky bottoms. The rope that holds the weight is called “kharab”. Furthermore, the fishing gear consists of several items, including the fishing line, hook and sinker. According to the dialect of the fishermen, the fishing line is called “kheit”, the hook is called “meedar” and the sinker is called “bild”.
These items come in various sizes and are numbered to indicate their sizes. For example, kheit (40), bild (2), meedar (1/0) and so on. Each fish and its species require a specific size of fishing line and weight for catching. There is also a specific knotting technique used in the art of fishing for each particular fish. There is a method called “al rikka” which involves placing the lead weight “bild” at the beginning of the line, followed by the hook “meedar”. This method is usually used when the water is calm, according to fishermen, meaning when the sea current is in the high tide state.
On the other hand, there is the method of “al elaqa”, which is the opposite of the “al rikka” method. In this method, the weight (bild) is placed at the front of the line, followed by the hook. This method is usually used when the sea current is in the low tide state. There is also a state known as “al thabr”, which is the rotational state of the sea current to reach the islands. There are other fishing methods that have not been discussed here, such as using large fishing nets like al ghazl, al leekh, al qarqoor, al mishbak and others. These methods are not preferred or encouraged as they harm the marine environment and fish spawning grounds. Such methods are known as destructive fishing.
Mohammad said that bait, known as “yeem” by Kuwaiti fishermen, is of various types, including shrimp, small fish, squid, sometimes chicken liver, and others. Each type of fish bait is more likely to catch certain fish. For example, mullet fish, with the sides skinned and deboned, is mostly used in catching the subaiti fish. As for soft shrimp, it is often used in catching shoum and nuwaibi fish. Nuwaibi can be caught with squid as well. However, this does not mean that these types of bait are only used for these specific fish, but some fish seem to prefer certain types over others.
