Cormorant Archives - Pacific Standard

Home Cormorant

Cormorant fishermen use sea cormorants to catch sweetfish on October 9th, 2018 in Gifu, Japan. In this traditional fishing art, 'ukai,' a cormorant master called 'usho' manages the birds to capture ayu, or sweetfish. The ushos of River Nagara have been the official staff of the Imperial Household Agency of Japan since 1890. Currently, six fishermen of the Nagara River conduct special fishing for the Imperial family eight times a year, on top of daily fishing from mid-May to mid-October.

Viewfinder: Fishing for Ayu in Japan

Cormorant fishermen use sea cormorants to catch sweetfish on October 9th, 2018, in Gifu, Japan.

Pacific Standard Staff

Environment

Why Aren’t Ethics and Morality Considered Relevant in Debates Over Wildlife Culls?

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in the process of killing thousands of cormorants without even considering the ethics.