Fishing is one of the traditional crafts in the United Arab Emirates. Fishing equipment includes:
1- Nets: The depth of these nets ranges from 2-2.5 fathoms. The nets are placed across the tidal path. The net is usually 36 fathoms in length. It is cast after sunset and drawn three times during the night.
2- Dhaghawi: There are many types of dhaghawi, including wolf-herring dhaghawi, dhaghawi for large fish such as longtail tuna and Spanish mackerel as well as dhaghawi for jashe’, sardines and fnidah.
3- Leekh: It is considered a khayasheem (gill) net. It was given this name because the gills of the fish would get caught in it. This net has narrow holes with a weight of lead at the bottom and the karb at the top. The Leekh is cast vertically in the water and is drawn in the form of a mesh barrier in the shallow sea to trap the fish that get stuck in its holes. The Leekh ranges between 100 - 150 meters in length and has a height of 3-4 meters.
4- Sharkh: This is a net cast along the coast at low tide. As the tide rises, fish get stuck, and the net is pulled and emptied. The sharkh is rectangular or square, with a side length of approximately 40 meters.
5- Baqar (Cow) net: The length of each hole (ain) i.e., eye in this net is a cubit. It is used for catching large fish, such as dugongs and large sharks. The net is cast in the water in an intersecting manner. A heavy metal bawra is placed at each end of the net, so that large fish cannot pull down the net.
6- Yall: It is one of the largest types of nets used; however, its holes are very narrow, similar to the holes of a kufa, which is used for catching shrimp. The yall can reach up to 30 fathoms in length. It is used for catching small types of fish, such as sardines and anchovies. It is connected by a rope called saragh that extends to the shore. Its upper part consists of floating materials called karb, while the lower part is called masaw.
7- Saleya: This is a round net that is cast by one person and spreads like a tent. Its sides are weighted with lead. This type of net is used in shallow water and is considered the smallest type of net.
8- Kufa: This is a net with very narrow holes. The bottom of the net is attached to an iron weight called sanjal. Kufa nets are one of the most dangerous types of nets, as they threaten the marine environment. No fish are spared from this net, including the very small fish.
9- Yarouf: It is used to catch small fish, such as mullet. This type of net is used near the shore. The yarouf is between 20 to 70 meters in length.
10- Gargoor: This is a hemispherical bowl, made of iron wiring in the form of a ghorbal (sieve). It has a height of 5 to 6 feet and is used in deep waters.
11- Hadaq: This is the process of fishing using a fishing line and hook. A nylon thread is used as a fishing line and a cuttlefish or shrimp bait is attached to the hook.
Other tools are also used such as: omla (spear) - the method of fishing using a khatra- lifah - sikar - mansib - dajij - abu maishi. (1)
