The Stilt Fishermen of Galle, Sri Lanka #2

Like most traditions, stilt fishing in Sri Lanka was born out of necessity. With the influx of British troops during World War II, the demand for food and subsequent overfishing forced many Sri Lankan fishermen out of their conventional, long-established fishing spots and demanded them to rethink their strategy. This led to the practice of perching on existing features within the waterline such as large rocks, sunken vessels and in some cases ditched aircrafts. However, new, desirable fishing spots located elsewhere made the fishermen think again. Before long, savvy individuals had begun erecting stilts directly on the coral reefs to provide themselves with the best possible fishing spots. Despite the demanding level of physical fitness, mental fortitude and significant patience required, fisherman on the coastline of Galle have been using this technique for over 70 years, across 3 generations.

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