Fisherman’s Zone at Cola Beach, South Goa, India

Beach holidays, always seem to give me the opportunity to explore the coastal local life. This local life, in most cases revolves around the sea and in the case of South Goa it is no different.


It was at Cola beach that I got to see this local life live in action. I was walking along the Cola beach when I seemed to have walked right into the fishermen’s zone of the beach.


There were folks mending fishing nets, repairing fishing boats, sorting out the knots in the entangled nets or just sitting in the shade and enjoying a cigarette.

 
My inquisitive and extrovert self took over and befriended these fishermen. Soon we were talking about the daily fishing trips, the daily catch, their lifestyle, their modes of entertainment and other things that ran across multiple topics.


It was during these conversations that I found out that these fishermen go out into the sea three times a day, though may be in shifts. One is early in the morning and the other is late in the evening. The third one is when they spend the night in the sea.


Most of their fishing patterns are closely associated with the tide’s time and cycle as that is when they get their best catch. A group of four fishermen catch about 100-200 kilograms of fish each day. Some of it is used for consumption within their families while the rest is sent to the market for sale. These guys love to unwind in the evening with some cashew fenny (local alcoholic drink) and some traditional dance and music.