Jinshan fire fishermen hold fast to traditional fishing skills

Holding fast to the traditional fishing art of sulfuric fire fishing, a group of 50-plus fishermen gathered at Huanggang harbor in New Taipei City’s Jinshan District on May 9 to celebrate the start of the annual herring season. Using the only four remaining sulfuric fire-fishing boats in the world, the elderly fishermen are illuminating the summer nights of Jinshan’s Huanggang harbor.

With over 30 years of fishing experience, elderly fisherman “A-tong” embodies the spirit of this fishing art. Shouldering the responsibility of keeping this unique fishing art alive, at close to 70 years old, A-tong carries the fiery torch to search the ocean surface for signs of herring. Clutching the flickering torch at the bow of the boat he ignites sulfur carried in his hands making a “boom” sound as it hits the water, forcing the shoal of herring to jump out of the water.

At the command of A-tong’s whistle, the fishermen on board begin to haul in the catch. Though sulfuric fire fishing has gradually disappeared from our harbors and keeping this traditional art alive faces tremendous challenges, locals are hopeful that this traditional part of Jinshan’s culture will survive long into the future. 

Jinshan fire fishermen hold fast to traditional fishing skills 

URL:http://www.peopo.org/news/278101

(以下是中文對照)

金山蹦火仔討海人堅守傳統捕魚技藝

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每年的5月到9月，是捕撈青鱗魚的季節，在新北市金山磺港，有一群年過半百的漁民，堅守著傳統捕魚方式「蹦火仔」，運用全世界僅剩四艘的磺火船，點亮了金山磺港的夏季夜晚。有著三十多年討海經驗的阿通伯，是蹦火仔的靈魂角色，年近七十的他，仍一肩扛起這艘磺火船的重擔。阿通伯拿著探照燈，在海面上找尋青鱗魚的蹤跡。一道耀眼的火光在船頭搖曳，阿通伯點燃手中磺火，靠近水面，“蹦”的一聲，青鱗魚群躍出海面，哨聲一響，漁民們在阿通伯的指揮下，合力將漁獲捕撈上船。「蹦火仔」正逐漸消失在我們的海港，技術的傳承與未來正面臨巨大的挑戰，在地人希望能將這僅存在金山的文化流傳下去。