Before the boat leaves: how a fishing trip is prepared
Fuel, ice, nets and a weather check. A good catch starts on shore, long before the boat reaches the fishing grounds.
2 min read
A fishing trip of several days is planned like any expedition. Once the boat is at sea, whatever was forgotten on shore stays forgotten.
The checklist
Fuel for the whole trip, with a margin. Ice, because fish lose value quickly in the heat. Nets and floats checked and repaired. Food and water for the crew, a working radio, and the safety gear that everyone hopes not to use.
The engine gets particular attention. A breakdown far from shore is dangerous, and it can also mean a whole catch spoiling before it reaches the market.
Reading the weather
Wind and sea state decide whether a trip happens at all. Experienced crews combine forecasts with what they see on the water: swell direction, cloud and the behaviour of the sea birds.
Preparation is invisible in the final price of a fish, but it is where a profitable trip begins. Horaad Fishing Company, founded by HAILA's founder, works this way from its base in Mogadishu, fishing along the Somali coast.
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