In this ancient Japanese tradition, birds do the fishing

August 6, 2018 - This is an ancient Japanese tradition called Ukai, or cormorant fishing. The bird keeper ties a loose snare around the cormorant’s neck. They then send the birds out on leashes to retrieve sweetfish. When a cormorant catches a fish, the fish gets stuck in the bird’s throat. The keeper then pulls the bird back to the boat and dislodges its catch by putting pressure on its throat. At the end of the fishing session, they untie the snare and the cormorant gets to eat. It’s a major tourist attraction in Japan and occurs throughout the summer, but raises ethical questions amongst animal rights activists.