Fishing in Bahrain
Fishing and fish traps
There are two types of fish traps used in Bahrain. One is called “jarjur” which is made of wire and is shaped like a light weight cage. This is then filled with ground bait and lowered in the sea to entice the fish through a narrow funnel.
The second type is called “hadhra” and is made of wood and palm reeds in the shape of a giant arrow-head when viewed aerially. Their function is to exploit the movement of the fish with the tide. During high tide the fish move to the shores looking for food, and during the low tide they rush back towards the sea. It is during this movement back into the deep waters that the fish get trapped between the two arms of the “hadhra” and forced to move in one direction into the trap. The design and construction of these traps vary according to the species of fish which is caught, as different species of fish have different swimming habits.
More:
- Bahrain Facts and IntroductionBahrain is an archipelago of around 36 islands about 20 miles (32 km) off the Hasa coast (i.e. the east coast of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). The mainland is also called Bahrain, and is about 30 miles (48 km)...
- Traditions of BahrainCoffee pot making These traditional coffee pots were made commonly in copper or very specially in silver, and there are special craftsmen for this dying craft who used to stamp their own variations of the pot designs in a similar...
- Pearl diving BahrainPearl diving Since ancient times, Bahrain has been famous for pearl diving and for the finest natural pearls in the Gulf area and in the world. Pearl diving reached its climax during the 19th century, before its fall in the...
- More Bahrain CultureBasket work This is still practised in certain villages like Karbabad, where various sizes of baskets and traditional dining mats (for the floor) are hand woven under the shelter of a “barasti” in the middle of a date grove. In...
- Dhow building BahrainDhow building The Webster’s dictionary defines the word “dhow” as a single-masted ship with a lateen sail, sharp prow, deep forefoot, and raised deck at the stern, … . Many variations of dhows were constructed in Bahrain, the most common...
- Herbal Medicine of BahrainHerbal medicines (or herbal waters) These were basically products of palm tree flowers, pollen and buds, which were distilled in certain villages like Jidhafs. Now a days, many varieties of local and imported herbs are distilled and used as natural...
- Muharraq Island BahrainMUHARRAQ Muharraq, a small island off the north-east tip of Manama, linked by causeway, is part residential and part airport runways and terminals. Once it curved around a bay but recent land reclamation largely filled in the bay leaving a...
- Qanats of BahrainQanats – an early engineering ingenuity – a water distribution system This is an early engineering ingenuity which was not uncommon in this region of the world. Very early, irrigation was through natural springs and surface wells. Then, “Qanat” systems...













