Large basket fish traps, with a hexagonal shape and one inverted end, are typically used in Zanzibar and are called ‘Dema’ in Swahili. These fish traps, which have a large mesh size, were initially made from palm leaves and mangrove…

Bamboo rats are a common rodent in bamboo thickets in mountainous areas of northern Vietnam. Hmong tribal people in remote regions still hunt them regularly for food. Although hunting bamboo rats is officially prohibited, the practice is still widespread. To…

The following information was gathered from a Urak Lawoi man who has lived in the Rawai Beach Sea-Gypsy Village for 27 years. He was 57 years old and only had one tooth (incisor) left in the middle of his upper…

Rectangular squid traps are used in the Gulf of Thailand and along the coastline of the Andaman Sea in the same way as semi-circular traps. Both types are used mainly for catching Bigfin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) but will also…

Trapping eels is a simple way for rice farmers in the catchment area of the Red River in North Vietnam to provide themselves with animal protein. No special skills are required, as with angling or net fishing. The activity is…

Scissor traps are universal traps that can catch all kinds of small rodents. They are easy to produce from bamboo but need one item to be sourced in the villages. These are strips of bicycle tubes, which are not easy…

Bow traps are used by Black Thai tribal people in Northern Vietnam to catch small rodents. These ingenious devices are carved from pieces of bamboo and some strings. The closing force of the scissor comes from a bow-like structure above…

Deadfall traps with a Figure-4 trigger are essential knowledge for survivalists and bushcrafters worldwide. Thái Đen (Black Thai) tribal people at Pù Luông Nature Reserve in Northern Vietnam use these traps and the Figure-4 trigger in a modified version. Modifications…

Trapping Snakeskin Gourami fish (Trichopodus pectoralis) is commonly done all over Southeast Asia. However, a specific trap for catching them was developed in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Its simple principle could be easily applied to many other areas of…

Common names Nkansu ngo (= claw of the leopard), Leopard claw grass, Nzefo za ngo, Kansingo (Kongo) Description A perennial grass with culms 30 – 150 cm high, growing from scaly rhizomes. Leaf blades are spear-shaped, 10 – 40 cm…

Trapping fish in bamboo traps in Southeast Asia is normally a static affair. These fishing traps are used in still waters with or without bait inside and checked at least once daily. It was a new experience to see somebody…

Squid is a main source of income for many fishermen in villages around the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea. Because fish are becoming increasingly rare, whereas Cephalopods maintain their population. Only certain types of finfish are sold profitably,…

Simple crab snare for use on a tropical beach A crab snare is usually shaped like a bait cage with about six snares around it. This set-up combines a fishing line and rod or just hung down the sea bottom…

Small lift net for catching daily meals of freshwater prawns and fish ‘Yor lek’ is a hand-lifting net; in Thai, it means something like a ‘small lift net. ‘ ‘Yor’ means ‘lift net’ and ‘lek’ means ‘small’. Its big brothers…

Description of cast nets used in Thailand Cast nets in Thailand are available in different radius models. I prefer one with a radius of 3.5 meters, which is from the center of the net to the outer axial rim chain,…

Most Thai water channels, khlongs, and streams are clogged with a variety of water plants, predominantly Common Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). This invasive species was introduced in 1901 by Thai Royalty from Indonesia and was supposed to be eradicated by…

Hand nets, equipment, and technique For hand net fishing, mosquito netting is used to sieve water bodies for rice field shrimps and fish fry in Thailand. In order not to lose caught animals, the netting was brought into a deep,…

Learning the craft of bamboo fish trap weaving The correct English wording for a ‘Lop’ in Thai would be ‘Horizontal cylinder trap with entry cone’. It is used to catch various freshwater fish and crustaceans, including small snakeheads, catfish, shrimp,…

In many areas of the biggest Cambodian lake, its tributary river, and the Mekong flood plains, permanent bamboo fence fish traps, or, more appropriately, catching structures, are erected and operated. The leader fence, which guides fish into the trap’s inner…

Many national parks, private game reserves, and game farms in Southern Africa are under heavy pressure from snares for poaching—not only rhino horn poaching but also indiscriminate poaching for meat. Internationally acting gangs from certain countries mainly organize rhino horn…