Aug 28, 2014 6:30 AM

Gallery: The Dying Tradition of Sri Lankan Stilt Fishing, Captured in Powerful Photos

Florian Müller
01
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Stilt fishermen Sunil Nishanti (left) and Anil Madushanka sit on their stilts waiting for swarms of fish that will pass their stilts in the shallow water.
Florian Müller
02
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Koggala´s promenade offers a touristic infrastructure with nearby hotels and shops. This guarantees a relative high income for the tourist fishermen since the tradition of stilt fishing is a well known tourist attraction.

Florian Müller
03
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
A fake stiltfisherman covers his face with a mask that shows the portrait of an Australian tourist while being photographed from one of his friends on behalf of the Australian.
Florian Müller
04
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Sunil Nishanti refreshs himself inside his hut.

Florian Müller
05
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Sunil Nishanti sells deep sea fish that he bought on the market of Mirissa. Especially during monsoon season when there are almost no fish in the shallow water, the fishermen need another source of income.
Florian Müller
06
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Fish that Sunil Nishanti sells on the local market of Ahangama.

Florian Müller
07
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Janaka Nishanti, son of Sunil Nishanti, repairs a stilt during low tide in the bay of Ahangama. Although the situation gets worse and worse, many of the young people still follow their father's footprints.
Florian Müller
08
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Sunil Nishanti's son, Janaka, talks with his sister while the family's adpopted child, Sanju, sleeps in the foreground.

Florian Müller
09
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Sunil Nishanti and the other fishermen often spend time in the nearby tea stalls when there is no work. "It´s better than staying at home where the women cause trouble," he says.
Florian Müller
10
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Former fishermen Gigi sits in his shelter on the road and waits for tourist that will pay him and his brother to climb up their stilts.

Florian Müller
11
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Sunil Nishanti walks barefoot across the coral to his stilt in the shallow waters of Ahangama bay.
Florian Müller
12
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Anil Madushanka ties his turban that conatins everything that he needs to fish: hooks, fishing lines, cigarettes and matches as well as pieces of broken glass to polish the hooks to attract fish.

Florian Müller
13
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Anil Madushanka leaves his stilt while his neighbor Kalu and his cousin Sunil keep fishing.
Florian Müller
14
Big Fish, small fish - Sri Lanka´s stiltfishermen
Anil Madushanka watches for fish from his stilt while his younger cousin tries his luck.

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