Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Baack it up. what is this "fish trap" you speak of?


For hundreds, perhaps thousands of years fish traps were used to catch multiple fish during a given time. The specific style of fish trap that I chose to work on consists of two parts. There is a net and a cone shaped opening. The cone shaped opening allows fish to swim in and back out. The two pieces are lashed together and the opening acts like a cap to the net. The pieces can be unlashed to collect the fish from the net or there can be a trap door made into the net. This trap style was used widely among Alaska native groups along rivers and the ocean, mainly in the shallow waters during all seasons. Alaska natives may have depended on these traps during times when other methods didn’t work as effectively. To the peoples who had once used these traps to help survive, tradition of the construction and use is very unique and important to pass on .

1 comment:

  1. This fishtrap is such a great invention! It's crazy to think that these fish traps back in the day were made by materials of nature, rather than making it out of wire and such things nowaday people make it out of. It must catch alot of fish !

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