Fish are an important and traditional source of dietary protein for those living in coastal Sri Lanka. Even in modern times fishing is still very much a cottage industry. You’ll commonly see fisherman out on the ocean in the morning in their small boats, pulling in their nets. Often the catch is small, but there are days when the nets are full, like on the day this photo was taken. Of course all those fish need to find a way to market, and this is where our friend in the sarong comes in.
While stopping at a lace shop in Welligama (which you can read about here), our attention was diverted to the hustle and bustle across the road. About a dozen men were busy packing fish into boxes, but the guy in the purple shirt and blue sarong was clearly in charge, organizing the efforts of the others to get this huge pile of fish crated and loaded onto the truck. The fish were going to market in Colombo (at that time more than a 4 hour drive away; much quicker now with the express way between Galle and Colombo). The truck was refrigerated but I was a little surprised at the lack of ice.
It’s the kind of scene I enjoy photographing. People going about their everyday business — just with a tropical background that includes the beautiful Indian Ocean!
For a list of DrFumblefingers blog posts on Sri Lanka, please click on this link.
