The Maritime Traditions of the Fishermen of Socotra, Yemen

Julian Jansen van Rensburg

• Publisher: Archaeopress
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN: 9781784914820
• eBook ISBN: 9781784914837
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Archaeology
• Index: Social Sciences

The Socotra archipelago lies approximately 135 nautical miles (Nm) northeast of Cape Guardafui, Somalia and 205Nm south of R?s Fartaq, Yemen. The archipelago is made up of four main islands, Socotra, cAbd al-K?ri, Sam?a and Darsa, of which Socotra is the largest and most densely populated. The population of Socotra is divided between the interior pastoralists and the coastal fishermen and traders. While scholarly studies concerning the interior population abound, the fishermen of Socotra have received comparatively less attention and little about them or their traditions is known. This research seeks to address this balance by analysing the Socotri maritime traditions and addressing the question as to how social, environmental and technological influences have shaped the maritime traditions of the fishermen of Socotra. The primary data forming the basis of this book is author's ethnographic fieldwork carried out on the islands of Socotra and Sam?a between 2009 and 2010. This data is incorporated within a transdisciplinary framework that looks at some of the essential factors of historical, archaeological and environmental evidence to gain a holistic insight into the spatial and temporal factors affecting the maritime traditions of the fishermen.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• List of Figures
• Notes on transliteration
• Glossary
• Glossary
• Part One: The Study
• Part One: The Study
• Figure 1. The Socotra archipelago (Drawn: author).
• Introduction
• Introduction
• Figure 2. Topographical map of Socotra together with the outlying islands of Samḥa, Darsa and ᶜAbd Al-Kūri; showing the fishing villages around the island of Socotra and Samḥa.
• Literature Review
• Literature Review
• The Conceptual Framework and Methodology
• The Conceptual Framework and Methodology
• Figure 3. The fishing villages visited and number of people who were interviewed, in brackets.
• Figure 4. A focus group interview being undertaken in Khaysat ash-Shaikh, the only fishing village on the island of Samḥa (Photo: author).
• Part Two: The Fishermen
• The Historical Ethnic Groups
• The Historical Ethnic Groups
• Figure 5. The stone tablets with Gujārāti inscriptions found near ᶜAririhun Di-Lisheh on the north coast of Socotra (Photo: author).
• The Historical Fishing Community
• The Historical Fishing Community
• The Contemporary Fishing Community
• The Contemporary Fishing Community
• Figure 6. Palm-frond boat shelter east of Qādheb (Photo: author).
• Figure 7. Stone boat shelters in Ḥāllah (Photo: author).
• Figure 8. “The Gate of Fortune”, after a fresh coating of shark liver oil (Photo: author).
• Part Three: The Maritime Landscape And Climate
• Part Three: The Maritime Landscape And Climate
• Figure 9. Topographical map of Socotra and the outlying islands of Samḥa, Darsa and ᶜAbd Al-Kūri, showing the fishing villages mentioned in this study.
• The Maritime Landscape
• The Maritime Landscape
• Figure 10. Socotra’s water sources, showing the location of wells, lagoons and springs, and the low lying plains in which they occur.
• Figure 11. The sheer limestone undercut cliffs of the north western side of Socotra. Note the lack of any landing places (Photo: author).
• Figure 12. A large tafone opening near the coastline that is being used to store vessels (Photo: author).
• Figure 13. A view of the largest northern coastal plain looking east over the fishing village of Suq and Ḥadiboh. Note the limestone escarpment in the background which separates this plain from the next (Photo: author).
• Figure 14. A view of the southern plain with the limestone escarpment in the background (Photo: author).
• Figure 15. A schematic representation of the bathymetry of the Socotra archipelago showing the outlying islands and rocks.
• Figure 16. The northwest coast showing the landscape in the vicinity of the villages of Shuᶜub and Qalansiyah.
• Figure 17. The coast of Shuᶜub as seen from the sea. Note the narrow coastal strip and the limestone escarpment of Ṣamerher in the background (Photo: author).
• Figure 18. The village of Qalansiyah looking west toward the limestone escarpment of Ṣamerher (Photo: author).
• Figure 19. The central north coast showing the landscape in the vicinity of the villages of Qādheb, Ḥadiboh and Suq.
• Figure 20. The landing and launching area in front of Qādheb, looking west over the channel used by the fishermen (Photo: author).
• Figure 21. Ḥadiboh as viewed from the sea. Note the peaks of the Ḥagher in the background (Photo: author).
• Figure 22. A view of the coast of Suq facing east, showing the date-palm plantations and Jebel Ḥawari in the background (Photo: author).
• Figure 23. The northeast coast showing the landscape in the vicinity of the villages of Ṣaqarah and Eryisseyl.
• Figure 24. The coast looking westwards toward Ṣaqarah. Note the cobble and sand launching and landing places and the relic ree and rock outcroppings. (Photo: author).
• Figure 25. The main launching and landing place on the southwest coast of Rās Di-Erisseyl, showing the narrow sandy bay, shark carcasses and evidence of a recent shipwreck (Photo: author).
• Figure 26. The southwest coast showing the landscape in the vicinity of the villages of Maṭyaf, Maḥfirihin and Zaḥaq.
• Figure 27. The coast of Maṭyaf looking east. Note the limestone headland of Rās Maḥfirihin in the background (Photo: author).
• Figure 28. The shallow-sloping cobble bay of Maḥfirihin (Photo: author).
• Figure 29. The coast of Zaḥaq. Note the steepness of the cobble bank (Photo: author).
• Figure 30. The central south coast showing the landscape in the vicinity of the villages of Bidhōleh and Stēroh.
• Figure 31. A view of wādī Iᵓirih as it enters the sea. Note the fishing vessels at anchor within the shelter of the sand spit (Photo: author).
• Figure 32. The bay used by the fishermen of Stēroh. Note the breakwater in the background (Photo: author).
• Figure 33. The southwest coast showing the landscape in the vicinity of the villages of Di-Ṣeberho and Qaṭanan.
• Figure 34. A view of recent Italian Red Cross efforts to provide further launching and landing places (Photo: author).
• Figure 35. The limestone headland of Rās Qaṭanan forms the backdrop to the village of Qaṭanan (Photo: author).
• Figure 36. The island of Samḥa and Darsa showing the village of Khaysat ash-Shaikh.
• Figure 37. The village of Khaysat ash-Shaikh as viewed from the sea (Photo: author).
• Figure 38. Socotra and the outlying islands of Samḥa, Darsa and ᶜAbd al-Kūri showing the fishing villages where interviews were conducted.
• Figure 39. The fishing areas ḳeneᶜi+ti, šiḳ, lītonten and tarbātin.
• Figure 40. The island of Samḥa, showing the location of some fishing areas.
• Figure 41. Fishing areas along the northwest coast.
• Figure 42. Fishing areas along the central north coast.
• Figure 43. Fishing areas along the northeast coast.
• Figure 44. Fishing areas along the south coast.
• Figure 45. Fishing areas off Samḥa.
• Figure 46. The method used by the fishermen to find a fishing area using three landmarks (Drawn: author).
• Figure 47. The silhouette of the island as seen from the south coast showing the two headlands that are the limits of the island (Drawn: author).
• Figure 48. The silhouette of the south coast and the stars used to determine the direction to land (Drawn: author).
• The Climate
• The Climate
• Figure 49. The directional flow of the monsoon winds across the Indian Ocean during the NE monsoon, A and the SW monsoon, B (Drawn: author).
• Figure 50. Tropical cyclone tracks in the vicinity of the Socotra archipelago (Drawn: author).
• Figure 51. The formation of a sea breeze, illustrating the movement of the winds (Drawn: author).
• Figure 52. The formation of a land breeze, illustrating the movement of the winds (Drawn: author).
• Figure 53. The effects of a land breeze coming off high ground. Note the contrary wind close to the coast (Drawn: author).
• Figure 54. The effects of a sea breeze blowing onto high ground. Note the contrary wind close to the coast (Drawn: author).
• Figure 55. The flow of the Somali current past Socotra during the NE and SW monsoon seasons (Drawn: author).
• Figure 56. The timing and characteristics of each monsoon season taken from Vora and Grattan-Cooper (2007: 32).
• Figure 57. The seasons, winds and weather as recorded by Serjeant (1992: 172-173; 1995: 96-97).
• Figure 58. The monsoon seasons and winds of Socotra taken from Naumkin (1993: 166); Naumkin (1993 Supplement: 8).
• Figure 59. The monsoon seasons, winds and weather of Socotra taken from Morris (2002: 16-30).
• Figure 60. The monsoon seasons, winds, weather and the influence of these on fishing activities as compiled from fishermen interviewed throughout the island by the author.
• Figure 61. The winds of Socotra taken from Serjeant (1992: 173).
• Figure 62. The local winds on Socotra taken from Morris (2002: 19-20).
• Figure 63. The direction and names of the currents according to fishermen interviewed by the author.
• Figure 64. Socotra and the outlying islands of Samḥa, Darsa and ᶜAbd al-Kūri showing the fishing villages where interviews were conducted. The number of people interviewed in each is given in brackets.
• Part Four: Vessels, Gear And Catch
• Part Four: Vessels, Gear And Catch
• Fishing Vessels
• Fishing Vessels
• Figure 65. A shāsha from Oman, which is on display at the Eyemouth Maritime Centre (Photo: author).
• Figure 66. A sewn boat found in Di-Ṣeberho (Photo: author).
• Figure 67. A line drawing of a modified hūrī. Note the splits in the hull that have planking inserted into them.
• Figure 68. A modified hūrī in Ḥadiboh (Photo: author).
• Figure 69. A hūrī modified to fit an outboard engine in Qalansiyah. The owner Abdullha Rahman Abod Ali Saeed is on the right a d my guide Ahmed Abdulla on the left (Photo: author).
• Figure 70. A ‘hūrī blastik’ moored off the village of Khaysat ash-Shaikh, Samḥa (Photo: author).
• Figure 71. A ‘blastik’ fishing vessel off Ḥadiboh (Photo: author).
• Figure 72. Fishing vessels of Socotra, those below the double line are still in use, while those above have been abandoned.
• Fishing Equipment
• Fishing Equipment
• Figure 73. A partially completed wall of a fish trap in Ḥadiboh showing the components and tools used in its manufacture (Photo: author).
• Figure 74. Travelling along the north coast one often comes across fish traps in various stages of construction. In Di-Ḥamdh, he two fish traps in the background are being laid out to dry after having being used for several weeks, while in the foreground
• Figure 75. A fish trap, showing the protruding branches attached to the base in Khaysat ash-Shaikh, Samḥa. Note its dark colou , showing that it has been in use for several weeks (Photo: author).
• Figure 76. A fisherman holding a cast net on a boat off Ḥowlef (Photo: author).
• Figure 77. Top-anchored fixed seine net (Drawn: author).
• Figure 78. Bottom-anchored fixed seine net (Drawn: author).
• Figure 79. The fixed single-anchored seine net arrangement anchored to the seafloor (dotted line) or to a fishing vessel (Drawn: author).
• Figure 80. The 12 different mesh-sizes; the species each is used to target and how they are marketed.
• Figure 81. A fisherman carrying sacks of cobbles to be used as line fishing weights, west of Suq (Photo: author).
• Figure 82. A fisherman with a baited hook wrapped around a cobble sinker ready to be dropped into the water, off the north coast (Photo: author).
• Figure 83. Saaed Selem Ali in Qalansiyah, showing a lure he made to catch fish from the shore (Photo: author).
• Figure 84. Jamen Mahafawl Saif in Ḥadiboh, with his trolling line, handline and lures. Note the different types of artificial lures used, and how the main troll line is split into two (Photo: author).
• Figure 85. Bottom-set and drifting long-lines used by the fishermen on Socotra (Drawn: author).
• Figure 86. Stone net sinkers in Erisseyl, note how some of the rocks have been broken to make it easier to tie a line to them (Photo: author).
• Figure 87. A gaff, mi+nzek (Soc), in the Socotra folk museum (Photo: author).
• Figure 88. The barbed steel head of a harpoon in the Socotra folk museum (Photo: author).
• The Fisheries Economy
• The Fisheries Economy
• Figure 89. Fishermen in Erisseyl offloading their catch of shark (Photo: author).
• Figure 90. Barrels of shark liver oil in Ṣaqarah (Photo: author).
• Figure 91. Socotra’s seasonal calendar, outlining the various fishing activities, species caught and methods used.
• Conclusion
• Conclusion
• Appendices
• Appendices
• Bibliography
• Bibliography