When I recently saw that BACA were hosting a tour of the traditional Bahraini fisheries I jumped at the chance to be shown around.
A bunch of us enthusiasts met up at one of the wooden structures that jut out into the sea, close to Karbabdad beach, where we met our local fisherman and guide for the afternoon Mr Abbas.
From here he we then put on water shoes (or for the brave, removed our shoes all together!) and then schlepped our way out into the sea at low tide. On route we stopped at some fishing nets, which had caught some crabs and urchin. Mr Abbas pointed out that the urchin are detrimental to the sea life here, though sadly not many people here order them to eat as they are somewhat smaller to urchin from other parts of the world (if you want to order some freshly caught urchin from him, just send me a message and I will put you in touch!)
Our group continued walking further out another 200-300 meters into the warm, lapping sea, to the Hadhra (traditional fishing traps) which have been used for decades. Hadhra utilize the tides and currents, ensuring that they catch the fish in their nets.
Mr Abbas mentioned that there are plenty of Hadhra out at sea in Bahrain and they are run by the Ministry, with each fisherman paying an annual dues to use them.
This was a fantastic and informative tour which I am grateful to have experienced. Next time you are driving along the coast keep a look out from some Hadhra. PS. thanks to everyone who helped translate the tour into English!
Looking for more unique things to do in Bahrain, why not visit this world-class art hub.
