Traditional fishery
A few words about the traditional fishery
The main and often the only way for the people of Northern Kashubia to earn money was through fishery. For this purpose, men formed fishing teams in Polish called maszoperia (in Kashubian maszoperiô). Their basic activity was team fishing for salmon, eels, herrings and sprats. Each fishing team took its name from the surname, first name or nickname of the chief (in Kashubian szëpra) of the fishermen. In Kashubian fishing teams, this position was inherited from the father. Membership in the fishing team was completely voluntary. Each fisherman was obliged to provide the necessary fishing equipment in the form of fishing nets, e.g. used for fishing eels, or their part of the seine - a fishing net used for fishing salmon.
Fishermen, members of the fishing team, were entitled to salary, which in Kashubian was named part. Everyone had a share in the profit - men received part of the so-called men's share, women were entitled to half of the men's profit, and children were entitled to half of it, called the children's share, i.e. ¼ part. Widows and orphans also received their share of deceased fishermen.
Seasons in fishery
Traditional fishery in Kashubia took place by the rhythm of nature. There were three fishing seasons:
- spring - salmon fishing time
- summer-autumn – time for fishing for eels, herrings, sprats and flounders
- winter - the period of ice fishing, during which eels were caught and seals were hunted
The Kashubians called the seals zélintama or sea calves. Seal meat was considered a fasting dish, and their skin was a decoration for houses. Seal oil – the fat was used to conserve leather items.
About the fishing grounds
Fishermen organized in fishing teams (in Kashubian maszoperiô) fished in the specially designated fishing grounds. In some Kashubian villages, fishing grounds were inherited. Sometimes they were chosen in the draw by fishing teams. Their boundaries had to be strictly respected. Drawing the fishing ground was very important because the location of the fishing ground largely determined whether the fishing would be successful.
Marks
Fishery equipment, such as floats attached to fishing nets, was marked with marks (in Kashubian called merkama, in Polish called merk), i.e. identification signs used by fishermen. The name merk most likely comes from the German word Gemerk - meaning a personal and family sign placed on seals, utility items and buildings. Marking the equipment in this way made it easier to find the owner. Each fisherman had his mark, which was inherited. A young fisherman added his element to his father's or grandfather's mark. This allowed us to avoid mistakes in determining the owner of the lost equipment. It often happened that many men from a given family were active fishermen. Marks were also used to mark boats and houses.
Boats
For centuries, Kashubian fishermen have been fished using small, deckless rowing boats that allowed them to sail a short distance from the shore. Therefore, only the resources of local fishing grounds were used. This was the so-called inshore fishery.
In the 1880s, large sailing fishing boats originating from Western Pomerania became very popular in Gdańsk Pomerania. This kind of boat - pomeranka its name to the Kashubian name for Western Pomerania - pòmarénk or pòmorenk. Pomeranka allowed a 6-8- fishermen crew to sail to distant fishing grounds, even 20 nautical miles from the shore. A typical pomeranka was up to 9 meters long and its width was about 2.4-2.6 meters. Pomerankas were originally made only of oak wood.
