The last prawn fisherman

By Klaus Munk 

Up until the 1970s, fishing for prawns was an important source of income and food in the frugal life of many families.

72-year old Christian Juul Christensen is the last fisherman who continues to fish for Baltic prawns the old-fashioned way. Since he was a boy, Juul has been as much a part of life in Bovet as the terns and seagulls. He has always preferred fishing for prawns, which in the 1960s and 1970s provided a good income. During the late 90s, the great oxygen-loss happened in Kattegat, and the eelgrass vanished from Bovet, as did the fish and prawns. Only recently has the eelgrass slowly started to return, as has the fish and the possibility of prawn fishing. 

Fishing is done a couple of kilometres into Bovet, where a small pit stretches from west to east. Today, the fishermen get there by tractor, during older times it was by bike. The boat is moared at the edge of this pit. Next to the boat is a drying rack made of poles tied together, referred to as "the gallows". This is where the prawn cages are dried, when they are too overgrown by algae and seaweed. Clean nets are necessary, otherwise they will not catch anything. It is quite a sight, when the gallows is full of drying prawn cages. An ever-changing artwork constructed by necessity.

The prawn cages are stretched out between the robust poles, each of them placed in a simple system, and dug into the seabed purely by Juul's bodyweight. Juul ties the boat around the poles with no issue - it is easy to see that he has done this before. After a couple of hours, the fishing cages and poles are set up and the fishing has thus begun. 

Juul walks back 50 metres to his tractor, and as he returns home, he is looking forward to whether the nets have been well-placed and will result in a good catch.

The next day is exciting, as we return to the fishing spot. "This, out here, this is the life - at least it is my life," Juul says, "Not one day is the same as the one before - the beauty and the quiet, the simple life, the birds, just the thought of being a witness to the endless cycle of nature and the seasons, is a huge privilege to be a part of. And all of the great produce the nature can provide! It's good for your stomach and your health - and it's good for the soul" Juul says and smiles. "I hope I am allowed to spend my final days out here too - not to drown of course, but to continue fishing, until I no longer have the strength to do so. But it is not certain that that will be possible." His smile fades a little, "Fishery control is slowly ruining the life of small fishing communities. We should be protected in class A, like the Indians in America. This is our life and our culture. Why are we not allowed to be here and continue our traditions? Is all of it really supposed to lie there like a pretty picture, without any kind of content? I simply do not understand - what would we want with it?"

There were two pounds of prawns and a couple of flounders in the net, and Juul shone like a sun, when he proudly showed off his prawns, "Have a look at this - oh, but isn't it a beautiful sight! Look, nice and big - this will be great!"

A good day in Bovet, and a good day in a human's life.

Facts

"The last prawn fisherman" is the titel of a documentary produced for Læsø Museum by Læsø Media. The film describes the preparation for the prawn season in April and the actual prawn fishing from May to June. The purpose of the film is to document the prawn fishing methods, so the old traditions will not be forgotten, but can be relearned, should anyone in the future want to do so.

The film is a unique chance to get a final insight into a fisherman's life in Bovet. In late summer of 2010, the Fishery control visited the drying racks in Bovet, deemed the prawn nets to be illegal, confiscated both of the prawn cages and took them to be destroyed. Juul also received a big fine. 
As such, Juul, against his will, became Læsø's very last prawn fisherman in Bovet.