The fisherman ties a snare near the base of the bird's throat. This allows the bird to swallow smaller fish, but larger ones are held in its throat. When a cormorant has caught a fish in its throat, the fisherman brings it back to the boat and has it spit the fish out.
Cormorant fishing once was a successful industry in China, but its primary use today is to entertain tourists.
© Haydn Thompson 2017