Haaf net fishing

The technique involves fishermen standing chest-deep in the sea and using large submerged framed nets to scoop up fish that swim towards them.

It is a form of fishing that is believed to have been brought to Britain by the Vikings more than a thousand years ago and to have been practised in the Solway Firth since then.

The number of haaf net fishermen has dwindled over the last 50 years and the activity has been restricted by salmon conservation measures.

The haaf net fishing community has campaigned for exemptions from these restrictions and for protection as an ancient cultural activity.

From the 1980s, the economics of fishing with haaf nets meant that numbers have significantly reduced with only 30 individuals currently practising the technique.

[5][14] The technique involves the haaf net being submerged in the water, while the fisherman holds it upright with the central pole.